What should be the height of skirting boards?
Although it might seem that skirting boards are just an accent and an addition to an interior, their correct selection can completely transform the appearance and functionality of a room. To be able to take full advantage of the potential of skirting boards, it is worth following some important rules of composition and proportion, especially when choosing profiles for different interior styles. In this practical guide, you will learn how to easily deal with all the difficult decisions about choosing the height and thickness of skirting boards. Find out the right height for skirting boards, as well as how to choose skirting boards that will perfectly complement your interior design.
What will you learn from this article?
- Why is the right height of skirting boards important?
- Skirting board – what heights do you have to choose from?
- Selection of skirting boards vs. room height
- How to choose skirting boards for the height of the room?
- What should I pay attention to when adjusting the height of skirting boards?
- How thick should the skirting boards be?
- The color of skirting boards and its influence on the choice of height of the profiles
- Do you need wooden profiles? Find out how not to “shorten” the surface ? Find out how not to “shorten” the surface
- Black skirting boards – modern and distinctive
- Skirting boards – which ones to choose? What height profiles will be appropriate? Summary
Why is the right height of skirting boards important?
The right height of skirting boards not only affects the aesthetics of the room, but also its functionality, as well as protection from mechanical damage. Whether you prefer modern, minimalist interiors or classic arrangements, properly selected skirting boards can emphasize the design and its consistency in any place, creating a harmonious whole with floor panels and walls. The choice of skirting boards is an indispensable finishing touch, protecting the lower part of the wall from accidental damage while masking expansion gaps.
Skirting board – what heights do you have to choose from?
Floor profiles, not without reason, come in many sizes – from 1.8 cm to even 20 cm. Their choice depends not only on personal visual preferences, but most importantly on the function they are to perform in the interior and the type of profiles we plan to install. The lower skirting boards are considered to be those in the range of 1,8-5 cm, ideal for minimalist interiors. Standard profiles are those in the size of 6-12 cm, most often chosen for apartments of standard height. High skirting boards are considered to be 13-20 cm in height, which are perfect for classic interiors and tall rooms. Each type of skirting boards has its own use – white skirting boards can be painted in any color, while wood or MDF profiles offer a “natural” texture. So what height profiles will be most suitable for your interior?
Selection of skirting boards vs. room height
The starting point in choosing the height of skirting boards is to measure the height of our room. The standard height of apartments in blocks of apartments varies between 250-270 cm. In the case of single-family houses, it reaches up to 290 cm. A room in a townhouse can measure between 300 and 500 cm. Interiors of different heights suggest flexible adjustment of other furnishings, including matching skirting boards. Knowing the dimensions of the rooms in our house will therefore be the first step in choosing skirting boards, and the color of skirting boards should also be taken into account already at this stage of planning.
What skirting boards to choose? When choosing skirting boards, pay attention to the material
When choosing skirting boards for the height of the room, it would also be good to consider the material – aluminum profiles will work well in modern interiors, while wooden skirting boards go perfectly with wooden floors. A universally suitable skirting board is the one you’ll find at Mardom Decor, because its durability, guaranteed by the PolyForce material resistant to mechanical damage, as well as its modern design, available in different sizes of skirting boards, makes you successfully place it in any room, no matter what style it presents.
Check out the free interior visualizer!
See how our products will look in your room. It’s just three simple steps – take a photo with your phone, upload the file to the visualiser and apply the stucco to your walls with a single click. Done!
Go to visualizer
How to choose skirting boards for the height of the room?
As a rule, it is assumed that it is most advantageous to install skirting boards, which by their height proportionally correspond to the size of the walls. In interior design, there are certain guidelines so that you can be sure not to ruin the principles of composition in the room.
By convention, the following ranges are assumed for the selection of skirting boards:
– Apartments and houses with a standard height of 250-270 cm → skirting board dimension within 6-10 cm.
– Single-family houses with a height of 270-290 cm → the dimension of the floor profiles in the limit of 8-12 cm.
– Townhouses and high loft interiors exceeding 300 cm in height → skirting boards in the 13-20 cm range.
Following these rules ensures that the selected profiles will form a coherent whole with the entire interior design, maintaining the correct proportions in relation to the floor panels and room height. Properly selected skirting boards must fit harmoniously into the style of the interior, whether white skirting boards, black skirting boards or skirting boards in the color of the floor.
Check the depth of the expansion joints at the floor
After installing the floor panels, check the expansion gaps throughout the house. If the largest one is, for example, 12 mm, choose a skirting board with a thickness of at least 13 mm.
What should I pay attention to when adjusting the height of skirting boards?
The selection of well-chosen skirting boards requires consideration of several important factors that directly affect the final aesthetic effect and functionality of the entire room. In addition to the basic principle of matching the height of the profiles to the height of the interior, it is also important to take into account: the square footage of the room, the style of the arrangement and the practical aspects of use. Proper selection of skirting boards is the art of combining functionality with aesthetics, allowing you to create a harmonious whole in the interior.
