Skirting too thick innit

[attractivebrunette]

My new skirting board I want to fit is thicker than most of my door frames (apart from the front door).

So it fits perfectly against the front door frame

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• attractivebrunette
• 2 Sep 2012
• 1

But looks really ugly against all other frames

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• attractivebrunette
• 2 Sep 2012
• 1

So how should I get it to fit or look nice on those frames? Do I cut it 45 degrees away from the frame? Or 45 degrees towards the frame?

Even if I cut it 45 degrees it looks like the skirting will still be too thick to fit nice and tight against the frame.

Or do I cut an L shape into the skirting and fill it with caulk or filler?

What I'm really looking for are pictures of a successful job so I can see how it should be done.

xxx

 

[Symptoms]

brun - you need architrave pedestals (sometimes known as architrave blocks). These are introduced at the base of the door architrave (they're cut in) and form the appropriate interface between the architrave & skirting. Just Google architrave pedestals or architrave blocks for info & suppliers ... you can make your own very easily and fitting only requires a saw.

Oh ... and a hammer!

Forget squirting mastic or polyfilla in ... It'll look vile!!!

 

[tony1851]

These things are also known as plinth blocks. They form a neat visual 'stop' at the bottom of the architrave, and also hide the discrepancy in thickness between the skirting and architrave.

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• tony1851
• 6 Aug 2012
• 2

 

[attractivebrunette]

Hi Symptoms,

So when you say they're cut in, do you mean I have to saw through the architrave at the bottom and take it away (leaving a gap the height of the skirting) then fit the block?

Or do I try and fit the block onto the architrave? Obviously doing it this way would be really difficult as the block would have to be the same curved shape at the back as the architrave.

 

[tony1851]

One way to do this is as follows;
1. Cut the plinth block about 25mm longer than the skirting is high;
2. get a profile guage and use it to get the cross section of the architrave;
3. put the block in a vice and mark on the end of it the profile copied from the architrave;
4. turn the block over in the vice and do the same on the other end;
5. using a gouge, carefully pare away the wood to the shape marked on the ends.
6. smooth off the cut timber with glass paper and carefully fix the block into position at the bottom of the architrave using 15mm panel pins.
7. repeat this for the other side of the door, by which time you will probably realize that there is an easier way!

 

[JohnD]

cut mating surfaces square.

 

[Symptoms]

brun - assume you've got the architrave pedestal/block/plinth block (you've either bought some or made them ... easy to make just get a length of timber appropriate width & thickness {wider than the architrave and thicker than the skirting} all you do is cut to length {higher than the skirting}) ... you might be lucky to get a short length of the correct size in one of the sheds but better off going to your local timber merchant who'll provide you with the exact stuff.

Present one of these architrave pedestal/block/plinth blocks to the base of the architrave and mark the top edge onto the architrave with a pencil then use a small toothed saw to cut ALL the way through the architrave. Prize-off this cut section of architrave and replace with your architrave pedestal/block/plinth blocks and fix with a couple of oval nails. Because you've cut through the architrave you'll now have a flat surface, formed by the door frame edge and plastered wall, onto which you mount the new stuff ... nail into the door frame edge not the plaster.

Tip: hold the architrave pedestal/block/plinth block firmly in position against the architrave and use the top edge as a sawing guide as this'll prevent the saw from slipping out of position whilst cutting and once you've got a saw groove move the architrave pedestal/block/plinth block out the way to finish the cut.