Skirting boards: height, material and how to choose

07.10.2026

A skirting board covers the expansion gap between the floor and the wall, protects the bottom of the wall from knocks during cleaning and can hide cables. This guide explains how to choose the height and material, how many lengths to order and when a transition profile is needed. The examples are MONE Design and Arbiton skirting boards from the Ymalko Montenegro range.

1. Skirting board height

MONE Design PVC skirting comes in three heights: 55 x 23 mm, 67 x 21 mm and 80 x 22 mm (height x depth), and the DUFLEX line is 80 x 18 mm. The Arbiton skirting boards in the range are 55 to 100 mm high.

Room height. Good practice is to use a skirting board at least 80 mm high in rooms taller than 2.5 m.
Balcony door threshold. A skirting board that is too tall can stand above the balcony door threshold, so measure the threshold height before choosing.
Skirting depth. A skirting board that is too narrow does not cover the whole expansion gap at the wall.

2. Material: PVC, HDPS, polymer or MDF

PVC skirting. MONE Design skirting is made of PVC and is 100% waterproof, so it can also be fitted in bathrooms and kitchens.
PVC-free HDPS. Arbiton STIQ XL and VEGA are waterproof and made without PVC. STIQ XL is intended mainly for vinyl floors and ceramic tiles.
Polymer with seals. Arbiton VIGO 60 and 80 are waterproof skirting boards with rubber seals on the top and bottom edges, so no silicone sealing is needed. They are elastic and can also be fitted on curved walls.
MDF for painting. Arbiton PAINT IT is an MDF skirting board prepared for painting in the colour of the walls or doors. MDF tolerates water poorly and can swell, so it is not recommended for bathrooms or for floors that are often washed with water.

The Arbiton MACK, INDO and VEGA skirting boards are intended for laminate.

3. Expansion gap, cables and fixing

Laminate and vinyl are laid with a gap at the wall so that the floor can expand. Measure the widest gap in the room and compare it with the figure given for the skirting.

Gap coverage. Arbiton VIGO, STIQ XL and PAINT IT cover an expansion gap of up to 15 mm, MACK and VEGA up to 20 mm, and INDO and LARS up to 26 mm.
Cables. MACK and LARS have a cable channel that can be combined with the MULTIBOX box. Behind the INDO skirting there is room for electrical and TV cables.
Fixing method. MONE Design skirting supports four fixing methods. Arbiton INDO is fixed with adhesive, 6 mm wall plugs, double-sided adhesive tape or a stapler, and PAINT IT with adhesive or clips.

4. How many lengths to order

Measure the length of all the walls in the room, subtract the door widths and add a reserve for cuts. Divide the result by the length of one board and round up. The Arbiton skirting boards in the range are 220 to 250 cm long, depending on the model.

Count the internal and external corners, the connectors and the end caps too. Matching accessories are available for the MONE Design lines, and MACK has corners, a connector and end caps for every colour.

5. Transition profiles between two floors

A transition profile covers the joint between two floors, usually in a doorway. The range includes Arbiton aluminium floor profiles.

Floors at the same height. The 16 mm wide T16 covers a gap of up to 10 mm and is glued, and the 30 mm wide PR3 covers up to 24 mm and is screwed.
Floors at different heights. PR8 levels a height difference of up to 10 mm and PR4 up to 42 mm. They are screwed.
Universal profiles. CS30 levels a difference of up to 6 mm and CS37 up to 17 mm. They are fixed with adhesive or screws.

Before ordering, measure the height difference between the floors and the width of the gap between them.

Checklist before ordering

Wall length without the door widths
Floor type: laminate, vinyl, parquet or tiles
Width of the expansion gap at the wall
Skirting height and decor
Height difference between the floors at transitions

Skirting boards in Montenegro

See the range by height and type:

Models mentioned in this guide:

Send us the wall length, the floor type and the skirting height you want, and you will get a model recommendation and a quote.

Contact Ymalko Montenegro for a quote