Quad, Splay or Skirting?

Just when you think you have made all the decisions with the floor up pops another one. What choice of trims will you make? Not just carpet trims or transition trims from timber to tiles etc. There are many more lineal metes of trims to be fitted as the finishing touch for the floor. This choice can be a simple one as the following explains.

Floors need finishing trims around the edges. Because timber expands and contracts there is always a need to use expansion gaps around floors. These are usually 12mm or greater. As a result the gap needs to be covered and whatever is used will be seen. Just as the floor choice is based on appearance, so too the trim needs to be considered from the point of the visual effect. Will it look ok?

Most trims are quite small and discreet and therefore there is very little to be concerned about. Unless the color is a very bad contrast there wont be a problem at all. Contrasts are good where the trim is darker than the floor: this ‘picture frames’ the floor and looks good. Darker outlines always look good where there are some earthy tones present. For example a Jarrah trim around Blackbutt is fine. Jarrah is darker but has warm brown tones and these enhance the warm Blackbutt coloring. In reverse the colors don’t work so well and the lighter trim can effectively make the overall effect of the floor look far less impressive.

Keep it simple works here too. People often regret complicated skirting as the ledges become endless dust traps. Sure they look great to begin with but who wants to do that much dusting? Simple skirting in a half splay or bull nose finish looks good and is easy to look after as well. Unless there are higher ceilings the 50-90mm range of skirting works well. With older styled colonial homes the higher rooms can take a bigger skirting but most people like to keep it simple.

The biggest sellers

The most used trims are tiny splay beads and 19mm quad. These look good and are discreet. The most used skirting board is half splay MDF because it is a little flexible and follows the walls better than a stiffer product. {Remember that walls are not flat or straight.} The most popular painted color is a slightly warmer white color, which is usually plain white with a splash of ochre and black to take the edge off the color, which would look stark otherwise.