Skirting Board & Architrave Calculator

Skirting Board Guide

Measuring and Planning

Measure the perimeter of the room. Deduct doorway widths (typically 0.8–0.9m per doorway). Add 10–15% for waste (mitres, scrap ends, mistakes). Skirting board is typically sold in 2.4m, 3.0m, 4.2m, or 4.4m lengths — longer boards mean fewer joins but are harder to transport. Plan which walls will have joins and position joins in less conspicuous locations (corners, behind furniture) where possible.

Fitting Methods

Traditional mitre joints at external corners (where wall meets wall outward) give a clean finish. Internal corners are best done with a scribe join (cutting one board to the profile of the other) — pure mitre joints at internal corners open up as the timber shrinks. Use a compound mitre saw for clean mitre cuts. Fix with lost-head nails (nail gun or hammer and punch) or adhesive (no-more-nails) — adhesive is preferred on solid walls where nailing may cause vibration cracking in plaster.

Door Architrave

Door architrave (the decorative moulding around door frames) is typically sold in the same profiles as skirting boards. Each door requires approximately 5–6m of architrave (two vertical legs plus a horizontal head, with 45° mitre joins at the top corners). Architrave is fitted about 6–8mm from the edge of the door lining (the margin), with the inner edge flush. The thickness of architrave should match or complement the skirting board for a consistent look.

Finish and Painting

MDF skirting is the most common choice for painting — it is dimensionally stable, machines well, and paints smoothly. Solid wood (pine, oak) is used for staining or in period properties. Prime MDF with a sealing primer (to prevent the cut edges swelling when painted with water-based paint). Apply one coat of primer and two topcoats with fine sanding between coats for a smooth finish. Use a small brush for cutting in along the floor and ceiling line, then roll or brush the face. Caulk the top edg