skirting board
A panel, normally made of wood, between the floor and the interior wall of a structure, or placed in a position that is subject to repeated knocks.
skirting board: the wall's bumper against feet and furniture
A skirting board is a horizontal timber panel that runs along the junction between the floor and the interior wall of a room. Its primary function is protective: it absorbs impact from feet, furniture legs, vacuum cleaners, and brooms that would otherwise damage the plaster or drywall finish. In traditional construction, it also conceals the gap between flooring and wall, which shifts slightly with moisture and temperature changes.
Skirting boards are typically made from softwood such as pine or fir, machined into standard profiles. Common heights range from 100mm to 150mm, though Victorian-era properties often feature boards 200mm or taller. The face may be simple and square-edged, or profiled with moulded details. Hardwood varieties such as oak or walnut appear in higher-specification work. MDF (medium-density fibreboard) and composite materials are increasingly used in modern construction because they resist warping and accept paint finishes more uniformly than solid wood.
Installation involves fixing the board to wooden wall plates or plugged masonry using nails or screws. In solid-wall construction, the board is often scribed to follow minor irregularities in the floor or wall surface. Corner joints must be mitred (cut at 45 degrees) or coped (one board cut to follow the profile of the other) to achieve tight, attractive seams. The board is installed after flooring is laid but before or alongside final decorating, allowing flexibility if the floor height changes during remedial work.
Damage and failure modes
Skirting boards are prone to rot where they contact damp walls or stand on wet concrete, particularly in basements or after flooding. Impact damage creates splits and dents; the base of the board can also be kicked loose if fixings fail or wood shrinks. Paint failure occurs when moisture from the wall causes cupping or blistering. In areas of high moisture, boards must be treated with preservative or made from naturally durable material.
The term 'skirting' derives from the word 'skirt', meaning a border or edge; the board skirts, or runs around, the perimeter of the room. In North America, the equivalent term is baseboard or base moulding. On curved or angled walls, the board becomes difficult to fit and is sometimes omitted in favour of vinyl or rubber bumpers, which perform the protective function without the joinery demands.