At first glance, the installation of this decorative element does not present any difficulties, however, in reality, even with self-assembly, novice masters may experience certain difficulties. One of the main ones is cutting skirting boards to decorate the corners of the room. With improper trimming, the plinth will not only not decorate the room, but can completely ruin its appearance.
How to avoid additional difficulties, cut the corner correctly and with the least loss and beautifully install this necessary element of the interior?
What do you need to know to prepare for work?
The most common options for ceiling plinth are products made of foam, extruded polystyrene foam and wood. Depending on the material, preparations are made for installation and cutting corners, as well as the selection of cutting equipment.
For example, foam products are cut with an ordinary clerical knife. For cuts of denser polystyrene foam, a well-sharpened construction knife or a hacksaw is used. Despite the density, this material crumbles very easily, and therefore, when working with it, you should not press hard on the tool.
As for the most durable wooden skirting boards, they are cut with a hacksaw with frequent fine teeth.
Also, when cutting plinth material, you will need a miter box - a tool that helps cut the bar at a given angle.
The main assistant here is the miter box. It should also be borne in mind that corners can be internal and external. The first are the usual corners of any rectangular rooms. The latter are formed in niches and with other original designs.
So, to form an internal corner, it is necessary to install a plinth bar in the miter box and press it against its far wall. In this case, the workpiece must be held with the left hand. The hacksaw is set so that the cut angle is 45 degrees, and the saw handle is directed towards the left hand.
To trim the second (opposite) part of the corner, all actions will be similar, only the workpiece will need to be held with the right hand and the hacksaw handle will be directed towards it. Small inaccuracies are eliminated with a file.
In the case of preparation by fillet for external corners, the algorithm of actions remains almost unchanged. The only difference is that the bar is pressed not to the far wall of the miter box, but to the nearest one.
It is important to remember that this option for fitting corners is only applicable when the room angle is 90 degrees. If the room angle is not straight, then its radius is divided by two, and thus the required slope of the cut is determined.
The miter box can be purchased or made independently. Moreover, the independent production of this necessary tool does not require large costs and a lot of time. By connecting three boards with a width of 10 to 15 cm, a box is formed, on which, after careful measurements, the appropriate markings are applied. To do this, two perpendicular lines are drawn on the sides of the sides.
Then a distance equal to the width of the workpiece (box) retreats from them and two more marks are applied. All marks should eventually form a square. In the marked places, cuts are made diagonally, which are then expanded with sandpaper.
Another method of forming the corner of the fillet is with the help of ceiling markings. In this case, the angle will exactly match the wall joints. This is a plus. The downside is the inconvenience of holding the material to the canopy when cutting.
To properly cut the bar, first take one of the skirting boards and apply it tightly to the intended installation site. A small straight line is drawn along it on the ceiling surface. Then they take another bar and press it on the other side of the corner. And draw a line again.
After that, again taking the first bar and leaning it as it will look in finished form, mark on it the place corresponding to the point of intersection of two straight lines on the ceiling. The resulting mark is connected by a line to the opposite edge of the plinth. It turns out a cut line.
For the second part of the corner fillet, the procedure is repeated. As a result, two strips are obtained, forming the required angle.
The plinth is part of a decorative element that allows you to hide the corners both at the bottom and at the top. It also plays the role of a decor that can decorate almost any interior.
There are several types of skirting boards, which differ both in the place of use and in the construction material. These products can be purchased at jkkdecorators.com.
Trimming the inner corner
Often, a special tool is used to trim the corners of skirting boards, which is called a miter box. It allows you to get connections at an even angle.
But sometimes this device may not be in the house, but you urgently need to perform such an operation. Consider how to do this using the example of a ceiling plinth for an inner corner.
The product labeling procedure consists of several stages:
- At the very beginning, we apply the plinth to the corner with the side that is planned to be cut.
- Then, using a pencil, draw a line on the ceiling, along the base of the product.
- After that, turn the plinth over to the other side of the corner, placing it in the same way.
- Draw the second line in the same way. They must intersect at one point. After that, we draw a line from this point to the corner of the product.
- To obtain the second corner, we perform the last operation with the plinth located on the opposite side of the corner.
At the end, we measure and, if necessary, cut the product.
Marking the outer corner
Consider an example of cutting a plinth for an outer corner of a ceiling. To do this, you must perform several operations:
- At the very beginning, you should attach your product to the right side of the corner. After that, using a pencil, draw a line that should go a little further beyond the edge of the wall.
