wooden flooring - will I have to remove my skirting boards?

[Aperolspritzer]

I fear the mess tbh, really crumbly walls which have been recently replastered - is there a nice alternative - narrow beading or something?

Yes - its called Scotia. You should be able to get it from whoever supplied your flooring.

If skirting boards already fitted - get beading. You can get some nice stuff. The fitter/supplier can sort it out for you so it matches.

that's great - thanks both

though you can get a better job if you do take off the skirtings, it will be more work.

There is (at least) one good way of fixing to crumbly walls I can tell you about if you need to know.

pigletjohn - i'd love to hear the remedy for my crumbly plaster?

I have a method for fixing skirting to crumbly walls

but not a remedy for crumbly plaster, except to knock it off with a spade and have it redone.

if you had walls replastered, you really should have got the skirting removed and the whole wall done. But anyhow, I would not have beading - is kicked off in 2mins and then is a pain. Also looks naff imho.

Make sure whoever is fitting the floor has/gets/hires an undercutter (I think that is what the special saw thing that cuts the bottom of skirting in situ is called) and then you can fit the flooring under ifyswim.

My ex-neighbour's husband did their floor and used it - floor was fab.

It was the first time I had seen one of these in action but is a really good tool.
HTH

It depends on the look you are after. We have wood floors in the playroom/den, but you don't see much of the lower walls, so I went with the easier option of adding a matching beading around the walls to cover the gap.

But it doesn't look as "polished", so when we did our long hallway (where the skirtings are very visible) we had the skirtings taken off and replaced. But it was really simple - only a couple of nicks which needed a bit of pollyfilla, and one board that splintered and had to be replaced. It really didn't make the mess that I had feared.

I think if you are spending a lot on the flooring and want the best appearance, then bite the bullet and take off the skirtings.

Fein multimaster

or there are cheaper substitutes.

I think Bosch call theirs a multicutter

beware of cutting cables that might pass up behind the skirting. Notionally they ought to be directly, vertically, underneath any switch or socket, but there are some people who don't run cables correctly so you have no idea where they are.

you are right - upon reflection, no point in cutting corners - i'll either undercut it (once I check if I can!) or take it off

thanking you