to think it's necessary for the skirting boards to be fitted before a carpet is laid?

[norktasticninja]

The new damned expensive stair and landing carpet is being fitted first thing Monday morning. AIBU to think it's essential that the skirting boards are fitted and the wooden bits under the door frames are stained first? Surely there is a big chance that the carpet will be ruined if we have to do it afterward?

DP says I am (and being heavily pregnant it is likely possible) but it seems a basic prerequisite to me. A little perspective if you please...

I'm not pregnant and I would have said the skirting boards etc should be in before the carpet. Not the best at stuff like this though so happy to stand corrected...

Thanks alicet, at least I know I'm not totally alone on this one

If you do the carpet first and the skirting boards after, you won't be able to change the carpet in the future without taking the skirting boards off. How much does DP want to spend in another 10 to 15 years?

YANBU btw!

Good lord of course they should be on first!

I would say the skirting boards should be fitted first. After all, people don't rip them out and re-fit them every time they fit a new carpet do they?

Have you asked the company fitting the carpet?

skirting first. If you want that 'finished' look you can buy beading to run around the skirting which looks like it is all one skirting. My friend did this with their wooden floor and it looks great, and means only the beading comes up if they need to replace/rip it up.

Skirting first definitely you also need them to be glossed and a good 24hrs in between so basically they need doing like yesterday......is he cracking on with it yet?

Thanks all, one does begin to wonder at a certain point! DP's at the hairdressers...

I don't expect him to do it, most of it is done already. I just wanted him to fetch the wood and look after DD so I can finish it off.

Luckily DD's sleeping ATM so I"m busy finishing scraping the last of the glue of the stairs. Hopefully he'll have the wood with him when he gets back.

But you are heavily pregnant, shouldn't he be doing it? Though I do understand sometimes when you want a job doing you are better off doing it yourself!

I'd like him to do it really 'tis pretty exhausting, but hey, you can't have everything!

DP is back with the wood. Yay.

Apparently I shouldn't work so hard, I'll exhaust myself. FFS.

Oh, now he suddenly can spare the time to do some stuff. 2 hours to go until DD's bedtime

Thanks for listening to me moan!

Time for a cuppa?

Am cooking now (is an hour later here), that's much more do-able

Definitely skirting first - but sounds like that is sorted now... You do need to gloss them before carpet too (probably twice), or you will end up with gloss all over the lovely new carpets.

Not sure where you are, but dulux do a quick dry water based gloss (so no nasty fumes)that we have used in some of our rooms - only takes 4 hours to dry (rather than 16 for normal gloss). But you speaking from (far too much) experience, glossing skirting board when heavily pregnant is not a fun thing to be doing.