How to paint a skirting board?

[firsthome2022]

I had some work done recently and a new skirting board was put in but unfortunately the painter never returned to finish the job 🙄. I have the paint that he left here. I know absolutely nothing about this stuff. What size paint brush do I buy ? Do I need to put gap filler over the nails first then paint it ? 

 

[JacobZ · Accepted solution]

Hi @firsthome2022,

Thank you for your question about painting a skirting board. It's a fairly easy job, but there are a couple of steps that are necessary to get a high-quality professional finish.

I'd suggest you grab a 50mm angled sash cutter brush, some interior filler, a fine sanding sponge a tube of No More Gaps, a caulking gun, a drop sheet and some painter’s masking tape.

Start by filling the nail holes with the interior filler. You can simply apply a small amount to each nail hole with your finger, wait 10 minutes for it to dry, and then sand it smooth with your sanding sponge.

Using a soft brush or cloth, remove any dust from the skirting board before the next step.

Once cleaned up, you'll need to apply a bead of no more gaps to the top edge of the skirting board. Have a look at How To Apply Bathroom Sealant for some guidance on this process. The products are different, but the technique is the same. If you have no further use for a caulking gun, you could also use this No More Gaps multipurpose gap filler tube which comes in an easy-to-use squeeze bottle.

Allow the No More Gaps to dry and then tape off the skirting board and put down your drop sheet. Check out How to use painter's tape for some guidance on this.

Once taped off, give your paint a good mix before applying it with your paintbrush. Don’t overload the brush with paint. Apply thin, even coats to avoid drips and runs. Multiple thin coats will give a smoother finish than one thick coat. 

I'd suggest applying the first coat, allowing it to dry then giving it a quick sand with your sanding sponge before applying the second. Once the second is dry, assess the coverage. If it needs a third coat, give it another quick sand before applying the third coat.

Once everything is dry, remove the tape and drop sheet, stand back and admire a job well done. 

You might also like to have a read of How do you paint skirting boards for some additional guidance.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[firsthome2022]

great advice thank you !

[Laurens]

If you only have a small job its relatively easy.

I have skirting board that needed painting and I found the simplest way was to remove it, paint it, and glue the board back using 'no more nails'.

To ensure the skirting board follows the wall, I used heavy objects (bricks) to keep it in place until the glue dried.

I found that easier than painting the narrow boards without getting paint on the walls and floor. There is also the issue of applying masking tape or damaging wall paint with masking tape.