Learn the secrets to painting skirting boards like a professional with our guide to achieving the perfect finish on the more intricate part of your DIY project.
Every room has them, but skirting boards are an often-neglected part of any room refurbishment, requiring a higher level of intricacy than other areas of the home. Effective skirting board painting, however, has the potential to transform the entire look of the room and create a polished, desirable aesthetic when done correctly. Luckily the experts at Harris Brushes are on hand to reveal the best ways to paint a skirting board. Our useful guide will show you how to paint skirting boards with minimal effort so you can complete your renovation to the highest possible standard.
No professional skirting board painting can begin without suitable preparation. Did you know we have a whole guide dedicated to this process, which you can read here? Take a look to ensure that no essential steps are missed!
A Harris tried-and-tested way to protect your floor or carpet from paint is to lay your Seriously Good Dust Sheet and tape it into place by putting the Essentials Masking Tape down with a slight lip curling up towards the skirting boards you will be painting. Now pull the carpet back slightly and push the tape lip down into the carpet. When you let go of the carpet it will spring back and the tape will reach under the skirting board you are painting. Now it’s time to prepare the surfaces.
First you need to use a Seriously Good Dust Mask and some Seriously Good Protective Gloves for extra protection on the job. In most cases, you will only need to lightly sand the skirting board using some Ultimate Fine Sandpaper to achieve the desired results. Begin gently sanding and checking with your hand until the skirting board becomes smooth. The aim is to remove the top layer of paint only, there is no need to take the board back to wood unless you’re faced with a very thick build-up of paint or obvious damage which needs to be repaired.
If you have very thick paint which needs taking off, use an Essentials Brush and dab on some paint stripper. You must wear the protective dust mask and gloves previously mentioned to ensure maximum protection. Follow the instructions which come with the paint stripper and wait for it to loosen the paint then use an Ultimate Super Scraper and Ultimate Combination Shave Hook to quickly remove the paint and bring the skirting boards back to their original wood.
Skirting boards often take a lot of knocks, so coming across damage or chips is not uncommon. Once sanding and scraping is complete, clean the area down the easy way with a Seriously Good Microfibre Cloth to remove any dust, then fill any holes or cracking in the skirting board with wood filler using the Ultimate Filling Knife. If you’re able to locate a small gap between the skirting and the wall use our Essentials Caulking Gun and consult our Caulking Gun Guide to fill the hole. When the filler is set, sand the skirting one final time to ensure the surface is ready for primer and clean with the microfibre cloth.
To achieve a flawless finish, apply a quality primer to the wood first. This step will prevent any stains from sap or other contaminants in the wood from coming through. Next, take the Ultimate Angled Gloss Brush and apply the primer, painting in precise strokes and following the grain of the wood.
Pour a small amount of white spirit into a container and gently work into the brush. Use some Seriously Good Paper Roll to wipe the paint away and repeat until the brush is fully clean. Cleaning will take half the time required if the brush is wet, so it’s advisable to carry out this step as soon as possible. When this brush is clean, it’s time to leave the paint to dry; watch some TV, go to the park, grab a coffee and relax, with only two more steps to go!
With the primer dry, lightly sand the skirting using some Ultimate Fine Sandpaper and wipe down with the microfibre cloth to clear the area of all dust. Now using the same Ultimate Angled Gloss Brush apply the new topcoat of gloss, eggshell or satin paint and as before, remember to paint with the grain of the wood. The Ultimate Angled Brush head will help you cut in at the top of the skirting board with precision whilst providing you with the finest possible finish. If you’re a little bit more experienced, you can always opt for a larger brush like the Ultimate Gloss Flat Brush to complete the job faster.
As you are finishing a section, use the brush with very little paint on it and lightly brush the skirting boards for a unique effect. This simple process is called laying off, and when done correctly will provide you with a stunning glass-like finish with gloss paints.
The final step in any skirting board painting job; cleaning your brushes for reuse on another exciting project. The expert tools we have recommended from our ultimate range are built to last. To get the most out of them, job after job, we recommend you clean them as soon as you finish to avoid a time-consuming process later down the line. Don’t forget that oil-based paints such as gloss, eggshell and satin will need white spirit to effectively remove the paint. This paint cannot be poured down the sink so use an old sealable jar such as a jam jar to keep the waste until you can take it to the local tip or recycling centre. This planet-friendly step ensures your brushes are kept in great condition for DIY projects to come.
Explore our ‘How to’ section today to find more expert tips on crafting the home you’ve always dreamed of.
Achieving a flawless gloss finish depends heavily on using the right brush for each part of your project. Harris's Ultimate Woodwork Gloss range has been specifically engineered for working with oil-based paints, featuring advanced filament technology that delivers exceptional paint control and a smooth, professional finish every time.
