Painting Skirtings and Architraves: The Complete Decorator's Guide

Why Skirtings and Architraves Matter

In a period London property, the quality of the woodwork finish tells you immediately whether a decorator knows what they are doing. Skirtings and architraves are the frames within which everything else sits — get them wrong and the room looks wrong, regardless of how good the walls are. Runs of paint down the face of a skirting, brush marks on the flat of an architrave, thick drips at the base of a door frame: these are the marks of a rushed or inexperienced job. Done properly, painted woodwork should look almost sprayed — smooth, consistent, with no visible brush strokes.

The Preparation Sequence

The sequence of preparation on skirtings and architraves is not optional. Skipping steps does not save time; it produces failures that need to be redone.

Step 1: Assess the condition of the paint film. Run a finger along the flat of the skirting. If you can feel individual brush marks, the build-up is too heavy to simply paint over. Sections with excessive build-up should be stripped back using a heat gun and scraper, or a chemical stripper such as Peel Away 1, followed by coarse sanding (60–80 grit) to remove residual softened paint.

Step 2: Fill nail holes and dents. On Victorian and Edwardian joinery, nail holes, knocks, and small splits are universal. Fill with a two-part wood filler (Ronseal High Performance Wood Filler or Bostik 2-Part) rather than a water-based one-part product, which tends to shrink and crack in thin fills. Mix to a firm consistency, overfill slightly, and sand flush once hard (typically 20–30 minutes). For fine surface imperfections on already-painted woodwork, Toupret Bois 15 is an excellent fine-grained filler that sands smoothly to a very flat surface.

Step 3: Sand all surfaces. 120-grit paper on a cork block for flat surfaces, 120-grit folded into a strip for moulded profiles. The objective is to key the existing paint film so the new coat bonds properly, and to remove any nibs, brush marks, or proud filler. Wipe down with a tack cloth or a cloth dampened with white spirit before priming.

Step 4: Spot prime. Any bare wood exposed by filling or stripping must be primed before the undercoat. For general woodwork, Zinsser BIN shellac-based primer deals with resinous knots, ink stains, and tannin bleed from hardwoods. On previously painted surfaces in good condition, a light sand and a coat of undercoat may be sufficient — but bare wood never goes straight to the finish coat.

Step 5: Undercoat. Apply one full coat of a compatible undercoat — Dulux Trade Undercoat, Little Greene Intelligent Undercoat, or a product recommended by the finish paint manufacturer. Allow to dry fully, sand lightly with 180 or 220 grit, and tack off before the finish coats.

Oil Gloss vs Modern Alternatives

Traditional oil gloss on woodwork has a long association with British painting. It produces a very hard, highly reflective finish and has excellent durability. It also has significant drawbacks: long drying times (often 12–16 hours between coats), strong solvent odour, difficult clean-up, and a pronounced tendency to yellow over time — particularly in rooms with limited natural light.

Modern water-based alternatives have largely overcome these issues. Farrow & Ball Estate Eggshell, Little Greene Oil Eggshell (water-based despite the name), and Johnstone's Aqua Water-Based Satin all dry in 2–4 hours, clean up with water, are low in VOCs, and retain their colour without yellowing. The finish is slightly softer in sheen than traditional gloss, which many people now prefer — particularly in period rooms where a high gloss can look at odds with the age of the property.

For properties where a true gloss finish is required — landlord work, exteriors, or client preference — Dulux Trade Satinwood or Johnstone's Gloss remain reliable oil-based options. In these cases, ensure adequate ventilation, observe full drying times between coats, and expect a yellowing tendency in areas away from natural light over two to four years.

Brush Technique for a Good Finish

The brush is not optional for skirtings and architraves — roller marks on woodwork are not acceptable on a quality job. We use a 50mm Purdy Monarch brush or a Hamilton Perfection synthetic brush for most interior woodwork. A good quality brush holds more paint and releases it more evenly, reducing lap marks.

Load the brush to roughly one-third of the bristle depth — never soak to the ferrule. Apply with short strokes first, working the paint into the mouldings and corners, then lay off with long, light strokes in the direction of the grain. For architraves, always cut in at the wall edge with a steady hand (or mask with low-tack tape removed while wet), then lay off toward the door stop.

At internal corners — where a skirting meets a door frame or a corner — use the tip of the brush to work the paint in, then lay off away from the corner. Corners that are simply pushed at with a loaded brush will always show curtaining.

Colour Options

White and near-white remain the default for woodwork in London, but there is increasing appetite for coloured woodwork — and it can work very well when handled correctly.

Off-white woodwork in a warm stone — Little Greene Intelligent Primer & Undercoat tinted to Barley White, or Farrow & Ball Clunch — looks period-appropriate in Victorian and Edwardian rooms and is far more forgiving of yellowing under artificial light than a cold white. For coloured rooms where the woodwork is meant to recede, matching the woodwork to the walls in the same colour but a different sheen (walls in emulsion, woodwork in eggshell) is a sophisticated move used by interior designers regularly. Deep-coloured woodwork — Farrow & Ball Railings or Hague Blue on a skirting — can be striking in a room with pale walls, but requires meticulous preparation: any imperfection shows immediately in a saturated dark finish.

Get Professional Results

If your skirtings and architraves need stripping, filling, and painting to a high standard, we would be glad to help. Contact us or request a free quote for a visit and written estimate.