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Do you install architrave before or after new flooring?

What will deliver the best finished result, architrave installed before or after new flooring is installed by experts? This is my 1st post before starting the renovation of the 1979 two story home we recently purchased. The existing architraves have been installed on top of the different tile, hybrid planks and carpet flooring throughout the house. We are removing all the architraves before uplifting all the existing flooring and cleaning up before the flooring experts do their thing. The flooring people we chose didn't provide much info on whether to install the architraves before or after the different flooring gets installed. I'm currently leaning towards installing and painting the architraves before the flooring gets installed.

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MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Glas. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about removing architrave.

You're absolutely on the right track by removing the old architraves before lifting the existing flooring and preparing the space for the new installation. When it comes to achieving the best finished result, it's important to distinguish between architraves and skirting boards. Architraves, which are the trims around doors and windows, are typically installed before the flooring goes down. Installing and painting the architraves ahead of time is a common and recommended practice among professionals. Since they don’t interfere with how flooring is laid, this approach allows you to complete all the painting without needing to mask off brand-new floors and reduces the risk of paint spills or damage to freshly installed surfaces. Flooring installers can neatly cut the floorboards to fit around the architraves, especially when working with products like hybrid planks or floating floors. This method leads to a cleaner, more efficient process and helps avoid unnecessary complications during the flooring stage.

On the other hand, skirting boards serve a different purpose and should usually be installed after the flooring is laid. Skirting is meant to cover the expansion gap left around the perimeter of floating floors and to provide a tidy transition between the wall and the floor. If skirting is installed before the flooring, it can interfere with the installation process. For many types of click-lock floating floors, the boards need to be angled and dropped into place, which isn’t possible if skirting is already fitted, particularly in tight areas like corners. Installing skirting afterwards also means any small gaps or imperfections around the floor edges will be neatly concealed, giving you the cleanest possible result.

Proceeding with architrave installation and painting before the new flooring is installed is a sensible and efficient choice. Just be sure to leave the skirting off until after the flooring team has completed their work. If in doubt, it’s worth checking directly with the flooring installers to confirm their preference and ensure your renovation flows smoothly without hold-ups or costly mistakes.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Glas

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/52837#Comment_52837

@MitchellMc, Thanks for the spot on feedback. I checked with our flooring installer this arvo. They said definitely install and paint the architrave before they install the flooring. We have chosen carpet in bedrooms and vinyl planks (glue down not hybrid click to connect flooring) in the living areas.

I'll share the project with readers room by room with wins and our perfect failures 🙂

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