Sticking on skirtingboards - or nailing?

[JP_]

Bought some Eco Stik skirting board adhesive from B&Q and it is useless. I was going to get No More Nails, but was this on the shelf and thought it would be better. Struggling to make it stick.

2 walls are plaster over brick - I tried hammering a nail into it as previous boards were nailed on, but that failed - obviously using the wrong nails! Bit annoying as I bought ready painted skirting board to make the job quicker and easier for me ...

what glue do people use? I have some of the Everbuild pink dryfix foam left, I might use that for the rest of the job ...

 

[EddieM]

sticks like sh*t or gripfill.

 

[tel765]

Be cautious - because how you fix the skirtings, eg glue screw etc, can affect the mitres and scribes.
Plug and screw is the most reliable method.

 

[Mottie]

I used 'no more nails' .....and still used nails! My wife renamed it 'just a few nails'!

 

[JP_]

Lol yeah, got a massive gap in the corner. Going to have to bodge it I think!

 

[JP_]

Foamed and caulked, a bit messy, but it'll have to do! Worst bit will be hidden by radiator, and I'll shove something in the corner.

 

[tel765]

Its looking good.
Its maybe a bit late now but if you are doing more than a little Diy then its well worth hiring say a DW Sliding Mitre Saw.

 

[JP_]

Yeah, I have been trying to save as much as possible since the start, so apart from my electric screwdriver and drill, all hand tools!

This is the last of the rooms - well, got the hallway to do still ...

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Really you should only be nailing if you are nailing to another piece of wood, e.g a timber wedge between two bricks or timber grounds. It doesn't work otherwise.

Screws, plugs and pellets are more used for hardwood than softwood and are a lot of work.

For volume in softwood and MDF work carpenters generally use a grip adhesive such as GripFill, making sure to break the surface skin by studying the board into place - 2nd fix nails (really only 16ga or 15ga pins) are only used to hold the skirting whilst the grip adhesive sets (up to 24 hours). In the absence of a nailer panel pins can serve the same function as the pins

PVC skirting seems to work best with a foaming adhesive but needs to be held in place with things like go bars wholstbthe glue goes off. Can work well.on small awkward pieces with gaps behind them.

 

[mrrusty]

If sticking to a flat surface, a good grab adhesive. If fitting to anything with gaps behind, gun foam like Instatik. There really is no need for mechanical fixings with modern adhesives unless you need to pull a section in against spring. The foam adhesives expand much less than general foam, although do still expand, so you have to hold in while they go off to stop the foam pushing the board off.

 

[JP_]

Thanks. I uses some of the everbuild pink foam that I used for plasterboards and insulation, and that worked a treat. No more cheap glue!

 

[Diver Fred]

If you must stick it on 'Gripfill'

I much prefer to fix with screws. If you are carpeting the floor afterwards mark the floor where the screws are and use a removable light filler to hide the heads.

 

[JP_]

I did end up screwing one piece in place, where the glue had half failed. Caulked over it ... only one screw though,. and hopefully I won't have to remove them any time soon. Well, ever.

 

[Millwright]

I drill, use plugs and no 8 screws. If there's deviations in the wall which there usually is, I use gripfill to take some of it up.

 

[Keithmac]

Drill and screw for me too but none of our walls are perfectly straight!.