The height of the profiles is selected not only for the height of the interior, but also for the square footage
When choosing the height of skirting boards, take into account the overall floor area of the room. If the room in which you want to install skirting boards is very high, but has a small area, large skirting boards will not be a good idea, because the whole of such a composition can visually dominate and “overwhelm” the space. Then you can successfully reach for a medium variant of skirting boards from Mardom Decor, such as the MD017 profile. In taller rooms, but with a small area, profiles with an average height of about 10-12 cm will do much better, such as the MD009 profile, which is a real bestseller! It is also important to choose between different types of skirting boards – minimalist skirting boards (such as the MD011 variant) will be ideal for small spaces, while tall skirting boards will be perfect for spacious interiors. A perfectly selected skirting board should also take into account the color of the walls and the color of the floor to create a harmonious composition. When choosing skirting boards in small rooms, it is good to consider white or satin skirting boards, which will optically “enlarge” the space.
Minimalist interior style vs. maintaining proportions
Not everyone cares about proportional profiles to the height of the interior. In the case of rooms maintained in a minimalist style, the aim is to use the least expressive furnishings. In such a situation, choose skirting boards with a height not exceeding 4 centimeters, such as the MD235P model. Walls finished with a quarter round or other low profile will look very subtle. Such a skirting board will cover the expansion gaps created during the installation of the floor, but will not cover a significant area of the walls. Thus, the profiles will not be too intensely exposed, performing not only a decorative function, but also a practical function – finishing the floor and wall aesthetically.
Simplicity of forms in a minimalist interior
In minimalist interiors, low skirting boards in the color of the walls are perfect, because they practically disappear from sight, perfectly harmonizing with the entire arrangement. Minimalist profiles are also an excellent choice for modern interiors, where functionality and simplicity of form are important. When choosing profiles for minimalist arrangements, it is worth betting on profiles made of high-quality materials, ensuring durability and aesthetic appearance for years.
Protection of the wall from mechanical damage
High and wide skirting boards automatically guarantee protection of the wall surface from accidental scratches. Bumps from a vacuum cleaner or while washing the floor will not create unsightly scratches or permanent damage on the wall. Profiles from Mardom Decor, made of PolyForce, have the highest resistance to mechanical damage from everyday use. So they will be an excellent protective barrier on your wall, protecting your walls from various types of mechanical damage. Other profiles made of different materials, such as polystyrene, do not show such high resistance to damage. What is more important here is not only the height of skirting boards, but also the material from which they are made. Metal or aluminum profiles also offer excellent protection, especially in high-traffic areas. When choosing polyurethane moldings or profiles, you should also pay attention to their top layer, which is responsible for resistance to damage and cleanliness.
Skirting board height adapted to the height of the furniture plinths
The height of the skirting boards often has to be adjusted to the pedestals of the furniture development. Kitchen furniture or cabinets have pedestals set back from the fronts. To get a perfect fit between the furniture and the skirting boards, make sure that the skirting board is no higher than the height of the plinth. Otherwise you will expose yourself to a collision between the profile and the furniture, and finishing the walls with it will prove impossible. A common choice is furniture from the so-called popular chains – in their case the height of the pedestals varies between 8 cm and 12 cm. So it is worth remembering to keep the same dimension when selecting profiles. When selecting skirting boards for a particular type of furniture, it is also important to match the color – white skirting boards will be neutral and universal, while skirting boards in the color of the floor will create a coherent composition with floor panels. When reaching for customized furniture, it would be ideal to consult with an interior designer to get a perfect match of all the furnishings.
How to hide cables in skirting boards?
Skirting boards cover the wires, which we always try to mask if possible. However, not all profile models have this design. The higher the profile we choose, the greater the chances of hiding cables behind it. The dimensions of profiles are often adjusted so that they are deeper, and therefore have a larger area at the back for hiding cables. Before you proceed to aesthetically finish the interior and hide the cables, check whether a particular profile has a specially profiled space at the back to conceal the wires. Skirting boards made of different materials offer different options for wiring – skirting boards can also act as a cover for wires. In modern interiors, where wires are particularly abundant, you should consider profiles with additional space for cables, allowing you to keep the room tidy and aesthetically pleasing. In addition, some types of skirting boards have special channels for cables, which greatly simplifies installation and later possible modifications to the installation.
How thick should the skirting boards be?
Properly selected skirting boards must be not only the right height, but also the right thickness. Wooden floors, laminate panels and all other types of popular coverings require expansion joints at the junction of the floor and the bottom of the wall. Depending on the material used, the expansion gap can be as much as 15 mm. Such a gap is essential for proper installation and subsequent use of the floor, and skirting boards must effectively mask it.
