Painting skirting board tips

[chriselevate]

Hi,

I've had an engineered floor fitted along with new pine skirting. I am in the process of protecting the knots (using some solution I was sold to block them), undercoating and then glossing the new skirting boards. Any tips/advice on on how to paint them without getting a drop of paint on the new floor?

I've tried masking tape and paper but can't avoid some getting onto the floor and therefore leaving a line of white on the floor.

Any tips/advice please?

Thanks

 

[Dougie212]

I have done many painting jobs and still take a deep breath when confronted with a job like this.
I'd avoid masking tape if I were you as it does, no matter how good they say they are, you get the odd blob or tiny leak through.
I know it sounds daft but you will have a naturally comfortable director to paint so with a dry brush find that first... The using your undercoat in a bucket not straight from the tin, load the brush, take off the excess. Put some of the undercoat onto the body of the skirting to offload any excess and then paint your line.. I find, holding my breath after exhaling steadies my hand, then ease the brush along. Start a few mm above your line and work down to it and then along your line... Stop as soon as the paint on your brush even slightly runs out... I tend to find pulling the brush towards me the best and getting my head right down in line with the line in painting. I use a 2" brush as that allows me to apply pressure to drag the bristles to paint the fine line. Take your time, be steady and if all else fails, keep some white spirit and a cloth nearby..

 

[dsharp7th]

I only talk from the experience of doing most of my own house but I found this job much easier after switching dust sheets and newspaper for a thin semi-rigid panel with a straight edge. I got hold of some old exhibition graphics boards about 40x80 cm made of thin plastic which sit on the floor flush against a section of skirting. Blobs of blue tack keep it from being knocked out of place, then just move it along as you go. Obviously keep as neat and careful as you can, but any drips or wayward brush strokes have less chance of reaching the floor, and you can drop your brush without having a heart attack.

 

[blightymam]

I used something similar to dsharp, I use those plastic feeding mats for pet bowls to sit on. Nice and thin and can jam them under the skirting and protect the floor. Just move em along as you go!

 

[Diyisfun]

I have just painted my new skirting after having a new eng wood floor laid.
I found when I got paint on the floor, I used white spirit on a cloth & useing a paint scraper in the cloth to give me a sharp clean edge.

 

[StretchArmstrong]

As above, I use old plastic table matts. I think Wilkinson or pound shop with do 4 for a quid, slide them under, they're rigid and big..

 

[andymf]

Yeah i use plastic mats too. You have to keep moving them but never had any spillages

 

[Chri5]

Primer befor UC or TC please, worth double knotting while you can.

I'd have primed and UC pre fitting skirting. The trick with plastic matting can be done with heavy gloss paper such as found via magazines, an alternative is grease proof paper.

 

[dcdec]

Just use a wide masking tape, you can use a filling knife to push it just beyond the bottom of the skirting.