How To Choose The Best Skirting Boards For Your Home?

Designs

Selecting The Perfect Design

Skirting Boards are a great way to upgrade your home and add some elegant decoration throughout your kitchen, bedrooms, living areas and anywhere else you have a few plain and boring walls. However, with such a wide variety of profiles to choose from, the decision on which skirting boards to install throughout your home can be difficult and daunting. In this guide, you will find some interesting tips and ideas that can help you select the perfect skirting for your home. 

WHO’S LIVING IN YOUR HOME?

The number and age of people living in your home is an important factor to consider, not to mention if you have any crazy pets running around your rooms. Aside from improving the general design of your home, skirting boards are a great way to protect your walls and have high durability. However, sometimes the conditions of your household can impact the what profile you go for.

  • If you are living with young children or pets, installing an expensive skirting board design may not be ideal, children are likely to scuff your skirting with crayons and toys, and your pet might scratch the area. Thankfully, the skirting are highly-durable and protect you walls from permanent damages, however its better to look for skirting boards that are simpler and budget-friendly. 

A solution to your young children and pets damaging your delicate corners and open edges is installing corner protections. They are an affordable way to protect your skirting boards and add a unique feature to your home. 

  • However, if you have older kids and less crazy pets or completely child and pet-free, you can invest in more expensive skirting boards. Just take into consideration that you choose the correct profile that complements your general house design. 

SCALE & PROPORTION

It’s extremely important you know the right size of skirting boards suitable for you home, if you select a profile that’s too small or too big, it can adversely affect the overall design of your interior. 

Make sure to consider the height of your ceilings, because if you want to achieve a flawless design your skirting boards need to be in proportion. So, if you have high ceilings opt for taller profiles; equally, avoid large boards with lower ceilings as the skirting will dominate and any horizontal lines will visually shorten your room. A general rule some people use is approximately 1/18 of the height of your room should be for skirting boards or around double the width of your door architraves. 

Don’t be forced to follow the rules, as some homes suit different skirting board heights and it depends on a number of other factors- several homes break these rules and make a broad statement with their beautiful skirting boards. The decision will come down to your individual taste and preference. Be sure to even talk to a professional decoration advisor, as you can even change the perceived proportions of a room just by adjusting the height of your skirting boards and architraves. 

THE GENERAL DESIGN OF YOUR HOME

A major point to consider is the style of your skirting boards and who it corresponds to the rest of your home. Skirting boards can be a strong decorative element and it is extremely important you don’t underestimate the impact it can do to a room’s look and feel. 

The first thing to look at is the age and architectural design of your home, so you can match your skirting profile and avoid creating an unusual combination! For instance, if you have a federation home, designs with more detail and eccentric patterns will be a great choice, like WA Federation and WA Colonial. On the other hand, modern homes tend to suit cleaner and simple profiles, such as lambs tongue, Half-splayed or Bullnose.

Some homes do tend to suit some different skirting boards to the general “rules”, so experiment with a few profile samples or find some inspiration with Skirting Boards Perth gallery page. 

Choosing the Best Skirting Boards for Your Home!

COLOUR & PAINT

Now the fun part! What colour and paint to choose for your skirting boards? Luckily, you have an endless amount of colours and shades available, however most people tend to choose a classic white and neutral colours to create a daring contrast between flooring and walls as well as produce a more spacious feeling.

You can mix things up and paint your skirting boards the same colour as your walls, it may be a bit hesitant at first, but it gives the room a stunning contemporary feel. Even something distinctive, such as some bold colours, which can close the space. Or maybe adding pigments through different areas of your room to produce the illusion of a different space. For example, painting your skirting boards and half of you ceiling on colour and then continue with a darker or lighter colour change to stimulate the illusion of a higher ceiling.

Be creative with your colours and including a distinctive colour can really bring out the best in your home.

The two main types of paint that are used in painting your skirting boards- oil-based enamel and water-based enamel. Unfortunately, some businesses try trick you by selecting a particular paint that has more benefits that the other, however both paints have their advantages and disadvantages.

Your type of paint will revolve around your house conditions and your preferences, so its best to contact a professional advisor to provide you assistance for the correct paint type. You can view our skirting board painting service for more information on our offers and paint processes. Feel free to contact Skirting Boards Perth for more information and help for your skirting board’s colour and paint.

TYPES OF SKIRTING BOARD TO CONSIDER

There are many options you can choose from when it comes to your skirting. Once again, it depends on your taste and the style of your home, but here are a few types of skirting boards:

  • MDF Skirting: A pre-primed/pre-finished skirting with high resistance to warping and swelling. It is easy with low maintenance and much more affordable then other types of skirting boards.
  • Softwood Skirting: These can be stained, varnished, sanded and refinished for a natural look throughout your home.
  • Hardwood Skirting: It is a great way to create an elegant appeal in your home and especially suitable for for historic homes with oak decoration.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A QUALITY SUPPLIER & INSTALLER

You’ve finally found your perfect skirting boards for your home, but now it’s time to install them and that’s the real challenge. Unless you are certain your can pull off a huge DIY project, contacting a professional and experienced installer is the best choice.

