Skirting board advice

[butterflycatcher]

I have been removing the lining paper from the walls and it has revealed gaps between the wall and the skirting. What is the best way to fix this, or does the skirting need to come off and be replaced? We are likely going to have the wall replastered. Thanks.

Just get the walls skimmed and use caulking or similar to fill what’s left of the gap.

Polyfila. If the crack is deep/large, screwed up newspaper in the gap first, before filler.

What C4tastrophe says ⬆️

Def don't need to skim the walls just use caulk, really easy job and will look great. The joinery in our house is shocking and have had to do it throughout when I painted all my woodwork white, not a fun job! Lol

Top edge of the skirting is knackered. Get all the rotten flakey stuff off with a chisel ideally. I’d use 2 part epoxy type filler to repair the wood as it’s stronger, pollyfilla for the easier bits. Sand, caulk and paint.

Some of this and a caulking gun - really easy to do. I watched a quick video and have happily been sealing gaps ever since!

www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-instant-plaster-filler-white-310ml/72591

Simply caulk if you change change your mind about skimming. However, I would replace the skirting if having the walls skimmed as the skirting never looks as good once the extra thickness is added and you've lost the little 'shelf' at the top of the moulding IMO. The plaster will be better finished that way too, as the plasterer can get an easier motion at the bottom of the wall. Keep the architraves on though, unless you want the chippy cursing you and having to channel great big lumps out of your fresh plaster, necessitating numerous polyfiller repairs to the resulting chips and cracks, in order to get the architrave to sit nicely to the frame again!