How To Attach Skirting Boards To The Floor Without A Drill

Skirting board material for fixing to the floor

To begin with, it is important to decide which surface it will be attached to. There are two options: to the floor or to the walls. The choice depends on the characteristics of the walls and the material chosen for the floor plinth.

Skirting board material:

  • Wood;
  • MDF;
  • Plastic.

How To Attach Skirting Boards To The Floor Without A Drill

Wooden skirting boards are traditional but expensive. It is used for rooms with parquet. Some skirting boards are the usual triangular shape. Others may have a dedicated cable recess.

An angle cutter is used to cut the material. The corner is cut at a special slope and connected with special parts. If necessary, a plane can be used for grinding.

MDF slats are wood fiber products covered with veneer and laminated. The appearance is not inferior to the skirting boards made of natural solid wood, but the price is much more affordable. Among the shortcomings of the material, it is worth noting their fragility. With careful work, MDF can be easily damaged.

The fastening of such rails takes place on special brackets. The product kit must include plugs and corners. They will be needed to smoothly remove old material and reinstall them.

The most popular material for skirting boards is plastic. PVC cover can imitate any material, so they can be harmoniously combined with any floor covering. Also, plastic slats are resistant to moisture, sun, temperature.

Polymer skirting boards have special grooves to fix the edges. The corner element is fastened much easier than in other types, since special accessories are provided for this. You can purchase a plastic post for the corner ledge.

The length of the plastic skirting boards is 2.5 m. This is practical when decorating a room. This size is convenient for installing and transporting products.

It will be correct to attach such slats to liquid nails. This is to ensure reliable fixation, but it can be difficult to disassemble such a structure, if necessary, therefore, other methods of fastening are also used.

Also, plastic skirting boards have a place for the cable. The kit also includes plugs, connectors, and a socket. over, such slats can be fixed on uneven surfaces, which is very convenient.

Methods: how to fix the skirting board to the floor

The material for making the baseboards and the features of the walls of the house help to choose the method of fastening the slats. Installation of products can be on a plasterboard wall or concrete. The brick surface is often used as an attachment point for the battens. The skirting board can also be fixed to the floor. It is important to familiarize yourself with all the methods that are used when attaching skirting boards to different surfaces.

Methods for fixing the plinth:

  • Glue;
  • Dowel nail;
  • Straps and clips.

The glue is the most attractive of all methods because it seems simple enough. It doesn’t take much effort to secure the skirting board to the floor or wall. A significant drawback of this method is the impossibility of dismantling.

Installation of skirting boards on special fasteners in the channels that are installed on the back of the battens. As a result, the planks are smooth, without any hint of hats, nails or screws. For such a strong fastening, special clips or latches are bought, which must be fixed on the wall.

Plinths are often fastened with screws or dowel nails. This technology helps to fix the rail well, even with uneven floors and walls. But at the same time, the process itself is quite laborious.

How to fix a plastic skirting board to the floor: 3 types of fasteners. Using dowel nails to fix the skirting board

This is the classic fastening method that has always been used. Instead of clips and liquid nails, everyone nailed the baseboards in this simple way. But in fact, the fastening technology is quite laborious and requires special efforts and attention.

Sequence of fastening with dowel-nails:

  1. You need to draw the markup. It is better to start from the far corner of the room from the door. Place the corners on the plinth. The first mark must be made, stepping back 5-6 cm from the corner.
  2. Using a punch, you need to make holes in the wall or floor where the marks were. You need to install a dowel there.
  3. The plastic skirting board must be pierced with an awl. The soft structure makes it easy. We pierce the bar at the location of the dowel.
  4. Then you need to put a self-tapping screw in the hole. You need to twist it by hand so as not to damage the soft structure of the plastic.

If, while screwing in the screws, the polymer plinth begins to deform, then you can not screw it in until the end. Trying too hard in this process is not worth it. Otherwise, the rails may be damaged.

The final stage of installing the plinths on the dowel-nails is masking the caps of the screws. This is done with a special wax pencil. It is acquired to match the rails. All shortcomings can be putty.

How to attach the skirting board to the floor using clips

Hidden fasteners make the installation of skirting boards much easier. At the same time, the edging remains smooth, without screw caps and unnecessary defects. This can be achieved using a plane. The mount itself is quite strong and reliable.

Latches and clips act as connecting parts. They are fixed at a distance of 30-50 cm on the walls and retreating 10 cm from the corners. But this interval can be adjusted up or down, depending on the evenness of the walls.

