What Is The Purpose Of Skirting Boards?

Most of us have skirting boards in our homes. They are called baseboards by Americans; others refer to them as kickboards or mouldings. In the bygone days they were called “mop boards” because they allowed homeowners to mop the floors without soaking the wall plasterboard. Here in UK they are known as skirting boards.

What are skirting boards?

Basically, they are wooden, PVC or MDF boards running along the base of an interior wall. Skirting boards can be screwed, nailed or glued onto the walls.. They are usually 5 to 15cm high and can be either stained or painted and they can be either carved with moulding or flat. Most popular skirting boards on the market right now are solid oak skirting, solid walnut skirting, MDF laminate skirting and veneered skirting.

These boards are very important elements of flooring finish and serve many purposes in our homes.

Hiding ugly wiring

We don’t like electrical wirings hanging so openly from the walls or the ceiling. If we would like to hide them in the ceiling we will face many problems in the future because in the case of repairs the whole ceiling may have to be tear down. More economical and practical is hiding the wiring in the skirting boards and many PVC boards are made for this very purpose.

Covering gaps

It is very tricky even for most skilled fitters to keep the floor aligned to the walls and it is simply unavoidable to have a gaping space after the flooring installation is done. Most contractors choose skirting boards to cover unsightly gaps over redoing the whole thing all over again.

Damage prevention

Skirting boards provide a barrier between the walls and furniture. They prevent the furniture from being positioned too close to the walls and creating unsightly marks on the wallpaper, ruining the plastering job or painting.

Acting as a decorative element

By hiding the gaps between the walls and the floor they give a room much more finished and professional look. Boards can have decorative mouldings on them so they are decorating the room as well. The boards can be painted to give a unifying look but sometimes they are painted in order to provide a contrasting element.

If you have any further questions regarding skirting boards we stock here, at ESB Flooring London showroom or you are looking for an advice about the best wood flooring for your home feel free to contact the ESB sales team. Contact us now to request your no hassle no obligation free samples or come down to our North London showroom for a closer look.

Pictures: Pinterest