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Any very high-quality repair can be spoiled by unsuccessfully selected trifles. One of these little things is the plinth. It must be chosen so that it does not look foreign, but logically completes the picture. In this case, let’s talk about aluminum plinth.
Advantages and disadvantages
Aluminum plinth is one of the most durable. There are few substances that can destroy this metal, and very few of them are used in everyday life. The most unpleasant thing that can happen is a dark film appears on the surface. It is a consequence of the reaction of aluminum with oxygen contained in the air. Modern methods of processing allow you to get rid of this trouble. One of these methods is anodizing. After processing, a thin, durable film is formed on the surface of the product, which gives the product an additional shine. It also protects against oxidative processes.
Since aluminum is a soft metal, products of any shape and configuration can be made from it. And this is also a virtue. Softness also allows you to tightly press thin-walled skirting boards to uneven surfaces. This is very difficult with composite materials (MDF, for example) and almost impossible with wood. On the other hand, the softness of aluminum is a possibility of damage. But pine wood is even softer, so the aluminum plinth outperforms the wooden ones in this aspect.
There are other advantages: ease of maintenance, long service life. The best part is that you do not need to periodically update the varnish or paint. Contaminants that have fallen on the surface can be easily removed with a wet cloth. Sometimes mild, non-abrasive detergents can be used. If you do not use detergents containing acids when cleaning, nothing will happen to the aluminum plinth, its surface will remain smooth and shiny.
There are also disadvantages. The first is the high price. You can’t do anything with the price – aluminum is an expensive material. Manufacturers are trying to reduce the price by making the walls thin or by creating combined skirting boards – from aluminum and wood composite, for example. But everything needs a measure. Too thin walls are also not an option, as this may affect the service life.
The second is a specific appearance that does not fit into any interior. For example, in a classic, ethnic or romantic interior, aluminum skirting boards do not look good in any case. But in high-tech and other modern styles, it fits better than others. There are restrictions on compatibility with materials. It looks great in combination with tiles, some types of laminate. With “fleshy” coatings, you need to look specifically at the interior.
For kitchen set
If we talk about the place of installation, then the aluminum plinth is placed at the junction of the wall and floor (floor) or at the junction of the countertop of the kitchen set to the wall (kitchen). Since they have different tasks, they differ constructively.
Types and device
The kitchen aluminum plinth should smooth the angle between the wall / apron and the countertop, prevent debris and moisture from entering the gap, therefore it usually has a triangle in cross section. For tighter contact with the wall and countertop, elastic silicone bumpers are attached along the edges. During installation, the plinth for the countertop is pressed so that the silicone strips cover all the irregularities.
Such a plinth usually consists of a body and a front plate. They are connected to each other with a lock, which can be single or double. A single one does not always give the desired fixation strength, and a double one often “sits” hard in place. Until the plinth is installed, everything connects with a bang, but after installation, problems begin. Sometimes you have to use a fist, a rubber mallet, and other methods of “power mounting.”
The front bar can be straight, curved and concave (pictured). In addition, its surface can be even and smooth, rough, with various lines, with a pattern. If we talk about practicality, it is easier to clean smooth ones, with ribbed or patterned ones – this is more problematic. But often the selection of the type of surface depends more on the appearance of the kitchen set.
Mounting Features
Before installation, the aluminum plinth is cut into pieces of the desired length. Some systems have special corners, connectors, end caps. The length must be calculated taking into account these elements. The front plate is removed from the cut piece, the body is attached to the wall with dowels / self-tapping screws. For greater reliability and tightness, it is recommended to coat the back wall of the kitchen aluminum plinth with silicone sealant. It is better to take it transparent (this is under the usual color of aluminum) or black – if the plinth is black.
Do not use white sealant – it quickly turns yellow and there is nothing you can do about it. To prevent mold from blooming on the surface of the sealant, take sealants for aquariums. They are perfectly adapted to a humid environment, durable and nothing grows on them. You don’t have to worry about their safety either – aquarium fish are gentle creatures and do not tolerate harmful substances.
After the skirting board body is installed, the silicone has seized (you should wait for the required time, which is indicated on the package), corners / plugs, connectors are installed. Lastly, the front plate is installed in its place.
Outdoor
Floor aluminum skirting boards differ in shape. They are more like a rectangle in cross section, they do not have silicone sides. But there is an abundance of sizes, shapes and installation methods.