Stages of installing fasteners to the wall:

  • The clip or latch is placed on the floor against the wall;
  • It is necessary to make markings on the wall;
  • You need to make a hole and install the dowel;
  • The fastening device is mounted on a screw, attaching to a dowel.

The snap-on mount can be easily removed. But re-fastening may not be as reliable. If the surface is not level enough, then problems may arise with the installation of the clips. You can lay down linoleum or laminate on the floor. These coatings require walls to be flat.

This method can be used to attach a skirting board with a built-in cable channel. At the same time, plastic skirting boards must be neatly joined together using connectors.

Adhesive for skirting boards: method sequence

For fastening, you can use liquid nails or glue “88”. First you need to try on all the skirting boards along with the adjectives without using an adhesive mixture. When buying glue, you need to pay attention to what materials this composition can glue. This option is perfectly attached to the wallpaper.

Cons of gluing skirting boards:

  • Inability to remove the plinth unharmed;
  • Obligatory flatness of surfaces;
  • You need to be able to calculate the dosage of glue;
  • Skirting boards can be stained with glue during operation.

A thin layer of the mixture must be applied to the plank and glued to the floor. Then you need to quickly peel off the baseboard. This is due to the instruction, which requires a break of 8 minutes for a good set. Only after that you need to finally attach the rail. After the mixture has dried, the plinth is checked for adhesion strength. This ease of installation has its drawbacks.

During the installation of skirting boards, adhesives may remain on the battens. You will need a brush, rag and warm water to remove them. You need to carefully clean off the remaining glue until it is completely dry.

For those who do not at all want to bother with gluing the baseboards, use a self-adhesive option. It is made of soft plastic or aluminum and attaches to any surface. Such a skirting board can be easily mounted in hard-to-reach places.

The advantages of plastic skirting boards

Among the varieties of skirting boards, plastic is the most popular for many reasons. Polyvinyl chloride is renowned for its durability and strength.

The lifespan of plastic floor slats reaches 100 years. They are fire and moisture resistant, safe, so they can be installed in any room.

Dimensions and construction of plastic skirting boards

Skirting boards are easy to install, cut with a sharp knife, and their cost is not high.

Compared to wood and plaster planks, plastic planks are flexible. Their color palette is huge, which does not limit the choice of the color of the interior of the room and allows you to fit into the general background as much as possible.

An additional plus is the equipment of some models with a special groove in which the wires are laid.

Installation of plastic skirting boards

Having made the correct calculations and armed with the necessary tools, we proceed to the installation. Wooden planks are mounted in the same way as a plastic floor plinth is attached.

Cut off the plinth of the desired size with an ordinary clerical knife

When mounting on a dowel-nails, attach a strip with a dressed corner to one of the corners in the room. It is best to start with the longest wall. Place the corner straight so that there are no distortions during installation.

Mark the mounting location on the wall 5-6 cm from the corner. If the walls are flat, mark them 40 cm apart. If there are gaps, reduce the mounting pitch.

We drill a hole in the wall for a dowel

Now make the holes with a puncher. Keep in mind that the dowel should go 30 mm into the wall, and if the surface is uneven, dowel No. 6 is taken. Remove dust and hammer the dowels into the holes. Attach the skirting board to the wall and transfer the marks made to it. Then drill the holes. The heads of screws or nails must be completely immersed in the bar. To do this, make the notches with a larger drill.

We screw the screws into the dowels

Now you can nail the skirting board to the wall. Close them with matching caps. You can glue the plugs to hold them more securely.

The strips are already fitted to the desired size. It is better to cut them with a sharp knife or a hacksaw, so they will not crack. Keep sharp corners while doing this. Also, when cutting the extreme strips, keep in mind that the plugs will take 3-5 mm. If using connectors, install them before attaching.

Components

High-quality installation of skirting boards is not possible without the following components:

  • External and internal corners, with the help of which the planks are connected in the corners of the room;
  • Caps designed to decorate the edges of the skirting board. They come in a set and are left and right;
  • Connections. A part with two grooves, which serves for joining and lengthening the strips;
  • Fasteners designed to fix the skirting board on the wall.

Determining the amount of material

How much material and accessories to take is a good question. It is impossible to determine by eye, accurate calculations are needed here.

Measure the length of the walls before attaching the PVC skirting board. Add 1.5 and 2 m to this number and divide the resulting amount by 2.5 m (the length of the bar). Rounding the resulting number up, we get the number of planks.

Skirting corners are needed as much as there are outer corners and inner corners in the room.

