The Best Paints For Transforming Your Skirting Boards
Satin and gloss paints that give new and old skirting a hard-wearing finish.
Our quick verdict
Our pick of the best paint for skirting boards is the Dulux Once Paint, the satinwood we chose after painting a whole house of new skirting, as a tin went a long way and the mid sheen touched up neatly where it got knocked. In an occupied home, go for the Johnstone’s Wood & Metal Satin, which dries in a couple of hours with low smell.
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Our Picks At A Glance
- Check price of Dulux Once Paint
- Check price of Johnstone’s Wood & Metal Satin
Best Satin Runner-Up
Johnstone’s Wood & Metal SatinSatin skirting and frames you need dry within a couple of hours
- Check price of Dulux Quick Dry Gloss
- Check price of Crown 358142 Stays White
- Check price of Dulux Low Sheen Paint
- Check price of Everbuild Wood Stain
Yellowing is the problem most people don't plan for. Oil-based gloss lays off smoothly but turns cream over time, especially in dim rooms, while water-based trim paints stay white and dry fast enough for two coats in a day. What the boards are made of matters too, as pre-primed MDF takes a topcoat straight away and only bare timber can take a stain.
We painted a whole house of new skirting to put these to work, and the picks cover satinwood paint, gloss, eggshell and a wood stain.
How We Tested These Skirting Board Paints
We replaced every skirting board during a recent house renovation, which gave us a whole house of bare boards to try different paints on. We worked through gloss, satin and eggshell finishes, and one wood stain, before settling on what we'd use again.
Dulux Once Satinwood came out as our favourite. We preferred its lower sheen to gloss on modern skirting, though the finish you choose is a personal call and plenty of people still prefer a glossier look. Each paint was scored on:
- Application: how easily it brushed along the board without runs or drag marks
- Finish: how even the sheen looked once dry
- Coverage: how far a tin went and how many coats it took
- Durability: how hard-wearing the finished paint is
- Whiteness: whether it's made to resist yellowing
- Drying time: how long before the next coat or the floor could go down
The Short below shows us testing Dulux Once Satinwood on skirting, and you can see how easy it is to apply and the finish it leaves.
Skirting Board Paint: Satin, Gloss, Eggshell or Stained? We've Tested Them All To Find The Best!
If you're painting skirting for the first time, our step-by-step guide on how to paint skirting boards covers the prep, cutting in and protecting the floor.
The Best Skirting Board Paints We Recommend
The list is grouped by finish, with two satins, two glosses, an eggshell and a wood stain. Pick the finish first, then the paint.
Best Satin
Dulux Once Paint
Best for: New or freshly sanded skirting where you want one coat and a mid sheen
Check Price On AmazonDulux Once Satinwood was our favourite on the skirting we fitted, and it's the paint in our photos and the Short above. Dulux designs it to cover in a single coat with no undercoat, and on our boards the tin went a long way, needing less paint than we expected for each room.
The finish is a soft mid sheen that looks crisp against painted walls without the shine of gloss. It proved hard-wearing on our skirting and touched up neatly where it got knocked. Dulux quotes 12 square metres per litre and says it won't yellow. The catch is drying time, at up to 16 hours to dry fully, so it's best painted in the evening with the room left alone overnight.
What we like
- One coat with no undercoat according to Dulux
- Went a long way on our skirting
- Hard-wearing and easy to touch up
- Non-yellowing finish
- 12 square metres per litre
What to know
- Takes up to 16 hours to dry fully
Our verdict
For a modern mid sheen with as few coats as possible, Dulux Once Satinwood is the paint we'd go back to. Plan around the 16 hour drying time by painting in the evening. Anyone who needs the room back the same day should look at Johnstone's Wood & Metal Satin, which dries in a couple of hours.
Best Satin Runner-Up
Johnstone’s Wood & Metal Satin
Best for: Satin skirting and frames you need dry within a couple of hours
Check Price On AmazonJohnstone's Quick Dry Satin is the faster alternative to Dulux Once. It's water based, so it's low in odour and dry in 1 to 2 hours, which means you can get two coats on skirting, door frames and architraves in a single day.
The paint is fairly thick and covers well, and Johnstone's quotes 12 square metres per litre with a non-yellowing finish. It comes in 10 colours if you'd like the woodwork to contrast with the walls. On our skirting it needed two coats to look its best. The finished satin is hard-wearing and easy to touch up where it gets scuffed.
What we like
- Dry in 1 to 2 hours
- Water based and low in odour
- Non-yellowing finish
- Choice of 10 colours
- Thick paint that covers well
What to know
- Needed two coats on our skirting for the best finish
Our verdict
Johnstone's Wood & Metal Satin suits anyone painting skirting in an occupied home, where low smell and quick drying count for more than saving a coat. It's good value for a quality satin. If you'd rather do one coat and wait overnight, Dulux Once Satinwood is the better choice, and Crown Stays White is the pick for a gloss finish that stays bright.
Best Gloss
Dulux Quick Dry Gloss
Best for: A traditional high-shine finish on skirting and door frames
Check Price On AmazonGloss is still the favourite finish in a lot of homes, and Dulux Quick Dry Gloss gives that classic shine without the slow drying and strong smell of old oil-based gloss. It's touch dry in an hour, and Dulux recommends 6 hours between coats.
