What is a floor plinth with a cable channel, what it is used for, its varieties and advantages, the technology for calculating the material, cutting and installing products with your own hands. The skirting board with cable duct is a convenient design that will help you hide exposed wiring. If you did not make grooves in the wall during the renovation, or if you have new electrical appliances connected to sockets in your room, then a well-chosen special skirting board will hide all unwanted cables.
Appointment of skirting boards with cable channels
A few years ago, the owners had to hide cables and wires from sight in the walls. Moreover, it took a lot of effort to qualitatively grind the surface and repair it later. Those who were too lazy to do such things simply left the wires open or fixed the cables on top of the baseboards with staples. This definitely spoiled the appearance of the renovated premises.
Later, plastic cable channels appeared on the market. They coped with the problem of open wires, but they looked rather unaesthetic, they were installed on the wall and attracted attention.
And only after the development of skirting boards for the floor with a cable channel, the problem was finally solved. It is a modern and practical tool. There is a cavity inside the product, which is specially designed for laying wires - power, network, telephone, cable, signaling. No matter how many new devices appear in the room, all the wiring can be easily hidden in such a baseboard.
The cable channel is hidden by a decorative panel that disguises it and also hides the fasteners. In addition, it serves to join two skirting boards in a straight section. Products with cable channels have rubber bands at the top and bottom. Once installed, they can smooth out possible unevenness in walls and floors.
The main types of skirting boards with cable channels
As a rule, skirting boards with cable channels are made of synthetic material. It is quite problematic to carve a special cavity for a wire in a solid wooden bar. Of course, there are wooden skirting boards for the floor with a cable channel. However, they are most often made to order. Moreover, their price will be very high.
The situation is much simpler with products of this type, made from inexpensive artificial materials such as plastic or MDF. It is easy to work with such skirting boards, they are inexpensive, and you can buy them in almost any hardware store.
In addition, they have a number of advantages:
- It is easy to hide the wiring in such a skirting board even for a beginner who does not have special skills. You can easily replace or install a new cable without dismantling the product itself.
- High flexibility allows this skirting board to be installed on uneven walls and floors. The rubberized base guarantees a snug fit to surfaces.
- A huge selection of colors makes it possible to choose the right option for any interior.
- Such products do not require painting or additional finishing.
- You can use the skirting board more than once. If you carry out a high-quality dismantling, then you can re-install it without difficulty. At the same time, he will not lose his appearance.
- Unpretentious operation - such skirting boards are easy to clean and wash. In addition, the plastic does not fade in direct sunlight.
- The price for a plastic floor plinth with a cable channel is the lowest in comparison with competitors - wooden products.
Skirting boards with a cable channel are divided into two groups, based on their design:
- Skirting board with a channel in the center … This is the most common type of product. The cable channel is rather narrow and contains, most often, no more than five wires. However, it is allowed to place cables in the gap that forms between the plinth and the wall.
- Skirting board with removable top panel … The latter is essentially a cable channel. This product is rare on the market, but it is much more convenient than the first type if you need to accommodate thick wires.
Features of mounting a skirting board with a cable channel
The technology for installing skirting boards of all varieties is absolutely the same. Installation can be carried out as soon as possible without the help of specialists. It is important to follow all stages of work and take into account the material from which your walls are made in order to choose the right tools and achieve the optimal result.
Calculating the number of skirting boards
Before you go to the hardware store for the baseboards, you need to make the correct measurements in order to determine the amount of material. To do this, measure the length of the walls in the room. From the resulting figure, subtract the distance that falls on the doorways. To this number you need to add about 9%. This amount of material will be needed for trimming.
Pay attention to the number of corners: outside and inside. In these places, you will need to install plugs. Given the preliminary length of the skirting boards, calculate the approximate number of connectors. Only after carrying out all these calculations, you can go shopping.
Materials and tools for installing skirting boards
When buying a skirting board, please note that it consists of two parts: a masking strip (front) and the main one, in which the channel itself is located. Also, the kit, as a rule, includes plugs - end caps, corner caps, docking plugs.
As for the tools, you will need: a hammer drill (with an impact function), a jigsaw, a Phillips screwdriver, a screwdriver, a file, a hammer, a hacksaw, a simple pencil.