- In the same way, we make markings on the left side of the corner. This will give us a connection point.
- Then we mark the corner point on the plinth, which should be at the bottom, and also put a mark at the intersection of the lines on the ceiling.
- Connect these points and draw a line. You need to cut inside the plinth to get a reliable joint.
Similarly, it is possible to carry out markings and skirting boards for the floor. But it should be remembered that everything seems to be turned upside down there. It's like a mirror image.
Repair of the premises and its interior decoration most often end with the installation of ceiling plinths. Although some people prefer to refuse them, but even if the most professional craftsman does the interior decoration to the nearest millimeter, the repair will seem incomplete if the ceiling plinth is not glued. When you make cosmetic repairs, most likely, against the background of other questions, there is another problem - how to cut the corners of the ceiling plinth?
The ceiling plinth completes the interior decoration, giving the room a neat finished look.
Some Features
At first, everything seems extremely simple. In a real repair, people who are faced with sharp corners discover that everything is not so simple as it seemed at first.
This problem arises because it is impossible to cut the ceiling plinth at an angle of 45 degrees. How to cut the corner of a ceiling plinth if there is no certain knowledge and experience? Let's try to answer this question.
To know the technology of working with a certain material, it is necessary to determine the properties of this material. To do this, we learn, but what do such products consist of? Materials for manufacturing:
For work you will need the following materials:
- Miter box. This carpentry tool is sold in all hardware stores. Choose the simplest option so that you can cut at 95 and 45 degrees.
- Hacksaw for wood or metal. When choosing this item, take one with small and frequent teeth. In this case, the cut will be even and smooth.
But sometimes there is no way to buy a miter box. Therefore, we consider two options for how to cut the corners of the ceiling plinth:
- without a professional chair;
- with a chair.
Cutting the corners of a ceiling plinth with a miter box is as easy as shelling pears!
Trying on the skirting board on site before gluing is an obligatory stage of high-quality work on the installation of a ceiling skirting board.
If you bought a miter box or you already had it, then cutting corners will not be difficult. In order for the corner to turn out to be even, it is necessary to lay the plinth in the miter box in the position in which you will further mount it to the ceiling.
Hacksaw or knife? For wood - only a hacksaw, for the rest you can use a knife, but only on condition that it is sharp and thin. Otherwise, you risk ruining the skirting board.
Once the cut is made, it may be necessary to adjust the angle before installation. This is done with a file - for wood, for polystyrene foam and polystyrene - with a sharp knife.
Cutting a ceiling plinth requires softness, tenderness, fluidity and calmness.
In no case do not apply force, so you can break not only fragile foam, even wood can crack if you press harder than required.
Cutting the corner of the ceiling plinth without a construction miter box is also not a problem!
But it is not always possible to buy a miter box (not in material terms, it is relatively inexpensive). There are cases of repairs in the country, when they initially forgot to buy, and a trip to the city will cost more than the miter box itself. Therefore, consider the following option - how to cut a plinth without a miter box.
- For this option, you will need a simple pencil, an eye, a knife or a hacksaw for metal (or wood). Pick up a tray similar in shape to a miter box. It will be analog. You can even choose the angle between wall and floor. To begin with, mark the places on the material where you will make the cuts. Further, the work is similar to working with a miter box. Lay the product in the position in which it will be mounted on the ceiling. Holding the knife (or hacksaw) strictly in an upright position, make cuts according to the intended meters. Tip: Use a protractor or a student's ruler for proper marking.
- Another method requires cardboard or thick paper. A template is made of cardboard, a line is drawn in it with a simple pencil - a landmark. After that, take two small boards and assemble them at an angle of 90 degrees. Further, the process is the same as with the miter box. Lay and start cutting the ceiling plinth in the direction of the selected corner.
- The third way to cut ceiling plinths is also quite simple. A method similar to the first two is also an analogue of a special construction miter box. Take 3 boards and knock them together in the position that the miter box suggests. Take a student protractor and draw lines of 45 degree angles. Further, everything is as with an ordinary miter box.
Additional rules
With the help of the above tips, it becomes clear that cutting the corners of the skirting board for the ceiling is not difficult. But in order for the result to be of high quality, it is worth familiarizing yourself with some rules:
- Before attaching one part, it is worth adjusting the second. Before applying glue and fixing the product directly to the wall, attach both halves of it. In this case, the surface of the wall must be dry. So, you will check for correct connection so that there is no gap and gap. In case of mismatch, trim the joint with a sharp knife.