Dimensions and application
Let’s talk about sizes first. The height of the aluminum skirting board for the floor can be from 40 mm to 120 mm. Thickness – from 5-6 mm to 30-40 mm. Thin ones look very stylish in some interiors, but are not suitable for all floor coverings. Some materials have significant thermal expansion, therefore they are laid with a gap of at least 1 cm from the walls. For such cases, super-narrow aluminum skirting boards are not suitable, since they simply do not close this gap.
A wider aluminum baseboard may not be as elegant, but it is useful: they often hide a cavity for cable routing. Power cables (through which 220 V is supplied) are hardly worth laying in this way, but a little current (TV cables, Internet, low-voltage power) is very convenient.
Special types
There are also flush-mounted aluminum skirting boards. They are installed before finishing. As a result, they are either on the same level with the finishing material or, as it were, “hide” under it. There are options that serve as a support for sheet finishing materials. For example, an aluminum skirting board for drywall. The lower part of the sheet rests on the plinth shelf. It is used if the GKL is mounted on a wall without a crate.
For more sophisticated interiors, there are aluminum skirting boards with decorative overlays or backlit. Stylistically they are different. Decorative ones are rare. They are only available from Fezard. The pads are also made of metal. Floral pattern “softens” the utility of the material. In this version, you can try to fit it into some more “soft” interiors, in which floral ornaments are used in other types of decoration.
In the aluminum plinth with LED backlight, a groove is formed on the front side, into which the LED strip fits. The groove is closed with a strip of transparent or matte plastic. Accordingly, the light is brighter or diffused. Such skirting boards give an interesting effect – the walls “hover” in the air. If they are installed in the corridor, at night there is no need for additional lighting.
Since the LED strip is in an enclosed space, it will heat up. Since the LEDs quickly become cloudy with an increase in temperature, then they burn out, it is better to initially take a small glow power. By the way, there is no backlight in baseboards made of other materials, because the LEDs in them will overheat very quickly, which will lead to their burnout. Aluminum has good thermal conductivity and removes excess heat. Other materials accumulate heat and may even catch fire. So it’s better not to experiment.
There is a second option – when a shelf in the form of the letter “G” laid on its side is cast in the upper part of the plinth. An LED strip is attached to the end of this shelf. It turns out that the light is directed not to the side, as in the previous version, but down. The advantage of this type of backlit skirting board is that the tape is open, so it cools better, which means that more powerful LEDs can be used.
Colors and surfaces
Do not think that the aluminum plinth can only be silver-gray. During the anodizing process, it can be painted in any color, but most often you can find black, white, bronze, brass and several shades of gray.
Standard options for “metallic” colors may vary in degree of gloss. There is a color that resembles a varnish coating, there are options with varying degrees of “satin” – matte, with “grinding marks”.
The color and degree of gloss are selected based on the overall style and the prevailing colors of the interior. Bright shine is appropriate only in high-tech, all the rest tend more towards matte or semi-matte color options.
Mounting methods
Aluminum plinth can have different ways of fastening to the walls. Thin views are mounted only and exclusively on glue: drilling a hole in the bar will spoil the appearance, but it will not work in any other way. Glue is selected based on the material of the walls, but most often universal compositions such as “liquid nails” are used.
Wider floor skirting models have two fastening systems:
- The support is fixed at a certain distance from the floor, the plinth itself is put on it (like on rails). These are usually options with a small thickness.
- The plinth consists of two parts – the body and the front decorative strip. The case is attached to the wall, then, with the help of a lock, the front plate is fixed. This mounting method is usually found on wider models, in which cables and wires can be laid. The front panel can be removed, so this is a fairly convenient way.
When choosing duralumin skirting boards, pay attention to the presence of elements that allow you to assemble any configuration. These are external and internal corners, connectors and plugs. When installing, it is advisable to fix the part of the plinth in the element, since often the corners (especially the outer ones) and end caps fly out, causing inconvenience. You can “put on glue” the junction, coat it with sealant. In the case of glue, an inextricable connection is obtained, which is not very good, since it is usually possible to remove the plinth during repairs. Therefore, it is advisable to use a sealant – it will hold the parts together, but they can be torn apart without damaging them. Just do not take acidic sealants – they will leave marks on aluminum.
work Features
It is better to cut an aluminum plinth with a miter saw, if it is not available, you can use a grinder or a conventional hand saw with a metal blade. When using a hand tool, it is not easy to achieve a straight line. If there are flaws somewhere, it will be necessary to correct with a file, you can remove the burrs with it or with a bar wrapped in sandpaper.
For a smoother cut when working with a hand saw, you can use the usual carpenter’s miter box. It is easy to make 45° and 90° angles in it.