So I was speaking to a Swiss friend and the subject got onto skirting boards as I mentioned I was going to paint some at the weekend. An innocuous conversation got into a surprisingly animated debate about whether they should be white (to match walls) or wood coloured (to match the floor)
Leaving aside this whole other argument, I said I was going to paint the already white boards with white paint. At which point he was incredulous as it was already white and so a complete waste of time. He claimed they were meant to be used as-is and don't need painting. I argued that the white was just a surface ready for painting. (Plus if it ever got damaged, I could easily touch up with the same paint in the future).
So, I wanted to turn to EF wisdom to resolve this: are they skirting boards with a matt white finish supposed to be used as-is or are they supposed to be painted?
I would say they are ready for use. But feel free to paint them in the same or an other white like egg shell, off white, glossy white, innenweiss, or any of the RAL white
Supposed to? Why are you looking for a rule?
As it happens I've always used the matching edge strips that are available for pretty much all laminate type floors, the existence thereof hinting that matching floor and skirting is considered normal. I've just bought some more for a new bedroom being constructed in one apartment, which will have white crepi walls, and there too I've gone for something that resembles the overall colour of the existing wood flooring.
If you want to go with white, then go with white. But yes, I think your neighbour is right - white ones are not specifically intended to be painted, hence the existence of all the other pre-coloured ones. There's no reason not to though, as far as I can tell, except the extra work involved.
I fitted some ready-painted Hornbach ones the other day. They definitely didn't need more painting. I stuck them on with no-nails type adhesive so there were no screw holes to fill and paint over.
They look great and the pain finish definitely wasn't undercoat.
They were a great time saver. Last year I made some library shelves with frames out of unpainted wood and I reckon that I gave them about five coats of paint in total. With the sanding between coats, it took ages and there were a lot of them.
White walls with white skirting will make the room seem taller which is a benefit if you've got 2.2m high walls.
I had to laugh at the weekend - I drilled some 92mm holes in a bathroom ceiling to fit some spots and I cam across that shredded-wheat ceiling stuff you had in your kitchen on another of your threads. However, in my case it was covered in chicken wire so I needed to drill through that too.
I guess technically he is right, as everything around houses in Switzerland is designed to reduce construction costs, and its cheaper to spray paint stuff in the factory than having a painter come into your house and do it there. Same with doors, window frames etc.
But I would agree with you and paint them anyway. Just because the factory finish looks so boring. And I guess it's nigh on impossible to get all the joints and bevels so perfectly aligned that the wood underneath won't show through.
I disagree, and I'm talking from experience.
Although I admit, it's difficult to see in this image.
In your own house you do as you please. As long as it is not part of the common building infrastructure. You paint your skirting boards and mouldings the way you like it. The only risk is that someone will find it less appealing than it was intended to be. In case, it's girlfriend or fiance that disagrees with it, then you will surely know it beforehand.
There is really no rule behind it as suggested by this article:
https://www.skirting4u.co.uk/blog/th...e-your-home-n5
Conventional wisdom suggests that skirting boards, architraves and other interior mouldings should always be painted white- with the only real consideration being whether to opt for a gloss or satin finish.
This is something of a myth. The good news is there is a huge array of options available for you to explore when planning the design for your interior. In this post we take a look at 3 distinct decorating styles that all feature painted interior mouldings to elevate the décor of your interior.
No, bog standard white. It's the camera.
I think they should be red and match the third cushion from the left on the sofa.
Meaning you should do it to your liking.
Mine are natural wood like the floor. And thinking back they all were in my flats. I therefore suspect that is Swiss standard. But if I got it right you moved to your own house - ergo your standard. Seems you have develop one first though.
Still, I don't think white skirting boards are the best idea. They turn yellow from years of dust - and where is the most dust?
i agree that matching the floor is the standard in switzerland. but i just don't like that look.
As for how they are supposed to be used: I'm sure it's the former.
What you are going to do for fun, there's no right or wrong. If you like you could even sandblast the old white before applying the new white
Personally I would never paint white boards with more white paint, because I'm sure the surface quality after my intervention will be worse not to mention the extra time and cost.
Paint in other colors, why not? White is a good substrate.
Why not a maroon?
I remember puce as a pale mustard green colour, according to the interwebs I'm not the only one. However the general consensus is that it's a reddy brown colour.
That pretty convincingly answers your question, eih?
well no. that's a different question from the one i was asking
Well, I wanted him to be right as it would be a huge time-saver as you say (at least until any damage requiring re-painting).
However, is yours actually painted? The ones I have seen have what appears to be a white paper-like layer on top of the MDF(?) base rather than actual paint.
128, 0, 0 supposedly. 5 is nearly black!
Most of the floor-matching ones are like that too. Sounds fragile, but IME they don't tend to get scraped or scratched over time. If I had white ones I wouldn't think it worthwhile painting them - indeed there may be more risk of marking a matt painted surface than the original.