Skirting board for kitchen countertops

Kitchen renovations cannot be considered completely finished until the skirting board for the kitchen worktop is installed. This little detail not only complements the entire kitchen interior, but also keeps the kitchen clean.

Plastic kitchen skirting board

Choosing a kitchen skirting board

Skirting board functions

Before choosing a kitchen skirting board - and skirting board models differ both in appearance and by the material from which they are made - you need to figure out what function this detail?

The kitchen skirting board bridging the gap between the worktop and the kitchen wall is not a purely decorative element:

• Firstly, the border for kitchen countertops masks the junction of the countertop with the wall, so you can install the kitchen set even along not the most even walls. It is enough to put a small gap between the countertop and the kitchen wall in the kitchen project - and the plinth will perfectly cover it.
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• Secondly, the plinth is an obstacle for crumbs and other small debris to fall behind the back wall of the kitchen unit. If it weren't for the baseboard, food waste would accumulate in the space between the kitchen cabinets and the wall, spreading an unpleasant odor and being an excellent food for flies and cockroaches.
• Finally, the skirting board prevents liquid from flowing into the gap between the wall and the countertop, thereby protecting the furniture from getting wet and swelling.

Note! It is especially important to install a high-quality plinth on MDF countertops, since their side surfaces (especially untreated ones) are often deformed as a result of getting wet.

Skirting board material

As a rule, if you order a kitchen set from a furniture company, then a kitchen skirting board for countertops is supplied as a set. Well, if the kitchen is assembled according to an individual order, or you do it yourself, then you can choose the baseboard yourself.

The main parameter for choosing a kitchen skirting board is, of course, the material from which the skirting board is made. Wooden countertops for the kitchen, as a rule, are completed with skirting boards made of wood or laminated chipboard, and to artificial stone countertops manufacturers offer decorative moldings from the same material (pictured).

Artificial stone molding

But the most common are plastic and aluminum skirting boards for kitchen countertops.

• Plastic skirting boards made from polyvinyl chloride by coextrusion - i.e. during the production process, a pigment is added directly to the molten plastic, which determines the color of the skirting board. Additionally, the palette expands the ability to laminate skirting boards - i.e. applying a polymer film to their surface, imitating the color and texture of wood, stone, tiles, etc. Plastic skirting boards are not afraid of moisture, are easy to install, and their price is quite available.
• Aluminum skirting boards very practical: they are easily cleaned of any contamination and have a very long service life. The main advantage of an aluminum skirting board in comparison with a plastic one is its heat resistance: such a skirting board can be safely installed in the immediate vicinity of the hob. The cost of aluminum skirting boards is also quite affordable, although it exceeds the cost of PVC skirting boards.

Aluminum skirting board

Shapes and sizes of skirting boards for kitchen worktops

When choosing the shape of the skirting board, one should take into account not only aesthetic preferences, but also the size of the gap between the countertop and the wall. The wider this gap, the wider the baseboard itself should be - otherwise it will not be possible to fix it properly, and the crumbs with drops will easily fall behind the furniture.

Triangular skirting board

In shape, skirting boards are:

• Flat;
• Triangular;
• Square;
• Rounded;
• Curly, etc.

Most of the different shapes can be found among wood and plastic skirting boards, and the smallest options will be offered by manufacturers of decorative moldings made of ceramics and artificial stone.

Installation of kitchen skirting boards

If you ordered furniture with assembly, then the installation of the plinth should not bother you: the furniture will be delivered and assembled without your participation. But if you do not want to spend money on paying for the work of the assemblers, then below you are offered instructions on how to independently install the plinth on the kitchen countertop.

First, we check the completeness of the skirting board.

As a rule, the set includes:

• Baseboard base - the part that is installed on the wall or countertop;
• Decorative part of the skirting board;
• End caps;
• Straight and angle connectors;
• Fasteners;

Skirting board set

Installation of the plinth is done in this order:

• We measure the size of the kitchen countertop, after which we cut the baseboard in accordance with the measurement results. Plastic and aluminum skirting boards are perfectly cut with a fine-toothed file.
• Then we separate the base from the baseboard and apply it to the attachment point.
• Using a punch, we drill the base through and through, making holes in the wall for fasteners (see also the article "DIY kitchen decor").

Advice! If you are attaching the skirting board to a tiled wall, use a special drill, as working with a regular drill can cause the tiles to crack.

• We hammer plastic dowels into the holes made by the perforator and fix the base of the plinth with locking screws.

Installation option for skirting boards with attachment to the table top

• You can also fix the skirting board not to the wall, but to the countertop - in this case, we use self-tapping screws.
• If necessary, we control the horizontal placement of the base using a level.
• We install the decorative profile of the plinth on the base, snapping it into the fasteners.
• We mount plugs on the ends of the skirting board, and install corner connectors in the corners.
• In addition, we seal the joint between the skirting board and the countertop: we process the junction of the skirting board with silicone sealant. We also add sealant to the attachment points of the plugs and corner elements.

Installed plinth

In more detail, the procedure for installing a decorative plinth on a kitchen countertop is demonstrated in the video attached to the article.
There is nothing complicated in this operation, and if you wish, you can install a kitchen skirting board for the countertop in just a few minutes. Now your kitchen set is reliably protected from moisture and debris, and the repair can be safely considered complete!