One of the projects on our long guest bedroom makeover to-do list is stripping, sanding and painting the skirting boards.
We’re painting our skirting boards from scratch, but we also use the same method to repaint and freshen them up after a while. It’s pretty much impossible to avoid scratches and scuffs from cleaning and vacuuming, whilst they hold up very well, it’s inevitable that the odd touch will be required.
Luckily, painting your skirting boards (or baseboards depending on which part of the world you’re in) is quick. easy and cheap to do!
This is what you will need to paint your skirting boards and achieve a professional finish:
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- Sandpaper and sanding block – we started sanding with 80 grit paper, then sanded again with 120 grit sandpaper and used 240 grit for sanding between coats of paint.
For more information on how to sand wood including a cheat sheet on what kind of sandpaper to use for your project check out our full wood sanding guide here. - Wood filler
- Paper or cardboard and dust sheets to cover your floor
- Paint – We’re using the same Dulux Pure Brilliant White Eggshell paint for all woodwork throughout the house
- Paintbrush (this is the best paintbrush for painting skirting boards)
- Optional: Painters Tape (yes, I know it’s radical to say you don’t necessarily need masking tape but you’ll see why we don’t think it’s essential later in the post)
- Optional: Carpet protection film (you’ll obviously only need this if you have a carpet)
How To Prepare Skirting Boards For Painting
How you prepare your skirting boards for painting will depend on the condition they are in.
If they have been previously painted and are just a bit scuffed and chipped you can easily repaint them without having to do too much prep work.
Just give them a thorough clean with some sugar soap solution for a quick sand with some 120 grit sandpaper to roughen up the surface and remove any imperfections will be more than enough to prepare them for the next coat of paint.
If you have any chips, fill them with some wood filler before sanding everything smooth.
Our skirting boards had been painted so many times that all of the detail had been lost so we decided to go the extra mile and strip them right back to the bare wood and start from scratch.
Don’t forget to check if you have lead paint before starting to remove old paint, especially if you live in an older property!
After stripping what felt like dozens of layers of paint, we filled any holes and dents before sanding everything with 80 grit sandpaper to remove any last bits of paint residue and imperfections. After the first round of sanding, we then gave everything another sand with some 120 grit sandpaper to create a lovely smooth surface that’s ready to paint.
How to paint skirting boards without tape
This method is the best way to paint skirting boards and it doesn’t matter if you’re painting new skirting boards or repainting skirting boards.
Before you get your paintbrush out, there are a few more things you’ll have to do before you can paint your skirting boards.
Make sure to remove any dirt and dust from sanding by giving the skirting boards a thorough vacuum (we love this vacuum cleaner for all building work dirt) and wipe to remove any traces of dust.
If your skirting boards have any knots, you should treat them with a knotting solution before painting. Knotting solution will stop the sap in the knots from bleeding through the paint finish and will stop any areas of the painted wood from turning yellow.
Knotting solution is available in any DIY store and only takes seconds to apply. Just dab a small amount on all knots and let it dry before continuing with painting the wood.
Now, for our time-saving tip to painting your skirting boards without spending hours masking off everything. There’s an easy way to paint your skirting boards without getting paint on the floor!
Want to know what our secret tool and the quickest way to paint skirting boards is?
It’s a piece of cardboard (or paper)!
Yep, the secret tool we use to paint our skirting boards without getting paint on the floor or carpet is just a simple and free piece of cardboard!
Next time you get a delivery, don’t throw away the box. Take it to pieces and save it for painting your skirting boards!
So how do you use a piece of cardboard to paint your skirting boards?
It really is such an easy way to paint skirting boards. Just push the cardboard under the gap between your floor and the skirting board and start painting.
The cardboard will protect your floor (or carpet) from any paint and you can just push the piece of cardboard along as you go while painting each part of the baseboards.
But what if I have a carpet?
If you’re wondering how to paint skirting boards with carpet, the process is exactly the same as if you don’t.
If you only have a low pile, you can easily use the cardboard method we mentioned above. Just push down the carpet and squeeze a piece of cardboard between the skirting board and floor/carpet.
If you have a really thick carpet and can’t use the cardboard trick, there is another product available that will work really well to protect your carpets while painting the skirting boards – carpet protection film.
This film is a huge water-resistant tape that sticks to your carpet and protects it from any paint drips. When you roll it out along the edge of your room, leave an overhang of around 5cm towards the edge of the skirting board and then push the excess foil under the skirting board with a spatula or putty knife to provide super-secure protection for your carpet.
