How to model skirting boards - Different methods described

[Anonymous]

Hi everybody,

I've recently come across three different methods to model skirting boards in Revit and wanted to share what I've found out with you, also in order to understand which is the best way to do it - if there is one?!?

Method 1 - Room Finishing add-on

We apply the skirting using the "Room Finishing" add-on. 

PROS

• Easy and quick to model.
• You can tag the skirting (independently from the wall "applied" to).
• Easy and quick to schedule.

CONS

• Being the skirting an actual wall type, when it comes to net area calculation of the room, Revit will consider it as an actual wall and therefore subtract its thickness to the overall area. The best solution to get around this is to set the thickness of the wall used as a skirting as thin as possible (e.g. 1mm). Although we have to bear in mind that there will always be a slight difference between the actual area of the room and the one calculated. The difference is minimum though - we are talking about decimals. 
• The skirting doesn't stop at the end of the door architrave but goes all the way through it until it reaches the actual door opening. There is a thread on this (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-architecture-forum/wall-sweep-and-reveal-set-back/m-p/9239164#M...) and nobody seems to have found a proper solution yet. Lots of suggestions about changing the value manually but none of them make the process smooth and automated as I'd like to. 

Method 2.A - Wall Sweep (part of wall structure)

In this case we add the sweep to the structure of the wall type we are going to use for the skirting board.

PROS

• Easy and quick to model.
• Being a sweep (and not a wall) it won't be counted in the room area calculations as it happens for the method 1 described above. 

CONS

• Cannot be tagged. A specific keynote needs to be created instead. 
• Cannot be scheduled independently from the wall hosting it. Big limit!
• Being hosted by a specific wall type, every time we need to use a different type of skirting we need to create a new wall type and associate the new sweep to it. Tedious and not very flexible. We end up having hundreds of wall types just because of differente skirting required. 
• Same problem with the skirting not stopping at the door architrave as per method 1 described above. 

Method 2.B - Wall Sweep (applied to wall manually)

In this case we add the sweep using the tool in the ribbon and therefore we don't need to edit the structure of the wall we are applying it to. 

PROS

• Easy and quick to model.
• Being a sweep (and not a wall) it won't be counted in the room area calculations as it happens for the method 1 described above. 
• It can be tagged (see CONS below). 
• Easy and quick to schedule.

CONS

• Can be applied only in elevation and 3d views (doesn't work in plan views).
• If we want to tag it we need to either divide in parts and then apply the tag to the sweep or apply a material and then tag by material and not by item. Another method is to apply a keynote. 
• Same problem with the skirting not stopping at the door architrave as per method 1 described above. 

The above is the summary of what I've found out so far. Please feel free to comment and give suggestions. 

Cheers,

Gab

[Anonymous]

For your method 1 you can make the wall to be non room-bounding.

[Anonymous]

Good tip Tim, thanks. However, that is an instance parameter and therefore it has to be done for every single wall used as skirting. Kind of "select all and uncheck that box".

[barthbradley]

FWIW @Anonymous :

[Anonymous]

Hi Barth,

Thanks for your screen grab. I know the set back can be set up in the properties. However, once it's set it will always be the same value and if I need to change it I'd have to create a new type and do it manually. 

What I am after is a way to get the wall (Room Finishing add-on method) or the sweep used to show the skirting board to update automatically, no matter the type of door architrave I use. 

[barthbradley]

Yes, you are right @Anonymous.  I kind of figured that would be your come back too.  It would have been mine. Anyways, I just I throw it out in case you were unaware of it.  It has a usefulness.   

[Anonymous]

Hi Barth,

Any suggestion is always appreciated. That way of managing the set back is one of the first things I've tried to use but it turned out to be not very Revit-geeky-parametric 🙂

What I'm after is something that once set up (properly) the first time can be used no matter the shape/width of the door architrave. That could save a lot of time and also simplify the model not having to deal with multiple skirting board types. 

[barthbradley]

I get it. I've been there too.  I think your first post says it pretty accurately and completely.  Amend it with a mention of the "Setback" parameter - and its limitations - and I think you've said all that can be said on the subject.  

Hit the Idea Forum next.  I'll support it.