There’s so much to consider when working on a home renovation project. Skirting boards are one of the most important and can transform your home’s interior while giving your rooms depth of character. They also serve a practical purpose when hiding piping and cables that would spoil the look of your room while protecting walls from any unwanted scuffs or marks.
If you’ve never replaced or installed skirting in your home, it can be hard to figure out where to start. Before you buy anything, it’s important that you don’t rush into simply getting the boards from the first place you find. By shopping around and looking online, you can save thousands by buying high quality skirting that is in keeping with your newly designed room.
At Skirting 4 U, we have a wide range of skirting boards for you to choose and install. In our latest blog on how to choose skirting boards, we share four tips to help you make an informed decision when buying skirting.
Do your research
Before you buy skirting, it’s important to do your research. You need to make sure that the skirting you buy fits the property that you live in and the room you want to fit it in. By taking the type of existing skirting and your property into account, it’ll give you an idea of what style, size and profile to include in your home’s interior design.
You also need to take into account how much you are willing to spend on skirting so that the products you buy are right for your home’s interior. Skirting board needs to be properly maintained to avoid any noticeable wear and tear that can build up over time.
By doing your research, it’ll help you decide on the type of skirting that’s right for your property as part of your home renovation project.
MDF or wood?
Picking the right skirting material is something that needs to be thought about when replacing existing skirting boards. You need to make sure the skirting material is not only durable, but can deal with everyday wear and tear from pets, children and general daily life.
When it comes to the types of material used for skirting, there are two options to choose from, MDF or wood. It’s important that you take into account the theme of your home, whether it's modern or period, so that the type of skirting material you choose blends in perfectly with the home’s interior.
If you’re looking for a cost-effective alternative to oak and pine skirting, the smooth, flat look of MDF skirting is great for modern properties. As MDF skirting has no natural knots or grains, it’s perfect for painting the skirting boards to your ideal colour.
If you want a premium look, then our wood options (oak skirting and pine skirting) can add style and definition to your home. Both oak and pine skirting are more suited to period-style homes over MDF as they are not only durable, but they add a luxurious style to your humble abode.
Picking the right skirting height - short or tall?
An important thing to consider when buying skirting boards is picking the right height that’s suited to your property. You need to take into consideration the age of your property, as well as the style you want to achieve before fitting the skirting.
For Georgian or Victorian properties with high ceilings, it’s worth going for tall skirting boards over short ones. Taller skirting boards in a period property can allow you to be more decorative, due to the amount of surface area they can occupy in a room.
If you live in a property with a low ceiling, then shorter skirting boards are more suitable over taller skirting. While tall skirting can add a dramatic look to a room, short skirting boards can add a subtle tone, which allows the walls and wall decor to be the focal point of a room.
When purchasing skirting boards, it’s always good to consider the height of your ceilings before installing new skirting.
Make sure the skirting colour fits in with your walls and flooring
It’s important when buying skirting for your home that the colour you choose fits in with the room’s walls and flooring. If the colour you pick to paint the skirting does not blend in well with a room, it can spoil the look and style you’re trying to achieve.
There are lots of ways to achieve specific looks when installing your skirting. Painting them, for example, is a great way to really make a statement. Our blog on improving your home through coloured skirting and architrave has some great examples.
If you want a modern look to your room, then it's worth painting the skirting in the same colour as your walls. The other alternative is to paint it with a contrasting colour, which is in a colour that’s lighter or darker than the colour that’s already on the wall. Painting the skirting in a different colour to the wall adds balance to a room, popular choices when trying to achieve this look include navy blue or mustard yellow.
You need to make sure that the colour you choose for the skirting you buy blends in well with the overall aesthetics of your property.
We hope these 4 tips we’ve given you will help you make an informed purchase on buying skirting for your latest home renovation project. If you have any questions about our range of oak, pine and MDF skirting boards we offer, you can speak to one of our expert sales team members today.