Curving a Skirting Board 02: Bay Window Project; Barnet, London

Happy December to all E.H.S customers and those reading this post. This is a recap to warmer times in June/July. E.H.S was kerfing away; in the process of curving a skirting board for a bay window, in the London borough of Barnet. The skirting was three meters long! I got the job because somebody saw a previous post on this website about kerfing. Kerfing is the technical name for making a series of cuts into the rear side of a board; allowing the board to flex and be shaped into a curve. Moistening the board with water also helps the process.

This video shows the shear amount of kerfing to be done! you can hear a sigh at the end!

Most information available online suggests kerf cuts every inch, going halfway into the material. However, to get a nice smooth curve, and achieve proper flexibility, I have found that cuts every 5mm, and depth going to two-thirds of the work piece, are favorite.

As I progressed through the work-piece, I could feel it start to flex and I got excited, there was still a long way to go and it was tedious work. I had to move the work piece with care, into position, with a little help from my customer.

The length of the board can be seen in relation to the threshold of the house! I carefully maneuvered the board into position and then started fixing it. I had to prepare the area extensively as some messy rendering and plastering had been left by previous tradesmen. I also found a plug socket installed lower than board height on the return run of skirting into the corner. I had to move that socket.

And there you have it. The customer wanted to decorate the board himself, so this is how I left it.

Please visit www.elephanthandymanservice.co.uk for more info.

Tom Rutland,

E.H.S.