Skirting Board Joins

We are just about to get all our skirting replaced. It's the 240mm Victorian MDF type.

Just trying to work out quantities. Apparently I can only get them in 5.4m lengths. I really have 2 ways to go.

1. Just get 5.4m lengths for each wall - most of the rooms are about 4m x 4m. There are a few shorter pieces, but would work OK with no joins along the walls. I'd have a fair bit of waste though.

2. Calculate the total lineal metres that I need and add a little bit on for waste. This way, it is possible in some of the rooms that I will have joins between two pieces of skirt.

Option 2 will work out about $150 to $200 more cheaper, but I am just not sure how the joins would look. Any advice appreciated. What do they do in the trade?

Also, they are being attached to plaster/brick walls. Is the best way to glue and nail them? And if I do use a glue, is liquid nails OK or should I go for the higher end glue such as sikaflex??


Cheers

If it does not cost you much to get more skirting board ie. the supplier is not too far away, I would try the second option but only buy enough for the third wall. If your mitre joints are good enough then complete it that way, otherwise its the first option. After saying that I just joined some skirting boards in a studio I have just built for SWMBO and she passed the quality. I joined them using a mitre joint and a tiny bit of filler, when sanded and painted you cannot even see the joint.

I say, give it a go.

If they are being painted, you could get away with joins but if not, then use continuous lengths and forget the waste. Your house is a big investment so don't cut corners.

If you can manage a decent mitre then join the lengths by all means, place your joins over a stud so you can get a good fixing and try to put your joins where they will be unobtrusive, e.g. behind beds.....

dont be so tight ,that down the road when the joins you make seperate and look unsightly you say to yourself or even worse your other half starts to BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION about it being poorly made . then maybe you should have thought (well it will only cost a few more dollars to do it right the first time)
contemplation should be about now

I would say it depends on your taste and if you plan on staying in the house for a while.

If it was my place and I was staying there I wouldn't want any joins and if the cost is only 200.00 then thats the way to go. Joins can become unsightly and you also have to factor in the extra time it takes to complete the joins.

If it was my place I wouldna be using mdf

Agree with echnidna, i would not be using MDF. Get youself some pine if you can't afford hardwood. Get yourself down to a recycling place and pick up some used skirting and rework it if you have to.

I was lucky...only one wall was longer that the 5.4 and i scarfed the MDF where the join was.....with a bit of filler and a couple coats of paint...i cant even see it.

With due respect to others opinions....it is only skirting.....go MDF and save the real timber for something more worthwhile.

Just my 2c worth
Steve

I think I'll spend the extra. I guess in the overall scheme of things, a couple of hundred bucks isn't much.

Can anyone recommend what type of glue I should use?

And can I ask why the opposition to MDF when they will all be painted a gloss white anyway?

I think for most of us it's aesthetic reasons. We're woodies, not compressed_sawdusties. :D

MDF has the advantages of being cheap, relatively stable and easy to work, but the dust is nasty stuff to breathe in. Wear a dust mask when cutting/sanding.