Gap under skirting: caulk or ignore?

[Mander]

So I've just finished screwing the skirting board to a brick wall and filling in the screw holes etc. but at this late stage have realised I've left too much of a gap between it and the flooring. Should I caulk it or ignore it?

It's about 5mm I'd say.

 

[Jurassicspark]

I'd caulk it if I was you. Can't stand seeing that.

 

[Mander]

Yeah I looked at it for another minute and decided it was a foolish question. I'm annoyed that I managed to do it in the first place. I drilled the holes through the skirting first and then marked the wall with the screw ends before I drilled the wall, but once the screws were tightened up it was too high. And I was so proud of my first-ever attempt to scribe the corner!

Ah well, nobody will ever notice but me.

 

[justigator]

If the gap is uniform, you could try some sort of trim: a moulding painted accordingly, perhaps, or a plastic trim that could be pushed under the skirting. However much I try siliconing or caulking, it rarely looks good, even using the various tools you can get for smoothing it. But if the gap varies in width, you may have no choice.