It brushes on easily, doesn't drip and suits wood and metal, so you can use the same tin on radiator pipes running along the skirting. Brushes, skin and clothes wash clean with soapy water. In our skirting tests the gloss didn't go as far as Dulux Once Satinwood, even though Dulux quotes up to 12 square metres per litre for both, and it needed two coats for the best result. A high gloss shows every dent, so fill and sand carefully first.
What we like
- High-sheen gloss finish
- Touch dry in 1 hour
- Non-drip and easy to brush
- Stays white according to Dulux
- Suits wood and metal
What to know
- Needed two coats on our skirting
- Didn't go as far as Dulux Once Satinwood in our test
Our verdict
Shiny skirting that matches gloss doors and frames elsewhere in the house is what Dulux Quick Dry Gloss does well. With 6 hours between coats you can get both on in a day, and the brushes wash out in soapy water. Expect to put two coats on, and fill every dent first, because high gloss shows them all.
Best Gloss Runner-Up
Crown 358142 Stays White
Best for: Bright white gloss skirting on a tighter budget
Check Price On AmazonCrown Stays White is a water-based gloss and a cheaper alternative to the Dulux above. It's made for skirting, door frames and window frames, and Crown says it suits both interior and exterior use, so a leftover tin can go on the outside window frames too.
As the name suggests, the selling point is whiteness. Crown says it's non-yellowing and stays white for longer than standard gloss, which matters on skirting in rooms with little daylight, where solvent-based gloss turns cream fastest. It's touch dry in 1 hour with a durable high-sheen finish. The only size is a 750 ml tin, so a whole house of skirting means buying several.
What we like
- Water-based gloss
- Touch dry in 1 hour
- Stays white for longer according to Crown
- Suits interior and exterior woodwork
- Durable high-sheen finish
What to know
- Only sold in 750 ml tins
Our verdict
Bright white gloss on a tighter budget is the case for Crown Stays White. Crown makes it to resist yellowing, which shows most on skirting in a room with little daylight, and a spare tin can go on the outside window frames too. The single 750 ml tin size is the drawback on a big job. For less shine, Johnstone's Wood & Metal Satin gives a mid sheen with similar quick drying.
Best Eggshell
Dulux Low Sheen Paint
Best for: A subtle low-sheen finish or coloured skirting
Check Price On AmazonDulux's Quick Dry Eggshell sits below satinwood on the sheen scale, so the skirting has just a hint of shine. That suits period-style rooms and coloured woodwork, where a flatter finish looks more natural, and it hides small dents better than gloss.
It comes in 25 colours, the widest choice in this list, which makes it the one to look at if you want skirting to match or contrast with the walls. Dulux quotes 16 square metres per litre, so a 2.5 litre tin covers around 40 square metres. It's non-drip and touch dry in an hour, but it needs two coats for the best result, and with 6 hours between them that's a full day's job.
What we like
- Subtle low-sheen finish
- Choice of 25 colours
- 16 square metres per litre
- Non-drip and easy to apply
- Touch dry in 1 hour
What to know
- Needs two coats for the best results
- Wait 6 hours between coats
Our verdict
Coloured skirting is where the Quick Dry Eggshell stands out, with 25 shades and a low sheen that looks natural in period-style rooms. It's also good for anyone who finds satin too shiny, and chips are easy to touch up later. On bare pine or oak where you want the grain on show, Everbuild Wood Stain is the alternative.
Best Stain
Everbuild Wood Stain
Best for: Bare pine or hardwood skirting where you want the grain to show
Check Price On AmazonA wood stain is an option only on bare timber skirting, since it soaks into the wood rather than sitting on top. MDF and previously painted boards won't take it. If you've fitted solid pine or oak, Everbuild's stain gives a natural finish in natural oak, antique pine, mahogany, walnut, rosewood, dark oak, teak or clear.
Everbuild says it's touch dry in 30 minutes and ready for a second coat after 4 hours, so both coats fit easily into a day. The brand also quotes up to 20 square metres per litre and up to 5 years of protection against cracking and peeling. Tins come in 250 ml, 750 ml and 2.5 litres. When we tried it on skirting, the colour came out much darker than we expected, so test it on an offcut first.
What we like
- Touch dry in 30 minutes according to Everbuild
- Second coat after 4 hours
- Eight finishes including clear
- 250 ml, 750 ml and 2.5 litre tins
- Up to 20 square metres per litre
What to know
- Came out much darker than expected on our skirting
- Only suits bare timber, not MDF or painted boards
Our verdict
Everbuild Wood Stain is for bare pine or hardwood skirting where you want the grain on show rather than a painted finish. Test it on a scrap of the same timber before committing. For MDF or painted skirting, choose Dulux Once Satinwood, or Dulux Quick Dry Eggshell if you want a low-sheen coloured finish.
How To Choose The Right Paint For Skirting
Once you've picked a finish, the right skirting paint comes down to what the boards are made of, how quickly you need the room back and how fussy you are about yellowing.