Because it’s sticky and waterproof, this foil will protect the carpet really well and won’t slip around.
How to paint skirting boards
Painting wooden skirting boards is only like painting any other wood. It doesn’t really matter if you’re painting furniture, doors or if you’re painting skirting boards. The process is always the same.
Prime the surface and let it dry, then give it a light sand with some 240 grit sandpaper to remove any raised grain and imperfections before painting it with your chosen paint finish. When the paint is completely dry, give it a sand with some 240 grit sandpaper and repeat the painting (and cleaning) process, adding a second coat or even third coat of paint until you have coverage you’re happy with.
A good quality paintbrush is worth investing in and it will help you achieve a smooth finish without brush strokes. We’re still using the same set of paintbrushes that we bought over 10 years ago and highly recommend them!
Another tip when painting wood is to remember not to use too much paint.
Only ever dip your paintbrush about a third of the way into the paint so that you don’t have too much paint on it.
What kind of paint should you use to paint your skirting boards?
If you’re painting new wood, you should always apply an undercoat before applying the paint finish. It will help seal and protect the timber giving it the perfect base for your paint finish.
Some paints, like the paint we used to paint our skirting boards, don’t require an undercoat, so we could get stuck straight into the painting. Just double-check the paint you’re using and apply a coat of general wood primer (it doesn’t have to be anything special) if necessary.
It doesn’t matter if you use oil-based paint or water-based paint to paint your skirting boards. Both have pros and cons but both will work well.
If you’re a messy painter, it’s always a good idea to give your floors some extra protection and cover the floor with some dust sheets, too.
Top Tips When Painting Skirting Boards
1. Prime & paint it the right way
Don’t forget to treat the knots in the wood with a knotting solution first! If you miss them, they’ll seep through the paint and show up as yellow marks.
2. Apply lots of thin coats of paint
Try to apply a really thin coat of paint and use long brush strokes – it’ll help to achieve a smooth finish. Lots of thin coats of paint are always much better than one thick one. The finish will be more even, more durable and you’ll avoid any paint drips, too!
3. Avoid drips
Something else we like to do is attach a piece of masking tape or an elastic band over the can of paint. If you have too much paint on the brush, you can wipe it on the tape. It’ll avoid gloops of paint around the edge of the paint tin and will help keep your paint clean.
4. Keep your supplies in a box
While working, keep all the supplies in a small box. That way you are less likely to mess up your floor and it also keeps everything together in one place while you’re shuffling along the floor painting your skirting boards
How To Paint Skirting Boards FAQ
Here are the answers to a few skirting board questions we get asked again and again!
It’s totally up to you! We like to keep the woodwork in our home a clean white but another option we love is to paint the skirting the same colour as the walls. This works particularly well if you have dark walls and gives the room a really contemporary and sleek look.
Generally, the glossier the paint is, the more hard-wearing the finish will be. We recommend opting for a satin or eggshell finish which has a lovely soft sheen but isn’t too shiny. Because skirting boards inevitably get knocked and bashed quite a lot, we wouldn’t recommend a matt finish which will be more difficult to keep clean.
When decorating, always start at the top and work your way down. That way you won’t drip any paint from your ceiling onto your freshly painted walls and won’t drip any paint from your walls onto your freshly painted skirting boards.
We always recommend using a good quality paintbrush for painting woodwork. A high-quality paint brush will help you reach all corners and will help you achieve a perfectly smooth finish.
Nobody likes draughts and filling the gap between your skirting and floor is quick and easy. Best of all, it will save you money on your heating bills, too! Here’s where you can see our full guide on how to fill the gap between the floor and skirting boards.
There’s still a lot more to do in the bedroom, but the first bit of skirting board in the corner of the room is done.
While painting the upstairs skirting, we also finally got around to touching up the skirting board in the hallway. We’d already done most of it, but after removing the laminate flooring and sanding the floor there was a little edge left that needed painting.
Some of you have asked if it would be quicker and easier to replace the skirting boards instead of painting them and, honestly, it’s something we hadn’t really considered. The skirting boards are still the original ones that have been in our house for over a hundred years and it would be a shame to remove the original features.
The skirting boards are also higher than most of the ones that are now available, so we’d have to replaster the wall over the skirting boards to make up for the difference. For us, it just seemed to make more sense to keep the original ones.
If your skirting boards are beyond repair, you can replace them. Another great alternative is to upgrade your skirting boards which is what we did in our current home. You can see what we did along with tips on how to choose the right skirting boards for your home there, too!
