GB2269550A

GB2269550A - Skirting boards

Info

Publication number: GB2269550A
Application number: GB9216937A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Geoffrey Roberts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-08-10
Filing date: 1992-08-10
Publication date: 1994-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 2012-08-10
Also published as: GB2269550B; GB9216937D0

Abstract

A method of decorating skirting boards 1 wherein a strip (2) of flexible coloured - generally white - material is adhered (3, 4) to the skirting board, the strip having a predetermined cross-section at least approximately matching that of the skirting board to be decorated. <IMAGE>

Description

DECORATING METHOD The present invention relates to a method and device for facilitating decorating, in particular for facilitating the decorating of skirting boards.

Skirting boards are strips of wood of a particular cross-section fitted along the wall of a room at the junction between the wall and the floor. In new houses or other buildings, decorating the skirting boards is a very time consuming operation since the wood needs to be sanded, filled where necessary, coated with a primer, then at least one undercoat applied, and finished off with at least one coating of gloss paint. As the skirting boards tend to be provided along the bottoms of all walls within a house, there is necessarily a large amount of skirting to decorate.

In existing houses, redecoration of skirting boards is required relatively frequently because, being at ground level, the skirtings tend to suffer from a lot of knocks, scuffing and other types of damage. To redecorate a skirting board, it should be sanded down, filled where necessary and at least one coat of gloss paint applied.

This is again a time consuming operation and is complicated by the fact that most rooms in a house will be carpeted; to do the decorating properly, the carpet and underlay should be lifted and removed to avoid the possibility of paint being accidentally applied to the carpet.

The present invention aims to provide an improved way of achieving decorated skirting boards.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of decorating skirting boards wherein a strip of flexible coloured - generally white - material is adhered to the skirting board, the strip having a predetermined cross-section at least approximately matching that of the skirting board to be decorated.

The invention also provides a strip of flexible coloured - generally white - material for decorating a skirting board, the strip having a predetermined crosssection matching that of a given skirting board and the strip being provided on the surface which is to contact the skirting board with an adhesive means.

The invention further provides a kit of parts for decorating a skirting board comprising a strip of flexible coloured - generally white - material having a predetermined cross-section matching that of a given skirting board, the kit further providing adhesive means.

Skirting boards come in a number of different designs, the most common being chamfered and rounded. There is also, for example, a more complex shape which is generally known as a "torus" shape. With the invention, the strip of material is pre-formed to match a given skirting board design. Obviously, different shaped strips will be manufactured to match all the skirting designs commonly used in the area where the strips are to be sold.

The means for adhering the strip to the existing skirting board may comprise one or more adhesive bands on the inner surface of the flexible strip. Alternatively, the strip could be adhered to the skirting board by applying a conventional liquid or semi-liquid adhesive to either the skirting board or the strip before fitting of the strip to the skirting board.

The invention has the great advantage that a clean finish can be given to a skirting board in a simple operation, without extensive preparation of the skirting board being necessary. The strip is flexible enough to follow any slight warping of the skirting board but rigid enough to conceal any minor imperfections, for example dents, in the skirting board. The strip is provided with a smooth clear finish to match the existing or required decoration of the relevant room; most commonly it is expected that the strip will be white.

In new houses, the strip could be fitted to skirting boards in a fraction of the time it would take to prepare and paint the skirting boards. In existing houses, the skirting boards could again be finished far more quickly by using the invention. The thin strip can easily be slotted between the existing skirting board and any carpet, thereby completely avoiding the need to remove a carpet from a room before decorating the skirting board.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below, by example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows in cross-section a conventional skirting board and a strip as provided by the invention; Fig. 2 shows another conventional design of a skirting board together with a strip of the invention; and Fig. 3 shows, in elevation, a length of the decorating strip of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a conventional chamfered and rounded skirting board 1 fitted at the junction of a wall and floor. As is clearly seen in this figure, the strip 2 is shaped in cross-section to match the profile of the skirting board. The strip is provided with adhesive bands 3 and 4, band 3 being adjacent the top edge of the strip and band 4 being adjacent the bottom edge.

The adhesive bands 3,4 may be provided by conventional double sided adhesive tape. To fit the strip of the invention to the skirting board, one simply takes the appropriate length of strip, applies one end in position against the skirting board and then peels back the protective paper coating of the bottom adhesive band 4 while pressing the strip against the bottom of the skirting board. The top of the strip can then be fitted against the top of the skirting board by peeling back the protective paper away from the upper adhesive band. Of course, users could, if they so wished, apply the strip by removing the protective paper from both adhesive bands 3,4 simultaneously.

Fig. 2 shows another design of a skirting board 1, generally known as the "torus" shape. Again, the strip 2 is shaped in cross-section to match the profile of the skirting board. The strip can be applied to the skirting board in the same way as the strip of fig. 1, or alternatively a conventional liquid or semi-liquid adhesive may be applied between the skirting board and the strip.

In fig. 3 an elevation of the inner surface of the strip 2 is seen, with the adhesive bands 3 and 4.

The strip could be made from white PVC or any other suitable conventional plastics material. The thickness of the strip may be between 0.5 and 1 mm, though need not be within this range. The strip has a smooth, clean surface which needs no further finishing, except for occasional cleaning.

Although in this application the decorating of skirting boards has been discussed, the invention is also applicable to other parts to be decorated around the home, for example architraves and door frames.

Claims

1. A method of decorating skirting boards wherein a strip of flexible coloured - generally white - material is adhered to the skirting board, the strip having a predetermined cross-section at least approximately matching that of the skirting board to be decorated.

2. A strip of flexible coloured - generally white - material for decorating a skirting board, the strip having a predetermined cross-section matching that of a given skirting board and the strip being provided on the surface which is to contact the skirting board with an adhesive means.

3. A kit of parts for decorating a skirting board comprising a strip of flexible coloured - generally white - material having a predetermined cross-section matching that of a given skirting board, the kit further providing adhesive means.

4. A method, strip or kit substantially as herein described and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.