Skirting boards – everybody has them, nobody pays them any attention. When I go to view a new job as a professional decorator, customers often have clear ideas about what they want to do with the walls, but features like skirting boards are often not given much thought.
But skirting boards are important, both practically and aesthetically. Practically, they protect the bottom of the wall from scuffs from shoes and over-zealous vacuuming. Aesthetically, they cover that embarrassing gap between the floor and the bottom of the plaster.
So skirting boards are important and deserve a little TLC. You could even make a real feature of them and paint them in a strong colour.
And it’s not difficult to do. In this blog I’ll walk you through what tools and materials you’ll need, and the process of how to paint skirting boards.
Tools and Materials Needed for Painting Skirting Boards
- Sandpaper and/or dustless sanding apparatus
- Masking tape to protect the flooring
- Dust sheets
- Primer/undercoat
- Dusting brush
- Tack cloths
- Cleaning cloth, mild detergent, bucket
- Your chosen top coat paint
- Paint brush suitable for your top coat paint, plus paint brush for primer/undercoat
How to Paint Skirting Boards
Clear the room
Firstly, remove any movable furniture and ornaments from the room. Anything that is too large to move, cover with dust sheets. Cover the floor with dust sheets or plastic.
Protect the edges of the floor with a suitable masking tape
If there is carpet and it’s not being replaced, lay a section of masking tape along the edge of the carpet so that it goes up the skirting by 2-3mm (but don’t stick it to the skirting). Smooth the tape to the carpet to ensure it is well stuck down, and then use a scraper or filling knife to push the edge of the tape down towards the floor, so that the edge of the carpet is covered. It’s a bit hard to explain, but hopefully you understand what I mean, and once you’ve done a couple of lengths of tape in this way you will get the knack.
If there is carpet and it is being replaced, leave it for now.
If the floor is tiled, laminate or wooden, choose a SUITABLE tape for the surface, and wherever possible feed the tape under the bottom edge of the skirting before smoothing it to the floor. Do not use a really high tack tape on varnished wooden floors, and leave it there for weeks on end. It will ruin the floor and you will be left with a very expensive bill. Trust me, I know.
Clean the skirting board
Whether it is brand new untreated wood or 100 year-old skirting with 14 layers of paint on, wipe the skirting down using a cloth and a mild detergent solution to clean it.
Test for lead
That reminds me, if the property is old and there is any chance that the paint may contain lead, buy a testing kit before proceeding any further.
Abrade
Next, give the skirting a good sand, starting in one corner and working your way around the room. Sanding helps to create a better surface for the paint to adhere to, as well as removing any contaminants and loose or peeling paint.
As you go round, fill in any dents, nail holes etc using a good quality wood filler. My filler of choice would be Toupret Wood Repair Filler – it’s in powder form, so you just mix up as much as you need, and once cured it rubs down easily to a smooth finish.
Caulk
At the same time, use caulk to fill any gaps along the top edge between the skirting and the wall, and gaps in the internal corners. If the skirting has been painted before, you may find that the existing caulk has failed in places, in which case it needs to be cut out with a sharp knife and replaced. The most popular brand of caulk amongst decorators is HB42.
Abrade again and dust
Once the filler and caulk have cured, go back round and sand the filler smooth, dust off the surface with a dusting brush, vacuum up the dust and then wipe down with a tack cloth to remove any last dust.
Trim the carpet if needed
If the carpets are being replaced, and only after you have double checked with the customer at least five times that this is OK with them, trim two inches off the edge of the old carpet, all the way round.
This allows you to paint the skirting all the way to the floor. You will need to sand the bottom part of the skirting, which was previously hidden by carpet, taking care not to snag your fingers on the carpet grippers! After sanding, thoroughly vacuum, as in addition to any dust you created, there will be all sorts of muck under the carpet!
Prime / undercoat
Now we get to the priming/undercoating stage. The primer you choose will depend on the state of the skirting boards: are they bare (natural) wood, new “pre-primed” MDF, previously painted with oil-based gloss, varnished?
There are too many options to go into detail here, but please read our separate Guide to Undercoat and Paint Primer and The Best Paint for Skirting Boards blog by clicking here. Whatever you use, the primer is meant to help the paint to adhere properly to the surface, and on new surfaces (or if you are changing colour) helps to block out the colour of the old surface beneath. Apply a thin layer of primer, smoothing out any brush marks and drips as you go, ensuring that all details of the moulding are properly covered.
De-nib
Once the primer is completely dry, check in case there are any small holes that you missed first time round that need filling, give the skirting light sand to smooth the surface, wipe down with a tack cloth to remove the dust, and then move on to your top coats.
Apply your finish paint
Apply two topcoats, ensuring that the paint is spread evenly, and laying off with the tip of the brush to remove any drips or brush marks. Do this as you go – water-based paints particularly dry too quickly for you to come back and try to lay off half an hour later. Remember to allow the first coat to dry thoroughly before applying the second.
Touch up
Once the final coat is dry, inspect carefully for any areas which may need touching up, and then carefully remove the masking tape. Clean up your tools, remove your dust sheets and stand back to admire your work.
Allow to dry
Avoid moving furniture right up against newly-painted skirting for a few days, to allow the paint time to fully cure/harden. If new carpets are being fitted, try to delay the carpet fitters for as long as possible – two weeks if you can.
Best Brush for Painting Skirting Boards
A lot is down to personal preference, but I like to use a 1.5” angled brush like the ProDec Advance Ice Fusion Cutting In Brush on modern skirtings which don’t have as much detail on them.
On more moulded skirting boards (Ogee, Torus etc) I find the Ice Fusion Angle Oval Brush seems to work better at covering all the details evenly, but that could just be me and my personal preferences/technique. In any event, you want a good quality synthetic brush.
Best Paint for Skirting Boards
There is no hard and fast rule here. In high traffic areas like hallways, the priority is to have something that is hard-wearing and wipeable – the vast majority of my customers choose a hard-wearing satin for these locations. But there are loads of options and factors to consider when making your choice – have a read of our separate blog about The Best Paints for Skirting Boards. Which you can view here.
FAQs
Do I paint the skirting or walls first?
Most decorators paint the ceiling, then walls, then skirting boards last. However, when using water-based paints, it can be a lot quicker and easier to paint the skirting first, tape the top line, then paint the walls last.
Do you paint skirting boards with a brush or roller?
Unless you’re using a tricky paint like water-based gloss, it’s normally easier to use a brush when painting skirting boards.
How to paint skirting boards without brush marks?
There are a few things you can do; the first is to choose a paint that is less prone to brush marks. Another way is to use a paint conditioner or dilute your paint slightly. If you’re still having trouble, then you could use a mini roller.
Do you need to sand back skirting boards before painting?
You should always sand skirting boards before painting. This will aid adhesion and give you a smooth surface to start.
Is it OK to gloss over emulsion?
Gloss won’t adhere to emulsion. Use a good undercoat or primer instead.
Final Thoughts
Skirting boards are an important part of a room, both practically and aesthetically, and deserve a little TLC every now and again. Choosing a suitable paint and following a logical process (without skipping the prep!) will get them looking their best and staying that way for years to come.
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