What Are Skirting Boards? The Purpose, Practical Benefits, and Why They’re Still Essential

When renovating a room or installing new flooring, skirting boards might not be the first thing on your list. But if you want a space that feels polished, protected, and professionally finished, they’re essential.

So, what are skirting boards, exactly?

Skirting boards are moulded lengths fitted along the base of interior walls to cover floor joins, protect walls from damage, and enhance room aesthetics. Typically made from MDF, they create a clean transition between wall and floor. Skirting boards are essential for both visual finish and long-term interior durability.

In this post, we’ll explore what skirting boards are, what they’re made from, the key reasons they’re used in every kind of property, and why MR Mouldings’ MDF skirting boards are the top choice for long-lasting quality and modern interior styling.

What Are Skirting Boards?

Skirting boards, sometimes called baseboards, are a type of interior moulding that runs horizontally along the base of a room’s walls, typically where the wall meets the floor. Installed after the walls are finished and before decorating, they serve as a visual and functional boundary between surfaces.

You’ll find skirting boards in virtually every UK home, whether it’s a Victorian terrace, a new-build flat, or a modernised bungalow. Their presence is so common, it’s easy to overlook how vital they are to both performance and presentation.

Where Are Skirting Boards Installed?

• At the base of all interior walls
  
  

• Around the perimeter of rooms, including hallways and landings
  
  

• At the bottom of partition walls or stud-built rooms
  
  

• Along staircases or curved walls (using flexible skirting boards)
  
  

Skirting is typically used alongside architrave, dado rails, and door linings to create a unified, elegant interior.

What Are Skirting Boards Used For?

Skirting boards perform multiple roles, many of which are practical as well as decorative. Let’s break these down.

1. Protecting Walls From Damage

One of the most important purposes of a skirting board is to safeguard your walls.

• Furniture movement: Beds, sideboards, and sofas are often pushed up against walls. Skirting boards absorb any knocks or friction that would otherwise damage plaster or paint.
  
  

• Vacuuming and cleaning: In high-traffic areas like hallways, hoovers and mops regularly hit the wall base. Skirting provides a physical buffer.
  
  

• Shoes and scuffs: In households with children or pets, the bottom of walls takes a beating. Skirting helps maintain a crisp, clean edge.
  
  

The cost of painting or patching walls adds up quickly. A well-fitted skirting board protects your investment, keeping things looking sharper for longer.

2. Hiding Floor Expansion Gaps and Uneven Finishes

Most types of flooring, such as engineered wood, laminate, vinyl, and even solid timber, require a small expansion gap around the perimeter to allow for natural movement. These gaps are essential but unsightly.

Skirting boards are fitted over this gap, concealing imperfections and delivering a tidy finish that blends wall and floor seamlessly.

In older homes with uneven floors or wavy walls, skirting boards also mask inconsistencies. When installed correctly with decorators’ caulk, they make even the roughest plastering look intentional and refined.

3. Defining the Architectural Base of a Room

Architecturally, skirting boards anchor the walls to the floor, giving your room visual structure. They help define where one surface ends and another begins, particularly when you use:

• Contrasting paint colours
  
  

• Statement flooring
  
  

• Bold or panelled walls
  
  

In modern design, minimalist square-edge profiles can blend subtly with wall colours for a seamless transition. In heritage interiors, ornate mouldings like Torus or Ogee add elegance and detail.

Whatever your style, skirting boards provide a visual base that helps balance the room.

4. Completing the Interior Trim Package

Skirting boards don’t exist in isolation, they’re often part of a wider trim system that includes:

• Architrave – Fitted around doors and windows
  
  

• Picture rails / Dado rails – Mid-wall mouldings
  
  

• Panel moulding – Used for wall features or wainscoting
  
  

Choosing consistent skirting and architrave profiles across your home delivers cohesion, makes transitions cleaner, and gives the impression of thoughtful, intentional design.

Need matching trim? Explore Our Architrave Collection to pair your skirting with complementary profiles.

What Are Skirting Boards Made From?

Skirting boards can be manufactured from a range of materials, each with its benefits and drawbacks.

1. Softwood (e.g. Pine)

• Traditional and affordable
  
  

• Can warp, split or shrink over time
  
  

• Requires sanding and sealing before painting
  
  

2. Hardwood (e.g. Oak)

• Durable and high-end
  
  

• Ideal for natural finishes
  
  

• Expensive and heavier
  
  

• May require specialist tools to fit
  
  

3. MDF (Medium-Density Fibreboard)

• Engineered from recycled wood fibres
  
  

• Uniform surface with no grain or knots
  
  

• Excellent for painting
  
  

• Moisture-resistant options available
  
  

• Doesn’t warp, twist or split
  
  

At MR Mouldings, we use Moisture-Resistant MDF (MR MDF) for all of our skirting boards. It’s designed to perform across every room, including bathrooms, kitchens and utility spaces, without the movement issues of natural timber.

Benefits of MR Mouldings’ MDF Skirting:

• ✅ Pre-primed for faster painting
  
  

• ✅ Made in the UK with precision-machined profiles
  
  

• ✅ Available in flexible MDF for curved walls
  
  

• ✅ Trade pricing with fast UK-wide delivery
  
  

• ✅ Huge range of profiles, heights, and thicknesses
  
  

Popular Skirting Board Styles

Skirting boards aren’t just functional, they help shape your interior’s character. Here are a few of the most popular styles available from MR Mouldings:

Do You Really Need Skirting Boards?

Yes, whether you’re renovating or starting from scratch, skirting boards play an essential role in protecting your walls and completing the look of your home.

Going without them can lead to:

• Visible floor gaps
  
  

• More wall damage
  
  

• Difficult decorating transitions
  
  

• A room that feels incomplete
  
  

Even ultra-modern homes use minimalist shadow gaps or square-edge skirting to achieve a flush, finished look. There’s always a need to manage the junction between wall and floor, and skirting boards do this better than anything else.

Why Choose MR Mouldings for Skirting?

MR Mouldings has built a reputation as a UK leader in MDF mouldings, supplying skirting boards to tradespeople, developers, and homeowners across the country.

Our customers choose us because we offer:

• ✅ Moisture-resistant MDF as standard
  
  

• ✅ Pre-primed finishes that save time
  
  

• ✅ A wide range of profiles and sizes to suit any property
  
  

• ✅ Consistent stock availability and fast dispatch
  
  

• ✅ Flexible skirting for curved walls or staircases
  
  

• ✅ Expert support and trade-friendly pricing
  
  

We understand that whether you're working on one room or an entire property, consistency and reliability matter. That’s why every MR Mouldings skirting board is engineered for performance and style.

Final Thoughts: What Are Skirting Boards and Why Do They Matter?

To sum up: skirting boards are one of the most important, yet underestimated, details in interior design. They protect your walls, cover construction gaps, and enhance your home’s style, all while quietly doing their job at floor level.

Whether you prefer a subtle square edge or a classic Torus profile, skirting boards deliver structure and polish to any space. And when you choose MDF skirting boards from MR Mouldings, you’re getting precision, durability, and performance built into every length.

Ready to Choose Your Skirting?

Whether you’re redecorating a single room or managing a large-scale project, MR Mouldings offers the skirting boards you need to get the job done right.

👉 Browse Our MDF Skirting Board Collection
Pre-primed. Moisture-resistant. Delivered to your door.

Let’s finish your space with precision.