The stairs in your abode serve ii principal functions. It'southward the path that leads to the upper floors, and it has an aesthetic appeal. The stair skirt lath gives the staircase a finished look and sometimes appears to be a continuity of the baseboard.

The stair brim lath is a long, unbroken slice of trim, 9 ½ inches broad and ⅝ inches thick. Information technology's fitted along the closed end of the stairs and is fabricated from a range of materials. Hardwood is normally used to match the stair treads. MDF and softwood are used if the skirting board is to be painted.

The stair brim board removes the need to prepare individual trims around each pace. Information technology saves time, and you tin can easily make your skirt board as bonny as yous desire. In this article, I'll discuss everything to do with skirt boards.

What Is a Stair Skirt?

The stair skirt, too known as skirting lath or stair stringer, is installed on the stairs, ordinarily on the side aligned to a wall. Some stairs accept a unmarried stair skirt, while others accept ii stair skirts, depending on their location.

A stair skirt is a single slice with features similar to baseboards. Still, different the baseboard, it's fitted diagonally, not horizontally. Information technology lies forth the wall, from the top stair to the bottom. Information technology seals the gaps between the stairs and the wall and gives the stairs a finished wait.

Stairs that aren't fitted close to the wall don't need a skirting board. However, those close to the wall demand the stair brim for a finished wait. Otherwise, the gaps between the stairs and wall will be unsightly, and the surface area volition shortly commencement collecting dirt and dust.

What Is the Purpose of a Stair Brim?

At a glance, it looks like it's a office of the stairs since most stairs have it equally a finish. However, the stair skirt has multiple functions.

The purpose of a stair skirt is to add support and strength, hibernate the gaps between the wall and the staircase, and protect against dents or scuff marks. The stair skirt also absorbs vibrations, and over time, helps the stairs to maintain their shape.

There are several reasons for adding a stair skirt to your stairs. They're decorative, and they make cleaning easier. They also continue dust from gathering in the gaps between the stairs and the wall. You don't need to worry that your furniture will ruin your wall, especially if you move the piece of furniture around tight corners.

Do Yous Actually Demand Skirting Boards on Stairs?

The conclusion to accept or not to have skirting boards on the stairs is a personal i. Information technology's natural to assume they're an integral function of the design, and they are. However, they aren't a must-have. You can choose not to accept them on the stairs.

You lot don't need skirting boards on stairs if you don't accept baseboards. Y'all also don't need them if your stairs aren't connected to the wall. However, the skirting board on your stairs gives your dwelling house a finished look since they connect with the baseboard at the lesser.

Before adding skirting to the stairs, yous need to determine if you demand them. Skirting is hard to add to an existing staircase, especially one that cannot be removed easily. Seek the help of a professional carpenter skilled in skirt board cutting and fitting.

Stair Skirt Board Size

The size of the skirting board varies. However, the standard size is a minimum of ix.5 inches broad and ⅝ inches thick. You lot can choose to brand the skirting wider or thicker if you lot wish. However, yous need to meet the minimum size requirement.

The skirt should be at to the lowest degree ½-1 inch in a higher place the stair nosing. The length of the brim lath volition depend on the length of the stairs.

Things to Consider When Choosing the Stair Skirting

If you're unsure of the best skirting size, you lot can consider the following when choosing the correct stair skirting.

