Refreshing your Skirting boards, Architrave, Dado & Picture Rails can really transform the look & feel of your home. Whether you’re wanting to add a little character with period features or transform your room with a simple yet stylish contemporary moulding; Wickes has a style & finish to suit most preferences and budgets.
Before you get started
Get the look…
Period mouldings: Transform the look of the humble Torus or Ogee Skirting Board by adding Wainscot half-height cladding, topped with a Dado rail, for a real period design feature.
Contemporary mouldings: Keep it simple with minimalist profiles such as Chamfered or Rounded Bullnose, for a modern sophisticated look.
Fit Architrave
Step 1
Mark a margin on the door lining. This is a 5-10mm gap between the edge of the door lining and the inside edge of the architrave.
Step 2
Draw margins either side of the door and at the top, joining at the corners at right angles. On the left, align a length of architrave with the margin.
Step 3
Carefully mark where the architrave meets the right angle of the margins at the top, then cut a mitre using the mark as a guideline.
Step 4
Precisely reposition the length of architrave on the left of the door and nail it in place temporarily so that adjustments can be made.
Step 5
Using the same method, make a mitred cut on the head or horizontal architrave piece above the door to fit to the architrave already in place.
Step 6
Hold the mitred head piece firmly in place so that you can mark at the margin corner and then cut the right-hand mitre to match.
Step 7
On the right, align another length of architrave, mark, cut and mitre as on the left side and secure in place, along the margin with nails.
Step 8
When all the architrave fits together neatly at corners, permanently secure the head piece with four nails. Use six nails to secure each upright.
Step 9
Use a nail punch to knock all nail heads below the surface. If you are painting the door, these can be filled, sanded smooth and painted over.
Step 10
To keep mitred corners tight you will need to fix through both pieces. Use a 3mm wood bit to drill pilot holes through the mitres. Knock in nails.
Fit Skirting
Step 1
When joining skirting to an architrave, cut the board straight. At internal corners, use a mitre box to cut the correct angle for joining lengths.
Step 2
When adjacent lengths have been mitred, position at corner and check they join neatly and are level. Small undulations are acceptable.
Step 3
Lay both pieces of skirting face down and apply some grab adhesive along their lengths. This will help to secure the boards in place.
Step 4
On stud walls, use lost-head nails to fix boards directly into the upright studs. For masonry walls, first try using masonry nails.
Step 5
If masonry nails cannot penetrate the wall, drill pilot holes through the skirting into the masonry wall. A 7mm masonry bit is ideal.
Step 6
Insert 7mm wall plugs into the hole. These can be pushed in by hand, but may need a tap with a hammer to ensure they are flush with the board.
Step 7
Carefully knock a 50-60mm screw into the wall plug with a hammer. Keep tapping gently until you feel firm resistance.
Step 8
Tighten the screw using a drill/driver. Position another fixing below this. Add further pairs of fixings at 400mm intervals along the wall.
Step 9
It is unnecessary to drill holes into stud walls. Instead, use two lost-head nails to fix skirting to each stud, which are usually 400mm to 600mm apart.
Step 10
When joining an external corner, follow the above steps but glue at corner before drilling pilot holes through mitre and securing with lost-head nails.