- Don't worry if it doesn't work right away. It's quite normal. Sometimes, for proper cutting, you have to trim the element several times.
- It happens that the peaks matched perfectly, and in the middle there is a small gap. Such an angle can be fixed, then putty to close the gap. This is not scary, since the plinth must be painted after installation with water-based paint.
- Particular attention must be paid to the length of the strips in the corners. There is such a rule - for the inner corner, the length of the bar is adjusted from corner to corner. For the outer corner, the measurement is taken in the direction of the room from the inner point.
In the course of consideration, it is clear that cutting the corners of the ceiling plinth, when there are only the most elementary tools, such as a knife, a hacksaw and a miter box, is quite simple. You can save some money and do without the help of a master.
If cutting is too difficult for you, you can buy ready-made parts to which straight strips are attached. Basically, it all depends on your abilities, skills and, most importantly, patience. Good luck!
Repair is a responsible and costly undertaking. Although you can save a lot if you do the work yourself. Cosmetic finishing of premises is carried out according to certain technologies. You can decorate the interior using a variety of materials.
Today, a very popular technique is the use of ceiling plinths to hide irregularities between the walls and ceiling. In order for the contour to be aesthetic, it is necessary to do the work carefully. How to cut corners on ceiling plinths, the advice of experienced construction and repair craftsmen will help you understand. They will tell you how to use various tools to perform the necessary manipulations with decorative finishes of various types.
General characteristics of the finish
When studying the question of how to properly cut a corner on a ceiling plinth, you should familiarize yourself with the features of such a finish. Stucco molding between the ceiling and walls is now made of artificial materials. It can be polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene foam or polyurethane. Wood can be used from natural materials.
In the construction business it is called (scientifically) a fillet. Of all the materials from which such trim elements are made, polyurethane is considered the highest quality. Therefore, it is better to choose it. Next, let's try to figure out how to cut a corner. Expert advice will help you do this job well.
Skirting material
Experts agree that polyurethane is the best material for the presented finishing products. But even it has a number of shortcomings. These should be taken into account before cutting corners on ceiling moldings. Polyurethane is subject to temperature fluctuations. Therefore, it is not used for decoration in the kitchen or bath. Otherwise, the skirting boards will quickly crack and lose their aesthetics.
Expanded polystyrene has almost all the positive characteristics inherent in polyurethane. But it is still more fragile material. It's easy to break.
Skirting boards made of PVC are relatively cheap. But it is very easy to leave dents or potholes on them. Therefore, it is necessary to work with such products very carefully.
Wood looks very beautiful, but not in all interiors. In addition, it is quite difficult for an unprofessional master to work with such material. Would you like to do your own repairs? Then you better still choose polyurethane or expanded polystyrene.
Form, fittings
When studying the question of how to properly cut a corner on a ceiling plinth, attention should be paid to its shape and related products. There are embossed and smooth fillets. Their width and length can vary significantly.
When choosing the size of the skirting boards, the type of interior, as well as the height of the ceilings, are taken into account. For a small room, where the floor-to-ceiling distance is no more than 2.75 m, wide skirting boards will not work. They will look out of place. For the same reason, a narrow fillet should not be used for high ceilings. In such rooms, a 45 mm plinth looks good.
For installation, you can purchase curly corners from the same material as the fillet. They are external and internal. But quite often the skirting boards are joined without them, directly. In this case, you need to perform a smooth, beautiful trimming of the corners.
Preparatory work
To make the process quick and easy, use a tool such as a miter box. This is a U-shaped template. There are slot patterns in its side walls. They have different angles.
There is another technique that allows you to evenly glue the ceiling plinth. It is possible to cut corners without a miter box. But still, the use of such a tool greatly facilitates the work.
First you need to mark the plinth. If you want to create an external corner, measure the length along the ceiling, internal - along the wall. For fillets, a line slope of 45 and 90 degrees is used. Since this is a fairly small number of slot options, it is quite possible to make a template yourself. All you need is a sheet of paper or cardboard.
If the repairman has considerable experience in carrying out such operations, he can cut corners without additional tools. The master attaches the fillet to the wall, and then makes marks on the product right here. After that, he cuts off the excess. An inexperienced master, most likely, will not be able to cut even corners the first time. Therefore, it is better to use a miter box or close the irregularities with decorative corners.