  • The size of the room. The stair skirting should be suitable for the room, both in scale and proportion. If y'all have loftier ceilings, you tin have the skirting sit college than the stair nosing. However, if you lot have a low ceiling, avoid tall skirtings. Using alpine skirting in a room with depression ceilings volition give the illusion that your room is shorter.
  • The design. Before deciding on the size of the skirting, you need to know the blueprint. Will it exist patently, or do you intend to make it decorative? If you want to add some decor, you should make the skirting taller or thicker.
  • The age of the house and the architectural manner. Adding modernistic skirting designs and dimensions to an old house will brand it look out of identify. Besides, an onetime skirting design will look out of place in a modernistic firm.
  • The material. Wood tends to offering greater flexibility when it comes to size. You tin make the wood skirting equally thick or tall every bit you would like. MDF tends to exist a standard size, usually ⅝ inches wide.
  • Interior decor. If you lot want to draw attention to the interior decor, yous should opt for a smaller skirting board. However, if the skirting lath is an important piece of the interior decor, you should opt for a larger skirting board.
  • Colour scheme. Skirting boards unremarkably contrast with the color of the wall for a powerful aesthetic appeal. The larger lath volition have a greater impact, especially if the wall has a strong color. A small skirting has less of an impact.
  • Obstacles. When deciding the skirting height, you volition demand to consider the presence of obstacles, such as sockets and radiator pipes. If you're fixing the skirting on a newly plastered wall, you take greater freedom to cull a skirting of greater height.

Where to Buy Stair Brim Board?

Yous can purchase stair skirt boards in abode comeback stores. Some popular stores that sell stair skirt boards include StairSuppliers, Menards, and Stair Warehouse. These stores provide high-quality stair skirts made from various materials and in different sizes.

Screenshot: stairwarehouse.com

Stair Warehouse

Stair Warehouse sells dissimilar stair parts, including the stair skirt lath. Information technology offers skirtings made from dissimilar woods types, including the following:

  • Red oak
  • Poplar
  • Soft maple
  • Hard maple
  • Beech
  • Birch
  • Walnut
  • Brazilian cherry
  • American cherry
  • Mahogany
  • Hickory

The type of wood, the thickness, and the skirting size will influence the toll.

This warehouse sells stair brim boards in 2 chief sizes:

  • 0.75 (w) x 10.5 inches (h)
  • 0.75 (w) ten eleven.5 inches (h)

When placing the guild, you'll need to specify the preferred length of the brim board. All the same, some woods may non be available in the length you desire.

If the skirting is longer than v feet, you lot may be asked to pay extra.

Menards

Menards is the other dwelling house improvement store that sells skirt boards. They're made from two main types of wood species, primed white pino, and unfinished oak.

The maximum length of the skirtings is 8 feet and 9 ¼ inches in elevation. The maximum thickness is 7/16 inches.

Stair Supplies

Stair Supplies sells stair brim boards made from soft and hardwood and are available in a range of grain patterns and colors.

Some wood options include African mahogany, soft maple, hard maple, walnut, and red oak.

1 of the advantages of buying a stair skirt board in this store is you go more than xxx finishes from which to choose. You too get the choice of getting a skirting board in its natural form, minus the finish. The finishes include:

  • Arena
  • Olive
  • Zarco
  • White
  • Clear
  • Chestnut
  • Arcon
  • Lama

When placing your order, y'all go to choose a length of three-fourteen anxiety. The standard thickness for all the stair skirtings is 0.75 inches.

How Exercise You Make a Staircase Skirt?

If you don't want to buy a staircase brim, you can make your ain.

To brand a staircase brim, you lot'll need buy a piece of wood and adjust it to fit the wall against your staircase. Place the wood against the wall, and draw marks that indicate where the stair skirt will go. You'll then cutting around those marks, secure the wood in identify, and give information technology a expert sanding.

Even if you lot're new to making a stair skirt board, these detailed instructions will help you lot brand the perfect skirting for your stairs.

  1. Become the piece of wood for the skit board. Choose a length that is at least 12 inches longer than the length of your stair. Y'all can also get two pieces of wood connected finish-to-end.
  2. Temporarily fit the skirt board ellipsoidal the wall. Place the board forth the wall. Ensure the lesser of the board touches the nose of each stair. Temporarily hammer the board on each terminate.
  3. Utilize a ¼ ten ¾ x 18-inch stick to draw vertical and horizontal lines along the skirting board. This will give you an outline of where the skirting board will be placed.
  4. Cutting along the horizontal and vertical lines until the point where they intersect. Exist conscientious not to become over those lines.
  5. Place the skirting back along the wall to see if the gaps fit into the stairs. If not, use a pencil to mark the faulty spots so that yous tin cut them a trivial deeper until the brim board fits. Don't worry if the fit isn't perfect. You can sand information technology to achieve perfection.
  6. Sand the skirt board with a 100-grit belt sander. Occasionally fit the skirting on the wall to see if it fits into the gaps. Proceed sanding until you lot become a tight fit. Avoid overdoing information technology considering you don't desire the skirting to have gaps on either side.

This is how you lot can make the staircase skirt. Information technology may appear complicated, only yous'll become the hang of it one time you starting time making it.

If you desire excellent tips on how to make skirt boards, watch this video for a step-by-step guide on how to brand a skirt lath from scratch:

What Textile to Use for a Stair Skirt Board

Stair brim boards are made of different materials. The material volition depend on your intentions, preference, and the type of baseboard. If your baseboard is fabricated of MDF, so it may be all-time to have a stair skirt lath made of MDF. If you have wood trims, then wooden skirting is virtually suitable.

You should utilize medium density fiberboard, hardwood, jointed pino, or PVC for a stair skirt board. Fiberboard is used because of its affordability, while hardwood is chosen for its durability. At the same time, jointed pine doesn't crave equally much sanding, and PVC is easier to clean.

Here'south a breakdown of the all-time materials to utilize for stair skirt boards:

Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)

MDF is one of the cheapest materials to apply for stair skirt boards. It'south piece of cake to use, soft, and is pre-primed. If you're new to carpentry and would similar a material that doesn't crave much piece of work, the MDF is the platonic choice. Information technology's as well mucus and mold resistant.

If you lot're considering MDF, you also demand to wait at the interior decor. MDF doesn't stand out as a decor piece. Instead, information technology works best equally a minimalist and simplistic decor.

Unfortunately, MDF isn't easy to repair because information technology cannot be sanded like forest. Information technology'due south also susceptible to water damage. If the stairs aren't used heavily, then the MDF tin can work keen. Yet, if the stairs are exposed to heavy lifting and traffic, you lot need a fabric that will offer amend back up than the MDF.

Hardwood

Hardwood is a common material used for skirt boards. Its grains add to its appeal equally an artistic piece that improves interior decor. Wooden skirt boards are easy to install, and you lot get to choose from a range of colors and finishes.

With the right intendance, wooden skirt boards can terminal a very long time. It rarely cracks, neither does information technology give way when used in areas with heavy traffic and weight exposure. And then, even though forest is expensive, you may never need to spend money on repairs or maintenance. So, information technology's worth the cost.

Yous can also notice the perfect match for your baseboard, especially if you lot're adding the skirting equally an afterthought or when redecorating your home. You tin can stain the woods to whatever color, and so if you don't use cherry hardwood but would like the forest to accept the same color as the baseboard, you lot can stain the woods to match it.

Jointed Pine

Jointed pino has the same advantages as hardwood. However, it's cheaper, and since it'south pre-primed, you lot need non worry nigh sanding the knots. Jointed pine is also not every bit solid as hardwood, so y'all can easily smash it into place during the installation process.

PVC

PVC, as well known as vinyl trim, has been an choice in home finishes in contempo years. It has been used for baseboards and stair skirt boards. It has several advantages. It doesn't scratch easily, and information technology'south easy to clean. Unfortunately, information technology's besides breakable. Since you'll employ screws to concur the skirting in place, the PVC may crack in multiple places during the drilling procedure.

Stair Brim Board Installation

Before installing the stair skirt board, you demand to ensure there's sufficient space between the stairs and the wall. The space should be at to the lowest degree ⅝ inch wide. If the space is narrower, it'll exist difficult to fix the skirting in this gap.

If yous're installing the skirting board before the flooring, you need to know the blazon to be used. If yous opt to utilise carpet flooring, you need to ready the skirting ⅜-½ inch virtually the floor. This way, the carpeting will exist fitted underneath the skirting.

The stair brim boards are installed the same way, whether the skirting is store-bought or y'all made one yourself. When installing, you can either use a caulking gun to use mucilage or fix it with screws.

Utilise a Caulking Gun to Utilize Glue on the Skirting Board

Y'all can either do this in dots or waves. Leave a space of about 10cm between the glue waves or dots. Y'all can now stick the skirting lath to the wall. Since you had checked to confirm the space between the wall and stair is sufficient, this shouldn't be a problem.

The Bates Caulking Gun, available on Amazon, is a sealant gun you can use to employ adhesive on the stair board. It makes awarding accurate, less messy, and has a smooth pressure rod.

Alternatively, you tin can apply screws to fit in the skirting board.

Drill Holes Along the Skirting Board With a 3mm Drill Fleck

Ensure the gaps between the drill holes are at least 30cm (11.81in). Use a countersink bit so that you can encompass the screw heads with a filler and coat of paint. Place the skirting on the wall and mark the screw positions with a pencil. Drill holes in the wall using a 6mm drill bit. The larger hole volition allow you to use plugs. Screw the skirting board in identify.

These Uxcell Spiral 3mm (0.14in) Drill Bits are excellent for drilling holes in the brim board. It's straight and is 60mm (2.36in) long. It's bachelor in a range of materials, including high-speed steel, cobalt, stainless steel, and alloy steel.

If you lot opted to set the skirting with screws, ensure y'all use a filler or liquid woods to embrace the holes. If there'due south all the same a gap betwixt the skirting and the wall, you lot can fill up it using an acrylic kit. Fortunately, you can polish information technology out using a wet finger. Once the acrylic kit dries, use a new coat of paint to hide it.

This video offers peachy insights on how to install brim boards, specially if you've opted to do information technology yourself:

Stair Skirt Board Alternatives

Although skirt boards have multiple functions and are an important characteristic in your habitation, there are alternatives that you can use. Having alternatives is necessary if yous're attempting a DIY project and the skirting looks too circuitous for your skill level.

These are some of the alternatives to stair skirt boards:

Shadow Gap Skirting

Shadow gap, also known as shadow line skirting, is a 10mm (0.39in) linear, horizontal gap usually installed along the walls. This alternative to skirt boards is ideal for minimalistic designs.

Unfortunately, since it but has a height of 10mm (0.39in), any mistakes are easily noticed. Additionally, the delicate nature of making a flawless complimentary shadow gap comes at a cost.

Wooden Beading Skirting

Wooden beading skirting is an first-class alternative for homes with low ceilings and along stairs in small spaces. Beading was traditionally washed to hide faults, such equally gaps and rough edges. For example, it hid gaps when new flooring was fixed without removing the skirting board.

The materials for wooden beads are similar to those of skirt boards, such as MDF and hardwood. Sometimes wooden beads are added along skirting boards for a decorative cease and to provide additional protection if the skirting isn't tall enough.

No Skirt Board

The other culling is to avert the skirt lath altogether. Skirting boards have been used for and then long that it's natural to imagine y'all cannot do without them. Nevertheless, you tin can cull to have a "naked" staircase if you lot wish, though this comes with a cost.

For example, y'all'll need to make clean the gap between the wall and stairs because it usually collects grit. You lot too run a risk seeing scratches, water impairment, scuff forth the wall considering this surface area is prone to knocks, particularly when article of furniture is being moved around.

Skirt boards too absorb natural firm vibrations, which can cause cracks in different places in the home, such equally walls and stairs.

Since the stairs won't have the support of a skirting attached to the wall, it's most probable going to weaken over time, then you'll take to incur preventable maintenance costs.

Conclusion

Although stair skirts are of import decor finishes, their value is strongly linked to their other functions. They may appear problematic, specially if y'all have to paint them every couple of years. However, their purpose outweighs the cost. Fortunately, you can choose the material that requires little or no maintenance, and you never have to remember about the skirting board in one case it's installed.

Meet likewise: Best Non-Sideslip Stair Treads on the Marketplace