If the wall is more than 2.5 meters, then connections are needed. One connector is needed for every five meters.

Left and right caps are taken taking into account the number of doors in the room.

Fastening the plastic skirting board at the doorway

How to properly attach a plastic floor skirting board

Installation of a floor plinth is the final touch in finishing works, as it gives the interior a complete, refined look. It is known that the most luxurious renovation will not be presentable if the gaps between the wall and the floor are visible, which the plinth is intended to hide. In addition, it becomes a real lifesaver, able to hide minor defects in the floor finish.

If you are a beginner in finishing work and do not know how to fix plastic skirting boards, do not rush to contact the specialists. There are no difficulties in installing skirting boards with your own hands, and the nuances described below and a detailed overview of installation will allow you to save on the services of a master.

Required tools and materials

How to fix the plinth to the wall? Planks are mounted on screws, using clips or liquid nails. To fix on nails and clips, you will need a drill with different drill sizes, a screwdriver, a tape measure, fasteners, a hacksaw for metal and a vacuum cleaner.

Properties and dimensions of plastic skirting boards

The plastic profile is made with a cable channel or in one piece. The cable channel is arranged in the main part of the product and is covered with a decorative strip. You can lay wires or replace them at any time without dismantling the product. To do this, you only need to remove the decorative strip, carry out the replacement work, attach the strip in place and click.

The one-piece (blind) profile has grooves on the back side in which you can lay wires. On the back side there are also places for mounting on mounting clips.

Tool for work

You don’t need a professional tool to install a plastic skirting board. The process is quite simple, and you can get by with the tool that you have at home:

  • You will need a punch, you will have to drill concrete or brick walls for dowels. A drill is enough for drywall walls.
  • Screwdriver or screwdriver. Even a small number of dowel screws that need to be screwed in to fix the profile are better to tighten with a screwdriver than with an ordinary screwdriver.
  • Hacksaw for metal with fine teeth for sawing profiles.
  • Awl. In the skirting board, you will need to make a through hole for the dowel screw.
  • Small hammer.
  • Roulette and pencil.
  • Building level. It is needed to check the horizontal position of the mounting clips.
  • Depending on the chosen method of installing the plinth, you will still need glue or liquid nails, mounting clips, dowel screws.

Dimensions of plastic skirting board

Plastic profiles have a standard length of 2.5 meters. This length of the product is convenient for installation and allows it to be transported in transport. In cross-section, the plinth can be from 15 to 22-25 mm, and in height. From 30 to 100, and even 150 mm.

The most popular profiles have a height of 50-60 mm. Such a plinth can be installed in most rooms, so they are called universal.

For small rooms with low ceilings, only narrow skirting boards are suitable, but for a spacious room with a good ceiling height, you need to buy a profile from 80 mm.

  • Indoor ceiling up to 2.5 meters. Profile up to 70 mm high.
  • Indoor ceiling up to 3.0 meters. Profile height from 70 to 90 mm.
  • Indoor ceiling over 3.0 meters. Profile height from 90 mm.

Guided by this rule, you will almost always find the best skirting board for your apartment. However, the rules are rules, but if you have a ceiling molding of 100 mm or more installed in a room with ceilings 3 meters high, mount the same height floor plinth.

Installation features

It is recommended to start work from the far corner of the longest wall. An inner corner is put on the profile, and the strip is applied to the wall. The strip fits into the corners, plugs and the connecting element 3-5 mm on each side. This should be taken into account when installing.

You can install the profile on glue, provided that the walls in the room are flat. Otherwise, there will be problems with the fit of the strips in some places. An adhesive that is suitable for plastic or liquid nails is applied to the back of the profile, after which it is pressed against the wall. Then you need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Whether you need to take a break for a few minutes to let the glue dry a little. Press the profile against the wall with effort. Excess glue is removed immediately with a rag or sponge. Remember that this method means the impossibility of further dismantling the profile without damage.

For mounting on mounting clips or dowel screws, a mark is made for the first dowel on the wall with an indent from the corner of 40-50 mm.

A hole is drilled in the wall with a perforator and a plastic dowel is inserted. If necessary, it is slightly knocked out with a hammer. For mounting on clips, the first clip is attached to the wall with a self-tapping screw. For installation on dowel screws, a hole for a self-tapping screw is made with an awl at the location of the dowel in the baseboard. The self-tapping screw is twisted, but in such a way that its cap does not damage the profile.

If the wall is longer than the profile, before tightening the last self-tapping screw, a connecting element is put on the strip, which is cut from the opposite side to the size.

In a profile with a cable channel, the self-tapping screw is screwed through the channel and will be covered with a decorative strip.

In a one-piece plinth, the self-tapping head is closed with a decorative plug.

Depending on the condition of the walls, holes for dowels are drilled at intervals of 300-500 mm. If the walls are uneven, it is better to reduce the step. Having drilled all the holes on one wall, immediately remove the dust with a vacuum cleaner, it will be easier and more pleasant for you to work.

The wires are laid in the cable duct. This can be done at any time by simply removing the decorative strip. But if you install a plinth without a cable channel, and you need to wire the wires, they are laid either before the screws are tightened (in this case, they will be under the screws), or after you screw them into the dowels. Leave the distance between the wall and the profile within 10 mm, lay the wires and tighten the screws until they stop. The wires will lie on them. To access the wires, you will need to loosen the screws again. Of course, a skirting board with a cable channel is much more convenient.

Plastic profile properties

Skirting boards made of foamed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) have a number of differences:

  • They are easy to install and lightweight. The flexible edges of the planks adhere well and tightly to almost any wall. You can install such profiles in different ways.
  • Ready to install without the need for pre-processing.
  • They are durable and strong enough.
  • They are distinguished by resistance to ultraviolet radiation and moisture resistance.
  • Non-toxic, which allows them to be installed in any room in the apartment.
  • Do not require special maintenance during operation.
  • The offered choice of textures, colors and patterns allows you to choose a plinth for most types of flooring. Profiles are produced with imitation of the surface of stone, metal, natural wood.

Installing a plastic skirting board

A profile for a plastic floor can be installed in the following ways:

  1. On glue or liquid nails.
  2. On hidden mounting clips.
  3. For dowel screws.

The choice of installation method is determined by the design of the profile itself and the state of the wall surface. If the walls are not aligned, then it is better to refuse the first two methods. Choose a product with a flexible top edge and installation on dowel screws. Save time, nerves, and you will win in the reliability of fastening.

How to attach a baseboard to the floor: an overview of fasteners for clips, liquid nails and anchor plates

Skirting boards are made from various materials, which allows the master to choose the most suitable option for the installed flooring. When choosing this finishing element, the method of its attachment is also taken into account. Skirting board manufacturers offer special fasteners for their products to simplify installation work. In the instructions, you can always find information on how to fix the skirting board and what points of installation you need to pay special attention to. In this article, we will consider the existing methods of fastening.

Veneered skirting. On anchor plates

The veneered skirting board, made of pine or spruce and covered with a thin layer of valuable wood, is fixed with glue or anchor plates. The latter method is more laborious, but applicable regardless of the degree of evenness of the walls. Let’s take a closer look at how to do this:

  • First, the marking of the installation sites of the anchor plates is carried out, maintaining a distance between adjacent fasteners equal to 50 cm.
  • Holes are drilled with a puncher in the designated places.
  • Next, plastic dowels are hammered into the prepared holes.
  • Self-tapping screws attach the anchor plates to the wall, while the anchor teeth are oriented strictly perpendicular to the plinth fibers.
  • Fix the plinth on these teeth.

Wooden skirting board. Fasteners for liquid nails

When working with wooden skirting boards, you need to stock up on a miter saw, a hammer, a measuring tape, “liquid nails” and a special gun for applying them. Let’s consider how to fix a wooden plinth using “liquid nails”.

  • Begin laying the wooden plinth from the corner, while the edges of the adjacent elements are trimmed at an angle of 45 degrees.
  • Next, “liquid” nails are applied to the reverse side of the decorative strip and fasten it to the wall, carefully connecting the joints.
  • Press the plinth with a heavy object, thereby providing the glued element with a better fix.
  • By measuring and sawing off the next section of the plinth, further installation is carried out.

In addition, you can fix wood plinths with parquet pins, the caps of which are miniature in size. The diameter of these hats does not exceed 1.5 mm, so it is almost impossible to see them from the height of a human being. With the help of a thin doboinik, the studs are sunk in the baseboard, covering small holes with putty to match the color of the material.

Plastic skirting boards. Fasten with clips

Installation of PVC skirting boards is much easier than the same wood products. Fastening of plastic skirting boards is carried out using special clips or using an internal strip. In addition to the strips, they additionally acquire docking, internal, external and end corners, which facilitate installation.

It is better to start laying from the door, leaving a little space for connecting a special docking angle. Clips-clamps (fasteners) are screwed to the wall with self-tapping screws. Plastic dowels are previously placed in the drilled holes. Then, with a simple push, insert the outer decorative strip of the plastic skirting board. This method is called “flush mounting”.

We hope this information will help the reader navigate the ways of installing decorative elements to hide the joint between surfaces. If you need to carry out such work, you will know how to attach the skirting board to the floor in each specific room.

Installation of the cable under the skirting board

Absolutely any wires can be laid under the skirting board (telephone and television cables). There are three ways to do this:

  • The first way is to lay the cable under the “clip” fasteners. The main thing when using this method is not to touch the cable with a self-tapping screw.
  • In the second method, after installing the plinth, the screws are loosened by 5-7 mm. Then the cable is laid to the wall and fixed.
  • The third method is based on laying the cable in a special gutter, followed by closing the cable with a decorative cover.

Concealed cable laying can be done using any models of plastic skirting boards. But when laying electrical wires, be sure to turn off the mains voltage.

Types of plastic skirting boards for the floor

Plastic skirting boards are divided into two types. Universal and under the carpet. Universal applicable to all types of flooring (laminate, wood flooring, tiles and linoleum).

For fastening the carpet, a “L”.Shaped plinth is used. It presses the carpet to the floor, preventing it from rolling, and at the same time, it performs a decorative function.

According to the composition of the material, plastic skirting boards are of four types:

  • Rigid foam PVC. This type is resilient, not hollow, but breaks easily.
  • Hollow rigid PVC. They are highly durable, but of lower quality. To a greater extent, they are designed for simple decoration of premises without a claim to sophistication.
  • Semi-rigid PVC skirting boards. In composition, they are the same as foam. But they are characterized by high material flexibility and are sold as tape in rolls. They have an aesthetic appearance, a wide range of colors, and can also imitate any natural materials.

Calculation of the required amount of materials

Before proceeding with the installation, you will need to calculate the amount of materials that will be required during the fastening process.

First, the room is measured along the perimeter (excluding the width of the doorway from the calculations). To determine the required number of skirting boards, the resulting number is divided by the length of one plank. There must be a minimum of 0.5 m of material, which will be quite enough. The number of corners required is equal to the number of them in a particular room. And the number of plugs will be equal to the number of doors multiplied by two. To calculate the fasteners, the total perimeter of the room is taken and divided by 50 cm. The same number of screws or dowels will be required as fasteners, plus 10 pieces in reserve.

When carrying out calculations, it is necessary to make stocks of 2 or 3 mm, and also take into account the margin for corners and joining of skirting boards.

Installation on liquid nails

To work, you need to prepare a file for plastic, liquid nails, decorative elements of the corners, plugs and the baseboard itself.

When starting installation on liquid nails, you need to carefully align the walls, this will allow you to attach them more reliably and efficiently. It is desirable that they be sheathed with plasterboard or professionally putty.

Installation of the plinth begins from one of the corners. On the aligned wall, liquid nails are applied in the form of drops at a distance of about 3 or 5 cm from each other. Next, a connecting element is glued to the free edge. This will simplify further work.

Then the plinth itself is glued to the wall. It is important to ensure that its edge fits snugly against the adjacent wall. It will need to be pressed and held in this position for about one minute, until the adhesive sets. After that, you can proceed to the installation of the next section.

In order for it to hold well in the future, it should be attached to high-quality liquid nails (you should not save on this).

Fastening by drilling through the skirting board

  • To fix the plinth in this way, you will need a drill, self-tapping screws and a plastic file. The method is applicable for installation of skirting boards in secondary rooms.
  • First, the necessary measurements are made, as described above.
  • A section of the plinth of the desired size is prepared.
  • Holes are drilled in it. They must be narrower than the “cap” of the screw, otherwise the plinth will not hold.
  • The plank is pressed against the wall and fastened with freezing screws.
  • In the absence of a cable channel, you can add aesthetics to the caps of self-tapping screws using decorative overlays.

If the walls are stone, the plinth should be fastened with dowels. To do this, you need to drill holes in the wall and align them with the holes in the baseboard. Then the plinth is attracted to the wall with screws.

Necessary tools for work

To carry out the installation of skirting boards, you will need tools that are better prepared in advance:

  • Hacksaw for metal;
  • Awl (for piercing holes);
  • Roulette;
  • Pencil or pen;
  • Building corner;
  • Drill with the necessary drills;
  • Screwdriver with the necessary attachment;
  • Puncher (if work is carried out in a brick house).