The thickness of the skirting board depends on the width of the expansion gap
Before choosing a particular model and type of profiles, it is important to check whether the expansion joints in our interior are even and what size they are. During the work, installers try to cut the panels evenly – however, it may happen that in some places the gap is much larger than in others. In such a situation, focus on skirting boards that are at least a little thicker than the largest expansion gap in our interior. A profile that is too shallow will not be a good choice, as it may not cover the entire opening between the floor and the wall. Polyforce profiles, MDF or wooden profiles, are characterized by different thicknesses, which should be adjusted to specific installation conditions. When choosing skirting boards for floor panels, you also need to consider the possibility of later replacement or modification, in order to install skirting boards in a way that is durable, but still allows for possible future changes.
The color of skirting boards and its influence on the choice of height of the profiles
Skirting boards are often selected to take into account the color of the floor. White profiles from Mardom Decor made of PolyForce can be painted and matched to the color of the wall. Is there any correlation between the size and color of the profiles? Yes – and it is very important in the context of interior design. Knowing a few rules will allow you to perfectly finish the floor and create a coherent whole in the interior. The color of skirting boards should be chosen taking into account the overall color concept of the room to achieve a harmonious composition. Different interior styles prefer different color solutions – in classic interiors profiles in the color of the floor work well, while in modern interiors contrasting combinations are popular.
Skirting boards color-matched to the wall
If you are wondering how to choose floor profiles that will not optically “lower” and “shrink” the room, bet on smooth profiles having the same color as the walls. Any clear transverse “cutoffs” and profiles of a contrasting color will create the impression of two parts of the surface. And this, in turn, will create the effect of “lowering” the walls. In such a situation, it is important that the color of the wall and the color of the profiles are as uniform as possible. This is also a safe solution that will ensure that the color of skirting boards will not “clash” with the shade of wooden doors or frames. White skirting boards are a universal choice that can be matched to any wall color by painting. If you choose wall-colored profiles, it is also worth taking into account the easy adaptation to different shades found in the room. Profiles made of materials that allow painting give you the greatest freedom in choosing a color scheme to match the style of the interior.
Do you need wooden profiles? Find out how not to “shorten” the surface
For wooden floors, the choice often falls on profiles in the color of the floor. To ensure that MDF skirting boards or those made of solid wood do not optically “shorten” the interior, it is best to choose a size not exceeding 10 cm. Higher MDF profiles will overlap the wall too deeply and cover its surface, creating a clear “cut-off” and “shortening” it optically. Wooden profiles in the color of the floor create the impression of continuity of the surface, but their height must be carefully selected according to the proportions of the room. Wooden profiles blend harmoniously with wooden floors, creating a natural continuation of the material on the wall. When choosing profiles in the color of the floor, it is also advantageous to pay attention to ensure that the shade exactly matches the floor panels to achieve a uniform surface effect. In the case of wood floors with a pronounced texture, profiles should reflect a similar texture to maintain the visual consistency of the entire finish.
Black skirting boards – modern and distinctive
Loft or industrial style is an ideal opportunity to reach for black skirting boards. However, it is worth remembering that their color will strongly draw the eye to the wall and floor, and at the same time accentuate the size of the profiles. If the choice of profiles falls on a tall model, with a height of about 7 cm, which you will additionally paint black, you must expect that the effect will turn out to be very expressive, and therefore heavy, massive. However, if you have a high room, it will not cause the impression of overwhelming, but will give a modern flair to the entire interior design. Mardom Decor’s assortment includes the black MD359B profile. You can paint any other Mardom Decor profiles in any color, including black. Black skirting boards are a bold choice, which requires a thoughtful arrangement and specific proportions of the room. In modern interiors, black profiles can be a contrasting element, emphasizing other furnishing details. Dark profiles work best in spacious rooms with high walls, which do not cause an optical effect of “reducing” the space.
Skirting boards – which ones to choose? What height profiles will be appropriate? Summary
Proper selection of skirting boards is an indispensable element of finishing any interior, affecting both the aesthetics and functionality of the room. Keeping in mind the basic rules of proportions – matching the height of the skirting board to the height of the interior, taking into account the square footage of the room and the style of the arrangement – we can be sure that our skirting boards will perfectly match the entire decor. Whether we choose white skirting boards, wooden skirting boards in the color of the floor, or bold black skirting boards for modern interiors, the most important thing is to maintain harmony between all elements of the furnishings. Properly selected profiles not only mask expansion gaps and protect walls from mechanical damage, but also constitute an important decorative element that can completely change the character of the room and create a coherent whole with the floor panels and other elements of the arrangement.
Need a dose of inspiration?
Visit our Instagram and explore the endless possibilities of using stucco.
Read also