There’s still loads to do in the bedroom, including sorting out the window (more on that tomorrow), attaching a picture rail, sorting the electrics and plumbing and then painting and decorating everywhere. With some overnight guests visiting soon, we’d better get a move on!
Subhash Gambhir says
Your DIY advice blogs are really very useful. Great service. My tricky situation is how do you protect painted wall while varnishing skirting boards?
Christine says
That’s a great question, Subhash! You can either paint carefully or use some low tack masking tape that you stick to the walls while painting the skirting boards. If the masking tape is low-tack, it shouldn’t damage the walls when you remove it.
Cx
Miss Beverley Marwood says
Hi, we have skirting and picture rails and door frames throughout the house which are coated in gloss. I really want to avoid having to repeat gloss as want a satin or eggshell finish.
Do you think your dulux super primer tip would work pre satin application or do you advise it best to strip the gloss with a heat gun?
Thanks in advance
Christine says
Gloss paint is so annoying, isn’t it! Luckily, there’s a really easy to get rid of it and there’s no need to prime either.
Just give everything a quick sand with some sandpaper (around 120 grit) to remove the shiny finish and roughen up the surface. This will allow your new paint to adhere to the surface and be a perfect base for painting over it in a less shiny finish like satin or eggshell.
We only stripped our layers of paint (which is a huge amount of work) because everything had been painted so many times that the detail had been lost. There’s no reason to strip paint if it’s in a good condition and you’re happy with it in general.
Hope that all makes sense!
Cx
andy says
Nice website!… the eggshell is self undercoating not self priming. You still need to prime the skirting boards. : )
Christine says
You’re right, Andy! We did apply primer on any floors we painted but skipped it on the skirting.
Cx
eva says
hi again, i found that you used glidden. I have cardboard walls on my flat which are currently painted light grey, they are damaged by holes and some areas are not smooth..what would you recommend me to smooth them can i use a white plaster paste and then paint them with glidden paint? or should i buy cheaper white paint first and then put glidden white on the top?
any suggestions welcome
regards, eva
Christine says
You’re right Eva, pretty much all white paint we’ve used around the house is Glidden Contract Matt which is now called Armstead Trade Contract Matt.
I’m not exactly sure what you mean by cardboard walls – I’m assuming they’re plasterboard. It’s really difficult to smooth walls without completely replastering but there are definitely a few things you can try to improve the situation. I’d start by filling all holes and then possibly try to smooth them some more by applying some filler and then sanding. This is the filler we used for all of our walls (that weren’t replastered) and it’s easy to apply but more importantly it’s easy to sand which means that it should be easy to work with on your walls.
The Armstead Trade Contract Matt paint is already really cheap. We use it to both paint walls, ceilings, etc that will stay white and to prime walls, so I wouldn’t bother buying any other paint.
Good luck!
Cx
eva says
thank you so much for your quick answer!
I will follow your advice, the only thing I struggle is what / which brush or roller buy for the walls ceiling?
Christine says
No problem, Eva! We wrote a post about our favourite painting tools and supplies a while ago. You can read it here.
We’d recommend investing in the best brushes you can afford (you’ll only need one or two) as a good quality brush can really make it much easier to achieve a good finish. For rollers you’ll want something with a short pile which will give the smoothest finish. All of the tools that we use are listed in the above mentioned post though.
Good luck!
CX
eva says
YOU ARE ROCKING! THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE GREAT BLOg!
Darina Mc Alpine says
Hi Christine
Some of the edwardian doors in our home are gloss painted whilst others appear to have painted with emulsion. I want to paint them all. You mentioned previously that it should be possible to paint over gloss with a matt paint for wood. I cannot find a paint of that description. What paint did you use when you painted onto wood over gloss?
Many thanks
Dee
Christine says
Sorry, if I was unclear, Dee. Essentially you can paint over wood paint with any other wood paint. There are different levels of sheen in wood paint ranging from gloss to less shiny satin and eggshell finished. Eggshell is the most matt of wood finishes. I wouldn’t paint directly over emulsion with wood paint and would try to remove as much of it as possible before painting. As always sanding and preparation are key to achieving a good finish. Hope that helps!
Cx
Darrin says
HI,
Can you please help we decorated 2 years ago and we just recently decided to get carpets cleaned when we pulled all furniture away from walls especially chests of drawers we found skirting boards had turned yellow. Can you please tell me why. Many thanks Darrin
Christine says
I assume that the paint used is oil based. Some white paints have a tendency to yellow (there was a big deal made of it a while ago in the press after paint companies were made to change their paint formula to comply with lower VOC levels). It’s super annoying, but I’m afraid that there’s nothing you can do other than repainting. If it makes you feel better the problems seems to have been sorted on newer paints.
