Hello forum,
a question: We are having the entire ground floor fully tiled. However, instead of the skirting boards specified in the building description (matching the color of the installed tiles), we have chosen wooden skirting boards with a “Hamburger profile” measuring 90x20mm (3.5x0.8 inches).
The general contractor advises against using these profiles for the stairs as well. He argues that due to unavoidable variations in the angles from step to step, installation would be too difficult and the final result would not be satisfactory. He says that two miters per step need to be cut, and even the smallest angle deviations cause one miter to no longer fit with the next. With tile skirting boards, at least silicone and joint filler can compensate for these irregularities.
How valid is this argument, and does anyone have experience with this?
a question: We are having the entire ground floor fully tiled. However, instead of the skirting boards specified in the building description (matching the color of the installed tiles), we have chosen wooden skirting boards with a “Hamburger profile” measuring 90x20mm (3.5x0.8 inches).
The general contractor advises against using these profiles for the stairs as well. He argues that due to unavoidable variations in the angles from step to step, installation would be too difficult and the final result would not be satisfactory. He says that two miters per step need to be cut, and even the smallest angle deviations cause one miter to no longer fit with the next. With tile skirting boards, at least silicone and joint filler can compensate for these irregularities.
How valid is this argument, and does anyone have experience with this?
In the house I bought, there were also wooden baseboards in the tiled areas. They looked quite worn (the house was built in 1980) because the floors are mopped, and moisture over time doesn’t do well to the baseboards—unless they are perhaps lacquered, which might make a difference. Fortunately, my stairs are covered with natural stone, and the baseboards there are matched accordingly.
Even with the wooden baseboards in the other areas, I wasn’t very happy with the way the angled cuts at the corners were done, because corners rarely form a perfect 90-degree angle and are therefore difficult to miter accurately. So, I would generally advise against using wood for the stairs and similar areas, even if it might look better aesthetically. I am even planning to replace some of the tiles with hardwood flooring despite having underfloor heating, as it simply looks more comfortable in the living and dining areas—even though there are tiles with wood-effect finishes available today. I will also have to reconsider the baseboards there, but since I will do it myself, hopefully I can achieve a better result than before. In the areas where tiles will remain (hallway, bathrooms, kitchen), I will not use wooden baseboards.
Even with the wooden baseboards in the other areas, I wasn’t very happy with the way the angled cuts at the corners were done, because corners rarely form a perfect 90-degree angle and are therefore difficult to miter accurately. So, I would generally advise against using wood for the stairs and similar areas, even if it might look better aesthetically. I am even planning to replace some of the tiles with hardwood flooring despite having underfloor heating, as it simply looks more comfortable in the living and dining areas—even though there are tiles with wood-effect finishes available today. I will also have to reconsider the baseboards there, but since I will do it myself, hopefully I can achieve a better result than before. In the areas where tiles will remain (hallway, bathrooms, kitchen), I will not use wooden baseboards.
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