Will polyfilla fill this?

[Adsibob]

I’m laying a shelving unit directly onto some skirting in an alcove. The skirting is 12cm high and about 22mm thick. I will have some support battens, also 12cm high that will run along the floor so that the unit is not supported just by the skirting. Because of the shape of the skirting, I will be left with an awkward gap, shaded red in the diagram below. Is this gap/hole too big/deep to polyfilla?

[JohnMo]

You would be better profiling the support to skirting. Polyfiller I suspect would crack and fall out or just look rubbish quite quick.

 

Someone mentioned a non shrinking decorating caulk about a month ago - that maybe of use, no idea the name of it through 

[Adsibob]

48 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

You would be better profiling the support to skirting.

Not with my wood-working skills. The diagram I've drawn is oversimplified somewhat.  There are twice as many changes of slope to the skirting, than shown on the diagram.

[MPH243]

FC1 filler caulk is supposed to work to 25mm and non slumping, it did work and non slumping but I don't know if it cracks in the long term. 

[Adsibob]

Actually, the plinth/support will be about 5cm recessed under the base, so I'm not sure I'll even see it. I might not bother caulking the hole after all.

[Paene Finitur]

On 06/05/2024 at 18:54, Adsibob said:

... so I'm not sure I'll even see it.

 

Ah! But you'll always know that it's there!!

 

Alternative suggestion: You could route a vertical dado channel maybe 8mm deep, 6cm from the top to the middle of skirting on each side. Then cut your battening so that the top 6cm is 8mm wider on each side. It then just slots in neatly. This would not only hide most of the profiling gap, but would also strengthen your battening joins to the skirting.