How to cover gap between vinyl plank floor and scotia?

charlie0123

I’m considering installing either hybrid or glue‑down vinyl planks over my existing tiled floor. As shown in the photo, I can’t remove the existing scotia/skirting board whic is positioned between the wall and the tiles (not on top of the tiles). I believe the builder originally installed the scotia before the tiles were laid.

What can I do to cover the expansion gap between the new vinyl planks and the existing scotia? Surely silicone sealant is not the option.

MitchellMc

Hi @charlie0123,

My first thought is that the cleanest solution is to remove that protruding section altogether. If the scotia/skirting was installed before the tiles, what you’re seeing above the tile line is effectively “trapped” in place and not doing you any favours now. Using a multi-tool, you can carefully cut off the section that sits proud of the tiles, which will then let you run your hybrid or glue-down vinyl planks properly to the wall while maintaining the required expansion gap. After that, you can install a new skirting board over the top to neatly cover the gap. This is the standard and most reliable finish.

Trying to keep the existing moulding (whether it’s scotia, quad, or a rounded/bullnose profile) is where things get messy. You’ll still need something to cover the expansion gap, and it’s very difficult to find a trim that will blend cleanly into that curved profile without looking like an afterthought. Silicone isn’t a good option either as it won’t allow proper movement and tends to look untidy over time.

In situations like this, where the original install method isn’t standard, the best outcome usually comes from correcting it rather than trying to work around it. If you’re going with hybrid flooring in particular, it’s worth the extra effort to cut it back and finish it properly with new skirting.

Let me tag @Nailbag to see if he has any thoughts.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell