When it comes to redesigning a home or building a new one, it’s unlikely that skirting boards will be at the forefront of the ‘exciting’ choices. However, these small pieces of wood can have a significant impact on how a space is utilised. The wide skirting board has come a long way in recent years – it isn’t purely a Victorian-era design feature.

A typical skirting board will be around 70-100mm high, whereas deep skirting boards will be anything from 150mm to well over 200mm in height. The Victorians were big on chunky skirting, often reaching heights of 300mm on larger houses. Such skirting was much more than a mere decorative feature, living as it did in a time of coal-fired heating and rudimentary central heating.

Practical Benefits You May Not Have Considered

Aside from the aesthetic appeal, the functional benefit of a deep skirting board cannot be overlooked. First, they offer the best protection of the walls in the house when it comes to traffic. If you have kids and/or pets in the house or if you’ve been moving your furniture around, you’ll appreciate the buffer this gives you between your walls and everyday activities.

Then, of course, there’s the issue of concealment. There’s a lot more wiring inside today’s houses, with all that needs to be routed. A deep skirting is one way that trunking systems could be hidden, with no need to chase cables through walls. Some experts have even produced skirtings that are designed to be hollow, specifically for this purpose, though you will have to pay a premium for this.

Another benefit well worth considering is controlling temperatures. Heat escapes around where walls meet floors, and having deep skirting boarding in place is another way to add to the thermal resistance. This is not likely to unlock significant changes to your energy consumption bills, but it is another advantage in older homes with solid walls.

Getting the Proportions Right

This is where many projects go wrong. A high skirting will look fantastic in a high-ceilinged room – three meters or higher – where the emphasis will occur, not the obstruction. A room will feel smaller when the same 250mm high skirting is used in the same modern development when the ceilings are 2.4 meters high.

A general rule of thumb would be not to make your skirting height any more than one-twelfth of your ceiling height, although this may vary according to the proportions of the room. For example, a square room would be more adaptable for deeper skirting than a long, thin room. You may choose to make a mock-up of your intended height using cardboard or timber off-cuts before purchasing.

Installation Factors

A greater level of accuracy is required for deep skirting than for regular skirting. You are dealing with heavier, less flexible material that reflects every flaw on your walls. If professional skirting installation is required, it may well be more expensive for a deep skirting than for regular skirting.

However, scribing becomes more critical, and that is where marking and cutting the board according to the wall pattern is done. Small gaps are not easily noticeable with a low skirting. A deep skirting shows each and every variation, and fillings done later tend to look worse.

You can also expect to pay doubly for deeper skirting than normal heights. For a typical three-bedroom property, you could require about 60-70 linear metres of skirting.

Your Final Decision

The thing to bear in mind with deep skirting board is that its not suitable for all situations.. instead they are suitable for specific situations. They look great in old buildings because the design conforms to the original building design. They are most suitable for commercial buildings. They can make an otherwise empty room with high ceilings appear grand.

They will not, however, enhance a poorly proportioned space or mitigate very low ceilings. As with most interior design choices, it is a matter of what works in your specific situation versus current fashion trends, and it is well worth your while to take a step back and consider your situation so that you are pleased with your choices for many years to come.