Gloss, Satin Or Eggshell
Gloss has the most shine and is the hardest wearing, but it shows every dent and brush mark. Satin, sold as satinwood, has a mid sheen that's easier to get looking good, and it's the finish we chose for our own renovation. Eggshell has a low sheen that suits period rooms and coloured woodwork.
If you're changing the finish on existing skirting, our guide to painting satinwood over gloss explains how to key the old paint so the new coat grips.
Water-Based Or Oil-Based Paint
Water-based trim paints dry in an hour or two, smell far less and wash out of brushes with water. They also stay white, which is why several of the paints in this list are water based.
Traditional oil-based gloss lays off very smoothly and is tough, but it turns yellow over time, especially in rooms with little daylight. Our guide on stopping gloss paint going yellow explains why that happens and what to do about it.
MDF Or Timber Skirting
Pre-primed MDF skirting is ready for a topcoat straight away, and a one-coat paint like Dulux Once works well on it. Bare pine needs knots sealing and a primer or self-undercoating paint, or resin will bleed through. Only bare timber can take a wood stain. If you haven't fitted your boards yet, our comparison of MDF or wood skirting boards covers the pros and cons of each.
Prep That Makes The Finish
Fill nail holes and dents, then sand smooth. Run a bead of decorator's caulk along the top edge where the skirting meets the wall to hide the gap, and let it set before painting. Lightly sand old paint to give it a key, vacuum up the dust and wipe the boards down.
Protect the floor with low-tack masking tape or a strip of card held against the bottom edge as you paint. A good 1.5 or 2 inch brush from our pick of the best paint brushes makes the long, even strokes along the board much easier.
Drying Time And Living In The House
Quick-dry water-based paints let you put two coats on in a day and move furniture back sooner. One-coat paints like Dulux Once save a coat but take longer to dry fully, so keep pets and vacuum cleaners away overnight. Allow a few days for any paint to harden properly before pushing furniture back against it.
Skirting Board Paint Questions Answered
Should skirting boards be gloss or satin?
Satin or gloss on skirting boards comes down to the look you prefer. Satin's mid sheen looks clean and hides small marks better than gloss, and it's what we chose for our own renovation. Gloss gives a traditional high shine and is slightly tougher, which suits period properties and homes with gloss doors. Both are hard-wearing and wipeable.
Do you need to undercoat skirting boards before painting?
Bare timber skirting needs a primer or undercoat unless you use a self-undercoating paint like Dulux Once Satinwood. Pre-primed MDF is ready for a topcoat straight away. Previously painted boards in good condition only need a light sand and a wipe down, though a big colour change, such as dark to white, needs an undercoat to stop the old colour showing through.
Can you use emulsion on skirting boards?
Emulsion isn't a good choice for skirting boards because it isn't tough enough to stand up to knocks, scuffs and regular wiping. It marks easily and can peel on bare or glossy wood. Use a satinwood, gloss or eggshell made for woodwork instead. If you want the skirting to match your walls, many trim paints come in coloured ranges.
How long should skirting board paint dry before moving furniture back?
Wait until the paint is fully dry before moving anything against the skirting, which is a few hours for quick-dry water-based paints and up to 16 hours for Dulux Once Satinwood. Paint keeps hardening for several days after it feels dry, so push furniture back gently and avoid scrubbing or knocking the boards during the first week.
Does Dulux Once Satinwood really cover in one coat?
Dulux designs Once Satinwood to cover in a single coat with no undercoat. On the skirting we fitted, the tin went a long way and needed less paint than we expected for each room. It takes up to 16 hours to dry fully, so painting in the evening works best. It's the paint in our photos and the Short above.
Which skirting board paint dries fastest in an occupied home?
Johnstone's Wood & Metal Satin is the quickest, as it's water based, low in odour and dry in 1 to 2 hours, so two coats fit in one day. Dulux Quick Dry Gloss is touch dry in an hour, though Dulux recommends 6 hours between coats. Dulux Once Satinwood is the slowest in our list at up to 16 hours.
Will Everbuild Wood Stain work on MDF skirting?
No, Everbuild Wood Stain only suits bare timber such as solid pine or oak, because it soaks into the wood rather than sitting on top. MDF and previously painted boards won't take it. On our skirting it came out much darker than expected, so test it on a scrap of the same timber before you commit to the whole room.
Which paint would you choose for coloured skirting boards?
Dulux Quick Dry Eggshell is the one to look at. It comes in 25 colours, the widest choice in our list, and the low sheen looks natural in period-style rooms. It also hides small dents better than gloss. It needs two coats for the best results, with 6 hours between them, and Dulux quotes 16 square metres per litre.
Which Skirting Board Paint We Recommend
Dulux Once Satinwood is our favourite skirting board paint after using it across a whole renovation. Dulux says it covers in a single coat, and it leaves a modern mid sheen and touches up neatly. If you prefer gloss, go for Dulux Quick Dry Gloss, or Crown Stays White as the cheaper alternative.
Eddie spent five years as a self-employed painter and decorator before going part time to become one of the main writers at DIY Works. From garden fences to mist coats on fresh plaster, painting and decorating is his speciality.