Hope that’s some help!
Cx
John says
Hi there since I’ve had my walls skimmed it has affected ,y painting as in some areas it starts peeling why is there I have spent hours sanding the walls but it does not still change anything, do I have to mix water in my mate cheers
Christine says
We had no problems at all when painting our walls. We applied a watered down coat of white emulsion to start, but other than that did nothing special.
Not really sure what to suggest, maybe you could try sealing the wall with a coat of watered down PVA first. I’m not sure it’ll help (I’d try in a test area first), but it’s possibly worth a try.
Sorry we couldn’t be more help, John.
Cx
Marc says
Thanks for the great guide – random question – where did you get the light shade from? The wooden random/messy ball of string light shade is AWESOME!
Marc says
Ignore me – found the link elsewhere on the website
Christine says
Thanks Marc! Glad to hear you like our guide & lamp.
Cx
claudio says
hi, I need some help…
I have paid someone to put laminated floor and skirting board at the bedroom. However, the builder bought those white skirting board from B&Q. But i wanted to match it off with the shireoak laminate floor. Just wondering if i can paint over the white paint or what should i do….
Christine says
That’s a difficult decission, Claudio! I’m not sure what the skirting boards you have are covered with, as they are available in painted and primed. You can paint them, especially if you have the ones that are just primed, but I’m not sure how well you’ll be able to match them with the laminate floor. Just try on a small, hidden test area or a little left over bit of skirting.
Cx
Hector says
Hi,
great site! Thanks for sharing your experience and tips!
Quick question about the paint you used for skirting boards…
I am a bit confused about which one to use. I have read many reviews about many paints, and I keep on gathering mixed reviews and experiences.
For me the most important thing is to find a paint that does no yellow, is durable and relatively easy to apply. (I am not a professional, and I care about the finish). I would like to go with a eggshell or satin paint, definitely not gloss.
I read you used Dulux Pure Brilliant White Eggshell. Has it been durable at all? I was trying to find it online but all the ones I can see have a slightly different name. I know it has been a long time, but can you confirm whether it is this one:
Also, I suspect my skirting boards had been painted by the previous owner with a water based paint. Do you know what the best way to confirm this is? I understand painting over oil based paint would have an impact on the preparation steps before painting them.
Many thanks.
Christine says
We had problems with choosing paint, too. You’re right, we did use Dulux Pure Brilliant White Eggshell, which is the same one that you found online. Initially we did have some problems with the paint yellowing and weren’t best pleased about it, as you can imagine. Apparently Dulux have since change the formula of the paint so it shouldn’t happen anymore, and I would say that the newer paint that we’ve used hasn’t really gone yellow. Admittedly we’ve only stuck with the same paint, as we wanted the same white throughout the house. Whilst it’s fine, I’m not sure we’d use it again.
For your skirting that you suspect may be painted with water based paint, I’d recommend testing through trying to remove a small are with a heat gun. If it’s oil based it should sort of melt and be easy to remove, if it’s water based, it may still bubble, but will really just flake a bit.
Hope that’s some help!
Cx
Lilian says
We moved into our house + painted the walls a neutral magnolia.
Now, after 2 years, we have decided which rooms to add colour ( not just accessorise – which is a very good idea + Very Cost Effective ) We have papered feature walls.
My question is, that whilst I know about, and planning to sand the skirting boards, is it the sealant that is used, the has added a dirty smudge in the corners ? Think it should have been caulk and not sealant to fill in the gaps… It won’t take paint…
Please advise / any tips ????
Christine says
From your description, it sounds like that a silicone sealant has been used instead of a decorators caulk. Whilst you can easily paint over caulk, silicone on the other hand wont accept a paint finish. It’s really annoying (we’ve discovered similar problems in our house along the way) but the only real option you have is to remove the silicone and than caulk the gaps.
Sorry we couldn’t give you an easier option!
Cx
Julia says
some good idea’s just about to do my skirting boards, but before I do going to go and get fine sand paper,
Christine says
It’s the quickest and easiest way to to freshen them up, Julia!
Cx
mark says
Hi,do I really need to sand down the skirting boards?,im a tad lazy with diy and not enough time on my hands.
Many thanks.
