Skirtings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Horizontal or vertical boards covering the joint between the wall and floor to protect walls from damage or to conceal gaps ; decorative or protective wooden, plastic, or metal strips installed along the base of interior walls to enhance room aesthetics and prevent scuffs ; molding or trim placed at the bottom edge of walls to hide irregularities where the floor meets the wall and to provide a finished appearance to the room
2. Baseboards or molding running along the intersection of floors and walls serving both protective and decorative purposes ; finishing strips affixed near the floor to hide expansion gaps and prevent wall marks ; architectural elements installed at wall bases to conceal seams and add visual interest to interior spaces
3. Narrow panels or boards fixed where walls meet floors to cover joints, guard walls from furniture and foot traffic impact, and complete the look of a room ; trim pieces used in construction to mask wall-floor transitions while improving style and durability ; lining components positioned at floor edges of walls to protect surfaces and provide neat boundary definition between wall and floor surfaces

Etymology: "Skirtings" is the plural of "skirting," a noun for the board or moulding that runs along the base of a wall where it meets the floor. The singular form is what carries the history: it comes from "skirt" in the sense of the lower edge or border of something, the same root that gives us the garment. A skirting, in other words, is the edge of the wall, the part that hems it in at the bottom, much as a dress skirt hangs from the waist. The usage of "skirting" as a term for this kind of wall finish reflects that edge sense. Wall bases were the natural place for protective and decorative woodwork, and the name stuck to the trim itself rather than to the wall. The plural simply refers to the separate lengths of board that together run around a room.

Synonyms: baseboards, moldings, trim, edgings, friezes