Mastic

[prancer1]

Hi everyone. We have wooden floors downstairs and there is a gap between the skirting board and the floor. I had planned to get a mastic man to seal it but my handyman today said that's a bad idea? What do you all think? The gap is an eyesore and also there are flecks of paint on the floor around the skirting which would be great to hide! Thank you ☺️

I would use a hardwood trim. Not sealant, he's right

Wooden floors are meant to "float" to allow for expansion and contraction. Sealant will crack and split and look a mess very soon. Use a trim piece designed for the job.

@Ilovemyshed is correct. In addition, apart from the practical reasons, I think it looks good to have a gap as it creates the illusion of the floor extending beyond the skirting and feels more spacious. If paint specs are the issue, I would research a method to deal with those rather than cover them up.

Thanks! The paint is water based, will it come off easily? Our painter did a terrible job 😔

Yes, if it's water based it should come off OK. You might have to experiment with something to scrape it off without damaging the wood if it doesn't clean off straight away/ I removed some from laminate flooring with Method multi-purpose cleaner, a microfibre cloth and a kitchen spatula. If not, in your shoes I'd pop into B&Q or similar and ask their advice. My decorators made a mess of my front door and they suggested some special wipes that got rid of it.

I sympathise regarding the painter. Have you paid them yet? If not, they might come back to rectify it themselves.

To get the paint off, first try a damp scrubby - the non- scratch variety.

Failing that, gently scraping it off with the edge of a credit card.

Failing that, you can buy multipurpose decorators wipes from Screwfix which are great for all sorts.

Thanks everyone. We have paid them the majority of the money. They have ruined lots of our furniture, appliances, broken blinds and damaged curtains. It's been an extremely stressful month