Christine says
Being lazy DIYers ourselves, we know exactly what you mean, Mark! Really it all depends on the condition of your skirting boards and how picky you are about the finish. If your skirting looks okay now and just really need freshening up, it should be fine to (more or less) just paint them. Any paint finish is only ever going to be as good as the surface of whatever it is you are painting though, so if they (or the paint) are chipped and damaged, even the best paint job in the world won’t completely cover any imperfections. I’m a bit of a perfectionist and our skirting had been covered in a ridiculous amount of paint, so I thought it was best to completely strip them first.
Assuming your skirting boards are in a decent condition, we would give them a good clean with some sugar soap, then very lightly sand them with some fine sandpaper (roughly 240grit), wipe them again to remove any dust from sanding and then paint them. We’re only talking a very light and quick sand – it probably shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes to do all of the sanding in an average sized room.
Good luck!
Cx
mark says
Thanks for your help,there only 10 years old,so a few scuffs with wear /tear so no serious damage,ill sand as I go.Thankyou CX.
Christine says
You’re welcome & good luck!
Cx
KEVIN JOHNSON says
Sorry but a perfectionist like myself could not live with the unfilled rough plaster above the skirting, I believe in the saying if your gonna do it do it well.
Christine says
The walls weren’t finished when we took the pictures and painted the skirting. It’s all smooth and plastered now.
Cx
SkirtingBoards.com says
On the sanding between coats, with natural timber its not too critical (in our experience), but with a product like MDF its absolutely essential to give it a sanding as the paint causes the MDF to fur. You’ve done a very nice job here Christine!
Christine says
Thanks – just 5 more rooms to go ;-)
Cx
Bonnie says
I’ve never heard of sanding between coats of paint – how does this change the finished product? Do you have to let it dry for a long time before sanding?
Christine says
Good question, Bonnie. It’s almost the most important step! When you paint wood, little air bubbles will rise to the surface – if you feel it when it’s dry, you’ll notice little bumps all across it. Basically you’re just sanding and smoothing away all of these little air bumps. It’s important to let the paint dry completely before sanding, then using a really fine sandpaper (at least 240 grit) just lightly sand the surface. Try to apply even pressure and be careful around the edges. Then, after cleaning as usual, you can apply your next coat of paint. Give it a try (it’s how the professionals do it), your paint finish will be sooo much smoother!
Cx
Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse says
Painting the kitchen (and maybe dining-room) skirting boards is on my to-do list for the summer, so I appreciate you sharing your tips. I also use a cardboard box to store everything when I have an on-going project.
Christine says
I can’t believe what a huge difference painting the skirting has made. Everything feels so much fresher. Glad that you can use some of our tips! Good luck with the painting!
Cx
KEVIN JOHNSON says
I wonder why you didn’t fill the rough plaster just above the skirting boards it would give it a smooth professional finish.
Christine says
It’s all filled now Kevin – we had the walls replastered, but gave the skirting boards a temporary coat of paint first. Not exactly the ideal order to do things, but budget restraints sometimes mean that we do things back to front.
Cx
Leslie says
Good advice! I love the cardboard box- as soon as I saw the picture, I thought “YES! You can slide it along as you move!” And I love the idea of just sliding the paper along. I hate taping things, and I’m always looking for a way to not tape things. Especially the floor.
Christine says
Thanks Leslie! We’re always keen to find things that make our lives easier. I can’t believe we’d not thought of the box sooner – it made life so much easier! Sliding the paper along the floor works really well and it saves soooo much time not having to tape everything.
Cx
MarieRoxanne says
Painting is a lot of work, and most of the work is in the preparation. (Taping things off, making sure you have drop cloths etc…)
I like to paint the skirting boards (baseboards is what we call them) the same color as the wall instead of the traditional white, so are the door and window frames. So they sort of “disappear” instead of being a focus in the room. For me, my eye stops abruptly at the change of color. I have a black wall and the rest are a creamy yellow and the skirting boards are a match just so it flows more easily.
Christine says
I love the idea of painting the baseboards the same colour as the wall – especially with a black wall! Having said that, I actually like the way the white boards are set off against the colour of the room. It’s definitely something to think about in some of the other rooms though!
Cx
Kerrie says
The piece of paper on the floor is such a simple idea, but what a beauty of an idea! I never thought of that. I’m just about to do my whole house so this post was excellent timing for me, thanks so much. cheers
Christine says
Thanks Kerrie, glad we could help – just make sure to push the paper right into the gap. Good luck with the painting!
Cx