Register your business

Home / Advice / Can you glue skirting boards to the wall?

Can you glue skirting boards to the wall?

Yes, on a flat, dry and sound wall, glue is a common way to fix skirting boards, and it leaves no screw holes to fill. On uneven, damp or crumbling walls, glue alone is weak, so screws or pins are added to pull the board tight while it sets.

Last reviewed:

By the QuoteZila editorial team. Editorial policy.

Is glue enough to hold skirting on its own?

Often, yes. Skirting is not a structural part of a room. It hides the gap where the wall meets the floor, protects the bottom of the wall from knocks and finishes the room. A light board glued to a flat, sound wall will usually stay put for years.

Glue starts to struggle when the wall is the problem, not the board. If the plaster is hollow, the wall bows, or a tall board is fighting a twist in the timber, glue alone may let go at the ends. Henkel's data sheet for UniBond No More Nails Original lists skirting boards among its uses, but also says heavy items may need support while the adhesive dries, or extra fixings [S1].

QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns. Anyone in the UK can post a job. This page explains when glue is enough, when to add screws, and what to think about before you pull old skirting off.

Glue, nails or screws: how do they compare?

FixingSuitsWatch out for
Glue onlyFlat plaster or plasterboard, light boardsBowed walls, damp, sealed surfaces
Glue plus pinsMost rooms, to hold boards while glue setsPin holes to fill on the face
Screws and plugsMasonry, uneven walls, tall boardsHoles to fill, cables and pipes in the wall
Nails into timber groundsOlder houses with wooden grounds behind the plasterGrounds may be loose or rotten

Screwing into a wall means drilling, and walls can hide cables and pipes near the floor, especially where sockets sit low. A fitter should check before drilling. That is a reason to ask a carpenter where you are not sure what is in the wall.

How does glued skirting come off?

Glued skirting can be removed, but slowly. A fitter usually:

  1. Runs a knife along the top edge to cut through paint and caulk.
  2. Eases a wide, thin bar behind the board, resting it on a block of wood so it does not crush the plaster.
  3. Works along the board in small steps, prising a little at each point.
  4. Cuts through any glue they can reach with a saw blade or a long knife.

Expect some damage to the wall behind. Paper may peel off plasterboard and lumps of plaster may come away with the glue. That is normal and needs filling before new skirting goes on. If you want to keep the old boards, say so before work starts, because removal then takes more time.

What should you know about old painted skirting?

Skirting in an older house may carry many layers of paint, and the oldest layers can contain lead. GOV.UK says multiple coats of paint in properties built before 1970 can be a sign that lead paint is present [S3]. It also says exposure is only likely if the paint is deliberately removed or sanded, and that children should not be present during that work until all the dust is removed and the area is ventilated [S3].

So, before anyone sands or strips old skirting:

  • ask whether the boards are being replaced, or stripped and repainted
  • avoid dry sanding and heat stripping of old paint
  • keep children and pets out of the room during the work
  • ask the fitter or decorator how they will control dust and clear up

If the old boards are coming off anyway, removing them whole is often tidier than stripping them.

How do you get a neat finish?

The glue holds the board, but the finish is what you see. A tidy job usually includes:

  • Scribed or mitred corners. Internal corners are often scribed so the joint stays closed if the wall moves. External corners are mitred.
  • Caulk along the top edge. A thin bead of decorator's caulk fills the small gap between board and wall once the glue has set.
  • Filled pins or screws. Any face fixings are punched below the surface, filled and sanded smooth.
  • Sealed ends. Cut ends of MDF or timber are sealed before painting.

Ask whether the price includes caulking, filling and painting, or just fitting. Citizens Advice says a quote is a fixed price, while an estimate is a rough guess at the cost [S2]. Ask which one you are being given.

Jobs you might post

These are examples, not taken from real job posts.

  • "Glue and pin new torus skirting in the dining room. Old boards are off and the plaster is in good condition."
  • "Skirting in the kitchen is coming away at one end. Wall is uneven. Please refix with screws."
  • "Remove old painted skirting in two rooms of an older house and fit new. Please say how you deal with old paint."

Get quotes from carpenters

Say which rooms, the board height and profile, and whether old skirting needs to come off. Up to five matched local businesses can send you a quote [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].

Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.

Posting a job is not open yet

See our carpenters page, the joiners page, or painters and decorators for the painting. Which skirting board adhesive to use picks the cartridge for a porous or damp wall, and this page is whether glue is enough, how a glued board comes off, and old paint.

Questions about gluing skirting boards

Is glue or screws better for skirting boards?

Each has a place. Glue suits flat plastered walls and leaves a clean face. Screws into plugs suit uneven or masonry walls where the board must be pulled tight. Many fitters use glue along the length with a few screws or pins where the wall dips.

Can glued skirting be removed later?

Yes, but it takes more care than nailed skirting. The board is eased off a little at a time with a wide flat bar against a block of wood, cutting through the glue where possible. Some plaster or plasterboard paper often comes away and needs filling.

Does old skirting paint contain lead?

It might in an older house. GOV.UK says multiple coats of paint in properties built before 1970 can be a sign that lead paint is present, and that exposure is only likely if the paint is deliberately removed or sanded. Avoid dry sanding old painted skirting.

Can I glue MDF skirting?

Yes. MDF is light and stable, which suits glue. The bare back of the board is porous, which helps water-based grab adhesives dry. Seal any cut ends before painting, because raw MDF soaks up paint.

Does QuoteZila check the businesses?

No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.

This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.

Part of Advice. All services

Related trades

Related pages

Sources

  1. QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
  2. QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ "How does getting quotes work?".
  3. S1: UniBond No More Nails Original technical data sheet (UC4000, issued 17.04.2026), Henkel. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://datasheets.tdx.henkel.com/UNIBOND-No-More-Nails-Original-Cartridge-en_GB.pdf
  4. S2: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
  5. S3: Lead: information for the public, UK Health Security Agency (GOV.UK). Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lead-poisoning-advice-for-the-public-and-healthcare-professionals/lead-information-for-the-public