Skirting is when we add material (the “Board”) at the bottom of the wall touching the floor and letting it run along, leaving the part embossed in appearance. We are sure that you’re familiar with skirting, but do you know why it is necessary?
Skirting is necessary because it provides a seamless transition between the wall and the floor. It covers the uneven edges of the wall, hides electrical wiring and data cables, helps avoid furniture scratches, and gives an aesthetic interior.
As a professional factory of stone products, we also export marble skirting to countries worldwide.
In this article, we will dig deeper into the importance of skirting, how tall your skirting should be, and how marble skirting can upgrade the quality of your home for the better.
Importance of Skirting
If it is your first time constructing a house, one of your priorities must be to keep it in good condition. The latter can pertain to both the quality of being sturdy and the appearance.
Skirting—also called skirting boards or baseboards—plays a huge role in this task and we will explain exactly how.
Skirting Protects Walls From Dirt
The bottom part of our walls gets dirtied the most. This is because when we clean using a mop or broom, we don’t notice that these tools touch the wall, which transfers dirt.
It is also a common scenario where our shoes bump on the lower part of the wall, causing a stain.
A skirting board, particularly marble skirting, will prevent all of these from occurring. When dirt touches the marble, all you have to do is wipe it with a soft cloth and the dirt will be removed.
If the stain persists, you can try using a mild liquid dishwashing soap combined with water to gently remove the stain. But the sure solution against this is a stone cleaner; this will remove the stain in no time.
Skirting Protects Walls From Furniture Damage and Scratches
Some people don’t realize, but the legs of your sofa bed or dining chair scratch the wall when they come into contact with each other. While you can add furniture stoppers as a remedy, a wall without skirting is still at risk.
Adding marble skirting will prevent furniture damage. Marble is not susceptible to chips and scratches as long as it is sealed and maintained.
Another advantage of this is that, when you have marble skirting, the top rail and back of a chair will not collide with the wall. Because sometimes, we accidentally sit with such force that the furniture bumps into it.
You also won’t have to worry about hitting the walls when you move your cabinets around to change the interior of your house!
Skirting Keeps Pests Away
Have you ever experienced a cockroach suddenly appearing out of nowhere inside your home?
“But I closed the doors and windows!” Well, there is a huge chance that it got in through the gap in your walls.
If you have properly installed marble skirting that covers the gap between the wall and the floor, pests won’t be able to sneak in toward your house.
You also have to ensure that the skirting itself is free of damage such as holes or cracks prior to the installation.
Skirting Helps Protect Walls From Water Damage
Whether you live in a flood-prone area or not, climate change has been causing floods in places that did not normally experience them in the past.
Investing in marble skirting will help protect your walls from touching water which can cause molds that later on, will damage your home.
While we don’t want our houses to be flooded, it is better to be prepared. Sealing your marble skirting will make it resistant enough to water, and you can remove the stains that will accumulate later on with a good stone cleaner and a gentle cloth.
Skirting Helps Hide Electrical Wirings and Data Cables
Marble skirting can make your walls look clean and not crowded with wiring that doesn’t look pleasing to the eyes, especially when disarranged and tangled.
However, before placing electrical wirings and data cables behind a marble skirting, you must consult a licensed electrician first. You must get the approval of the latter because there are regulations that we have to follow to ensure our safety.
The efficient way that we recommend is to consult a licensed electrician before building your marble skirting, especially if your primary purpose is to hide wires and cables.
In this way, you will know the best manner to do it or you can relay the information to the installer of the skirting board.
Skirting Transforms the Appearance of Walls
The transition between the wall and the floor will not always be smooth. There will be uneven edges and colors that are not exactly the kind of view that you want to see, especially if you’re big on interior design.
Guess what? Skirting is the answer to this problem. Aside from its practical purpose of protecting walls from damage, it can transform your home’s ambiance beautifully.
Marble skirtings, in particular, are aesthetically pleasing because you will have a lot of choices for the design and patterns. For one, they are naturally glossy.
These are just some of the colors of marble to give you an idea of what your skirting board will look like. When you go to a marble manufacturer, you can ask them about these names.
| Name | Color and Pattern |
| Carrara White | white or light-gray background with gray veins |
| Nero Marquina | black background with white veins |
| Crema Marfil | creamy-beige background with yellow, white, or goldish veins |
| Statuary Marble | white background with thick and heavy gray veins |
| Emperador Brown | dark-brown background with light-brown veins |
| Rojo Levantina | red background with white and light-gray veins |
| Volakas | white background with light gray and brown veins |
The creation of marble is a complex natural process, which is why there are different color and pattern variations.
Use this stone for your skirting board combined with the skirting style of your choice, and your house will turn into your dream home.
How Tall Should the Skirting Be?
The standard height of a skirting board is about 6 inches or 145 millimeters (mm). But you must also consider the interior of the house to ensure that everything will be proportioned.
Typically, a higher ceiling will be compatible with tall skirting. If you have a low ceiling, a tall skirting will make the room appear smaller.
As a start, keep in mind the rule to install a skirting that is 1/18 the height of your room. If there will be adjustments or customizations, it is best to plan it thoroughly or ask a professional interior designer or architect.
What Can Damage Skirtings?
While this will depend on the material of your skirting board, the common cause of damage is the lack of proper maintenance.
Marble is a naturally beautiful and durable material, but we also have to do our fair share of effort to seal, clean, and repair the marble skirting when necessary (although we can guarantee that repairs are rarely necessary with marble).
Conclusion
Skirting, also known as skirting board or baseboard, is the material that covers the gap between the bottom part of the wall and the floor.
Skirting is crucial in protecting walls from scratches and cracks due to furniture bumps, avoiding mold on walls, keeping away pests, and improving the interior of the room.
In this case, marble skirting is the best material to ensure quality in terms of durability and resistance to damage. It also offers a variety of choices for colors and designs that can fit any interior.
If you are going to get more details about marble skirting, please check here to continue reading.
