Once upon a time, the idea of anything other than a plain white skirting board would have been unthinkable. Now, however, times are changing. More and more people across the country are enjoying the possibilities offered by painting their skirting boards in ever more exciting colours. This can create a statement look to a room, and completely change the feeling of your home into a modern, uniquely designed interior. If you want to paint your own skirting boards, the process is relatively simple. All you need to do is follow these steps, and try not to get too messy.

Pick a Paint and Colour

The first thing you’ll need to do is pick your type of paint and paint colour. Do you want your skirting boards to be a bright, statement shade, or a darker lining for your room? You might even want to stick with a traditional white, just give it a clean new refresh. Either way, picking your shade can be an exciting task, and you’ll want to make sure you get it right! The type of paint you choose is also important. Many skirting boards are made of MDF, so make sure to pick a paint that will work with this material – usually, water-based paints such as acrylic are a good option.

Prepare Your Equipment

When you are painting a skirting board, you’ll need to be prepared. Make sure you have a good quality brush, and that any flooring nearby is securely covered with a paint proof dust cloth. The last thing you want is to get paint all over your carpets or beautiful wooden floors! It’s also a good idea to invest in a good pair of overalls so you don’t have to worry about ruining your jeans.

Prep and Clean the Surface

It might be tempting to attack your skirting boards with the paintbrush immediately, but there’s prep work to be done first. This will ensure you end up with a smooth and even finish. First, clean off any original paintwork that is still on the skirting boards, using soap and water. You’ll need to get rid of any last flakes by sanding them down, also ensuring you’re left with a smooth surface to work with. Finally, before applying paint itself you will want to use a layer of primer to coat the MDF skirting board so that your paint can be applied evenly from the first layer.

Use Tape

The best way to achieve a professional finish to your skirting boards is by laying tape along the edges before you paint. Doing this will ensure that no paint can escape your nice clean lines and smudge up the wall, or drip down onto your floor. When your paint dries and you lift up the tape, you’ll be left with lovely clean lines! Make sure you use a gentle tape that won’t rip up any paint already on your walls, however.

Several Coats

Now it’s time to paint! Two or three coats should do the trick, and make sure to let each coat completely dry before proceeding with the next, to prevent streaking, and giving you a clean, beautiful finish to your newly painted skirting boards.

The Final Finish

Thanks to our over one-hundred years of experience, we have the ability to manufacture a wide range of cost-effective, high-quality MDF skirting boards. Interested in finding out more? Get in touch and speak to a member of our team today on 0333 366 0249 or send us an email on info@skirting.co.uk.