Most often, the PVC plinth with a cable channel is mounted on the wall. This can be done in three ways: on liquid nails or glue, by means of dowel plugs or self-tapping screws. If the walls in the room are made of brick or concrete, then it is optimal to fasten the plinth to the plug-plug. You will also need a hammer drill with an impact function.
Installation on plasterboard walls involves the use of self-tapping screws with special plugs for gypsum board. Also, the skirting board can be glued to such surfaces.
Preparatory work before installing the skirting board
Before proceeding with the installation of skirting boards, it is recommended to bring the walls to the level. Thus, gaps that can occur when fixing products to the wall surface are eliminated. By leveling, you will reduce the need for frequent drilling.
If you cannot carry out work on leveling the surfaces in the room, do the following preparation:
- We apply the skirting boards with a cable channel to the walls and remember the places where the gaps appear between them.
- We make a mark in these places with a simple pencil.
- Here later you will have to make additional fixation of the skirting board.
If the wall turns out to be flat, then count on the optimal fastening step of about 40-50 centimeters. Based on these calculations, you can purchase the required number of fasteners.
Skirting board cutting rules
During the installation of the plinth, you will definitely need to cut it. The width and shape of the product with a cable channel may vary. But its length is 2.5 meters. Before cutting, remember that measurements must take into account the corner and end butt plugs. If you do not take them into account, then you can make a mistake with the length and spoil the strip of the baseboard.
Before cutting the skirting board, you need to remove the cable channel from it. It is cut separately. In the process, it is recommended to use a special tool: a miter box and a hacksaw for wood or metal. We outline the cut line with a simple pencil.
Remember that you need to make a cut strictly perpendicular. Do not cut the skirting boards diagonally.
Features of fixing skirting boards
You need to start installing the skirting boards from the corner of the room. You can choose any corner of the room, but it is recommended to start working from the corner of the longest straight wall. In this case, you will use the maximum number of solid skirting whips.
Only one piece will be cut off. It will go for installation in niches, on short sections of walls, tracing of support columns, and so on. If you start working from the corner, then at the end of the installation you will receive a minimum of scraps and significantly save on building material.
Please note that only the back of the skirting board should be attached to the wall. The front decorative is put on at the end of all installation work, only after installing the product and laying the cable.
Consider the most common mounting method - dowels. We carry out work according to the following scheme:
- Separate the channel cover from the body. We attach the corner joint to the end cut and attach the product to the wall.
- We retreat a step of 40-50 cm from the corner and make a technological hole in the wall with a puncher. In this case, you need to drill directly through the skirting board.
- We insert a dowel-nail into the hole and hammer it in with a hammer.
- We deepen only the plastic part of the dowel into the hole. We screw in the metal part of the fastener with a screwdriver until it comes into contact with the wall.
- During drilling, a situation often arises when the edges of the hole in the plastic melt due to the high temperature. To avoid this, you should move the drill back and forth.
- If along the length of the wall you need to connect the skirting board, use a docking plug. It has grooves on both sides, and you need to insert the ends of two skirting boards into them. At the same time, adjacent products are attached to the wall 50 centimeters from the plug on both sides.
- To install the skirting board on the outer corner, insert its end into the previous link and press it against the wall. Mark the place of the cut and cut the desired piece. We fix it to the wall according to the above scheme.
- After you have installed the floor plinth with a cable channel around the perimeter of the entire room, you can put plugs at the ends. Do not push too hard on the cover, otherwise the latches may be damaged. If they fly off during operation, then the use of a transparent sealant is allowed.
When the work is completed, lay the wires in the channel, fix them. In the corners of the walls, you can make small chips so that the cables fit more tightly and do not pop out. You can also fix with double-sided tape.
If over time you will need to lay another cable, then you just need to remove the decorative front cover from the plinth and lay the wire.
How to fix a skirting board with a cable channel - watch the video:
The skirting board with plastic cable duct is a great alternative to the usual wooden or veneered product. Even though it looks artificial, the convenience and practicality that it brings to your life is invaluable. And before you install the floor plinth with a cable channel yourself, carefully study our recommendations.