At Skirting Boards Perth, we provide top-quality skirting board installation service to all areas of Perth at affordable and unbeatable prices. Not to mention, we can spray-paint your skirting boards at reasonable prices to reduce ugly brush strokes and uneven finishes.

Everyone wants an excellent result that’s flawless and high-quality and you can get that with our skirting board service. Contact Skirting Boards Perth today on 0406 427 433 or skirtingboardsperth@gmail.com for a free quote and if you need any professional decoration advice for your home.

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of skirting boards?

The purpose of skirting boards are to cover the lower part of your interior home, in order to protect your walls from damages such as scuffs and dents, while adding stylish feature to your home design. 

What are architraves and skirtings?

Skirting boards help protect your lower walls from scuffs and damages, on the other hand architraves have an effective purpose of hiding gaps between wall linings, door jambs as well as window frames. 

Should skirting boards and architraves match?

Skirting boards should generally match your architraves, however you don’t have to exactly match in terms of shape, style and design- you can easily experiment with different architraves and skirting designs. 

Are MDF Skirting Boards any good?

MDF Skirting Boards are well-known for their reliability and affordability. Customers choose MDF skirting boards for their homes, especially since they are durable and do not warp or swell easily. 

Is MDF waterproof?

No, MDF is not waterproof, however some primed MDF is Highly Moisture Resistant which is still not waterproof, but makes it well worth your investment.

What are skirting boards made from?

MDF skirting boards (Medium density fibreboards) are made out of wood fibres from leftover hardwoods and softwoods from furniture and construction projects that no longer need the materials. 

How do I choose skirting boards?

When choosing your skirting boards, you have to consider the height of your ceilings, the general design of your home, who’s living in your home and other crucial factors. With a variety of skirting profiles to choose from you can experiment with modern and classic designs to see which skirting best suits your home. The general rule is that higher ceilings means higher skirting boards.  

What sizes do skirting boards come in?

Skirting Boards come in a variety of sizes, however the depending on your profiles choice the sizes will vary. The main sizes from our popular collections range from 42mm, 67mm, 87mm, 92mm, 125mm and 140mm. 

What is the best height for skirting boards?

The best height of your skirting boards depend on your ceilings and the width of your architraves. A general rule some people use is approximately 1/18 of the height of your room should be for skirting boards or around double the width of your door architraves. 

Can you put skirting board on tiles?

If you have tiles throughout your home, skirting boards are a great way to create a dynamic and modern look. You can either match your skirting boards to the floor and walls or create a bold statement by creating a contrast with a decorative colour. 

Are skirting boards expensive?

MDF architraves and skirting boards are the least expensive and provide an outstanding decorative and protective feature to your home. 

What are the different types of skirting boards?

There are many different types of skirting board profiles that vary in height, design and material. You can choose from a variety of style, however the most popular MDF skirting boards include: Lambs Tongue, Half- Splayed, WA Federation, WA Colonial, Bullnose and many more profiles.

How do you paint skirting boards perfectly?

In order to have perfectly painted skirting boards, you have to properly prepare your boards and use the correct technique. Make sure you carefully sand and prepare your skirting boards to remove any uneven surfaces and blemishes, then using a spray-gun evenly paint your skirting boards- spray painting your skirting will prevent ugly brush strokes. 

Should skirting boards be the same colour as walls?

Your skirtings board don’t have to be the same colour as your walls. Different colour tones will give you various effects for your home. For example, darker skirting boards will give your rooms a modern and contemporary feel, while lighter shades and colours will help make smaller rooms appear larger. If you are having trouble, try experiment with samples and looks at images for inspiration or even contact a professional. 

Do you need to sand skirting boards before painting?

Yes, you need to sand your skirting boards before painting them. If you don’t properly prepare your skirting boards by delicately sanding the surface, you will have an uneven and flawed finish as well as cause issues with the durability of the paint. 

How do you remove skirting boards?

In order to remove your old skirting board, you need to cut the gap filler on the top of the skirting boards with a stencil knife, which stops the paint from sticking to your skirting board. Then, using a hammer, carefully tap a chisel or larger screwdriver between the wall and skirting boards, ensuring you start from one side to the other and detach the skirting board as you go.

Why is my white paint turning yellow?

Skiting boards tend to turn yellow when painted with oil-based paint, which tends to be the reason why acrylic paint is becoming more popular amongst customers. In addition, the new advance in the acrylic paint formula has allowed it to become tougher than oil-based paints. 

Why do rooms have skirting boards?

Skirting boards can installed in bedrooms, the living room, home theatre, hallways and all throughout your home. People install skirting boards for their unique decorative purpose as well as a way to protect their walls from scuffs, wear and tear from furniture as well as annoying damages from kid’s toys and mops.

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