Inner corner
First of all, it is necessary to consider the technique of how to cut the inner corner of the ceiling plinth. After all, they are in every room. If there are no external corners in ordinary rectangular rooms, then these varieties will have to be cut out anyway.
A plinth is placed at the bottom of the miter box with the side that will adjoin the ceiling. The lower part of the fillet will be pressed against the wall of the tray.
If the material is hard, it is cut with a metal saw. Soft products are easily processed with a sharp knife. The angle should be 45 degrees. If the pressure during cutting is too strong, hooks and chips will form on the plinth. cut in the same way.
Before gluing, they are applied to the wall and, if necessary, correct small irregularities. There should be no gaps between the skirting boards. If this is the first time such work is being done, you can practice in small pieces.
outside corner
Quite often, the contour of the walls in the room has a complex shape. In this case, you will need to figure out how to cut the outer corner of the ceiling plinth. To do this, it is laid on the bottom of the miter box in the same way as in the previous version, with the side that is adjacent to the ceiling.
For these corners, other slots are used. They also have a slope of 45 degrees, but are on the other side. Further, after marking and trimming, 2 skirting boards are applied to the corresponding place on the ceiling. An adjustment is being made.
Difficulties may arise if it is necessary to cut the same plinth on one side for the outer corner, and on the other for the inner corner. This is where many make a mistake. First you need to cut the inner corner. Otherwise, a skirting board that is too short will not dock in any place.
Work without a miter box
Polyurethane looks very nice. How to cut corners on such a product so as not to spoil its appearance? And here the advice of experts will help the inexperienced master. Not always a home master has at hand such a tool as a miter box. You can do without it.
To do this, the markup is performed directly on the wall. First, measure the required length of the decorative product. It is cut at a right angle. Next, apply each piece to the ceiling. They are outlined with a pencil. This results in an intersection. It is applied to both skirting boards.
From the point of intersection to the edge, draw an oblique line. This is the crop border. It is corrected before gluing by attaching both skirting boards to the corner. This is a fairly simple method, but even it requires a good eye and accuracy in work.
homemade tool
Don't have a chair? No problem! You can do it yourself. When cutting for the first time, it is better to use it in your work. This will require a plywood board, paper or cardboard.
Interested in how to cut the outer corner of the ceiling plinth, as well as its internal varieties, you need to adopt this approach. Two parallel lines are drawn on the selected material. Then, using a protractor, angles of 45 degrees are made along the edges.
A home-made tool is applied to the plinth, making appropriate notes. The pruning technique is the same. The miter box is not used if the walls in the room are very uneven. When creating an angle of 45 degrees, gaps between the joints are obtained due to such inconsistencies. Therefore, pruning is done in the previous way. Before installation, the edges must be corrected.
Embossed plinth
So, we already know how to cut corners on ceiling moldings. But we considered the procedure for performing work in the presence of simple forms. Now you should pay attention to the relief varieties. Their installation is subject to increased requirements. Due to the presence of decorative elements, cutting such products is a little more difficult.
Docking of corners is carried out in those places where stucco or other volumetric elements protrude more above the surface. The angle is then expressive. It is better to take into account the components of the picture and crop it in the appropriate place.
The joints of volumetric ceiling plinths must be carefully glued. When working with relief products, it is allowed to use the tool listed above. It is allowed to make markings on the wall. But with the help of a miter box, it will be easier to cut voluminous skirting boards.
If you do the work carefully, the result will exceed all expectations. Having studied all the intricacies of the technique and figured out how to cut corners on ceiling plinths, you can begin to practice. Don't worry, the process will be easy and fast. This finish will fit into almost any interior. If all actions are performed carefully, gluing the joints with high quality, the decorative effect will be amazing. The interior will please the eye for a long time.
Any repair work always ends with finishing. In rare cases, the interior of the room does without a ceiling plinth, its presence helps to hide the joints of the finishing materials used for wall and ceiling surfaces, in addition, one should not forget about the decorative function that this element carries. Making the perimeter of the room, simply fixing it in a straight line, is easy. It is much more difficult to cut it correctly in the corners without damaging the material and spending a minimum of time and money.
Peculiarities
The ceiling plinth, like any other element of the interior, has its own characteristics, therefore, before purchasing it at a hardware store, you need to understand the materials from which this element is made and what difficulties you will encounter during the work.
