Eco-friendly Baseboards

• Choose the best option and color that best suits your project. Ecomateriales offers a wide variety to its customers.
• If possible, bring the wpc skirting boards to the installation site at least 24 hours before installation to allow the material to adapt to its new environmental conditions.
• Before you begin installing the baseboard, the trim should already be installed around the door(s).
• To provide a better finish to your skirting boards, it is recommended to avoid the use of screws. There are high-quality glues on the market such as "High Tack" to stick your skirting boards to the walls of your project.
• If the walls are uneven in certain places, there could be some gaps between the wall and the baseboard. It is advisable to fill them with a sealant.
• Let the caulk dry completely, then paint it to match the color of the wall.
• You can proceed to install the skirting board once the paint has dried.

Step 1 - Measure the perimeter of the room(s). 

Measure the dimensions of each straight wall, rounding off measurements slightly.

Especially if you are a beginner, leave a wider margin and cut a little more than necessary for a perfect fit. Remember, you can always cut more, but it's not always possible to add more material. 

When measuring outside corners, be sure to add extra space to your measurements. Consider at least one extra space the width of your baseboard, maybe a little more.

Step 2 – How to calculate the number of skirting boards you will need for your baseboards?

Once you've added up the number of linear feet of skirting boards that you will need for your project, add an additional “Waste” percentage to allow for leftover ends and the inevitable mistakes (or both) that are made when measuring and cutting.

Some people buy an additional 5-10% of material depending on how experienced they are.

Step 3 - Make Sure Your Floors Are Leveled

Make sure your floors are leveled or they could protrude below the baseboard at certain points. If possible, use a 1.2m level to determine if the floor is leveled.

Step 4 – In case that the floor is not even.

In the event that the floor is uneven and cannot be leveled, one option to avoid leaving an exposed gap is to reduce the height of the skirting boards and cutting them to fit the gap.

To do this, lay out the skirting board first and using a firm open compass point the pointed end towards the floor and move the pencil across the full length of the skirting board to trace an outline.

Then use a circular saw or jigsaw to cut along the traced line on the baseboard and then shave the edge.

Place the skirting board back on the floor and make sure it fits evenly using the level again.

Step 5 – Measure and cut the outside and inside corners or union points.

Cutting the board edges in the correct angles is very important where the two pieces of skirting boards meet, either in the inside or outside corners, or on straight sections where two skirts will need to meet each other.

Keep in mind that the angles in walls will seldom be perfectly straight, so achieving a precise joint is not always an easy task. 

If you want to make very precise unions, be sure to seek professional help and be well informed before making the cuts.

Keep in mind that the cuts to make the inside and outside corners are reversed.

Also, in case it is required to use more than one baseboard to cover a very long section of wall; proceed to cut both pieces at overlapping 45° angles (so they fit together in the same pattern). This will help to ensure that any gaps in the joint will be less visible, especially in case the skirts shrink with changes in temperature

Lastly, when the baseboards end up against a door frame or something and you don't need to continue around any corners, simply make a straight cut and clamp it against the object.