Previously, the ceiling plinth had a different name - fillet. Translated from German means "notch" or "groove". The material for the manufacture of this decorative element was gypsum, poured into a prepared mold. The hardened gypsum element was fixed on the ceiling surface with a solution. To date, a gypsum ceiling plinth is very rare, its cost is high, and it is much more difficult to mount it compared to modern counterparts.
Today, ceiling elements are produced from several types of materials in numerous configurations. They cost less than gypsum, but they look just as good. The cheapest ones are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This material, with a slight mechanical impact, is subject to deformation, the formation of irreparable dents or creases leads to a complete replacement of the element. In addition, all plinths made of PVC are electrostatic, dust accumulates on them very quickly.
Ceiling skirting boards made of polyurethane and polystyrene are among the most popular products. They gained their popularity due to an affordable price, a wide range of profile patterns, a variety of sizes (their width varies between 5–250 mm), as well as resistance to moisture. Polyurethane ceiling elements can be found in the design of many rooms, they look great in any interior. But, there are also disadvantages, the material does not tolerate temperature changes, it is prone to cracking, especially if installed above the stove.
The classic version of the ceiling plinth is a wood product. Wooden elements, unlike the listed types, are not installed on glue; self-tapping screws are used to fix them. Skirting boards made of this material decorate wooden houses or premises, whose style is dictated by the use of wooden elements.
Required Tools
Installing a ceiling plinth involves trimming the excess length and fitting it into the corners. Cutting requires tools. The choice of one or another type of tool depends on the material from which the plinth is made.
When working with wood and plastic, use an electric miter saw. Circumcision using this tool is accurate, fast and effortless, you just need to set the desired parameters and correctly lay the plinth. It will not be difficult to choose the appropriate tool, since manufacturers produce this tool in a wide price range.
But, with wood and plastic, you can also handle another well-known carpentry tool - a miter box paired with a hacksaw. This tool has the shape of a tray, it is made either from wood, or from plastic, or from metal. In two parallel sidewalls of the miter box, there are slots for a saw, for convenient cutting of the plinth at the desired angle. In a simple modification of the tool, you can cut the ceiling element at an angle of 45 or 90 degrees, and in a more complex version, you can cut the plinth at an angle of 60 degrees.
A miter box and a hacksaw are cheaper than a miter saw, but they also have their drawback - this is the risk of material damage, especially if the quality of the purchased material leaves much to be desired. In addition, the miter box is more suitable for rooms with even walls and corners.
For a more even cut without the risk of damage to the material and without delamination of the structure, a jigsaw is suitable. It is easy to operate this tool, with its help you can set any direction and make the most accurate cuts. For materials that are lighter in weight and with a less durable structure, you can use an ordinary construction knife, the main thing is to pick up a copy with a sharp blade.
How to cut?
There are two main questions facing the installation of a ceiling plinth. How to properly cut a skirting board without gaps and with perfect joining in the corners, and what tools should be used to end up with a beautifully positioned ceiling element? In order to understand these issues, it is necessary to study all the methods and tools used in cutting the baseboard. Almost all methods and tools can be used to fit the skirting board in both internal and external corners.
outside corner
For the outer corner, the skirting board is cut at an angle of 45 degrees. First you need to check the evenness of the outer corner. If the wall surfaces are in contact with each other exactly at an angle of 90 degrees, then a miter box can be used to trim the baseboard. In order to properly cut the outer corner strips, it is necessary to correctly position both parts of the skirting board.
First you need to outline the length of both halves, and only then cut them at an angle of 45 degrees. In order not to change the position of the saw and not to get confused with the location of the plinth halves, it is necessary to correctly position them in the miter box. The left half is laid face up, with the part adjacent to the ceiling to be closer to the center, and the second side adjacent to the wall should be pressed against the slotted sidewall. With the right half, everything is different: it must be laid in the miter box face down, and the location of the adjacent parts to the ceiling and wall will be similar here.
The bar placed in the miter box for an even cut must be pressed against the sidewall, placing it as close as possible to the slot. Holding the workpiece with your left hand, you need to carefully make a cut and set it aside. The second half of the plinth should be cut in the same way, remembering to turn it face down.
In the absence of a miter box, you can make its project on paper or cardboard. First, we draw a rectangle, inside which we draw two more parallel lines along the longer sides. On each side inside the lines, with the help of a protractor, we set aside the desired angle in different directions. Preparation and subsequent trimming of workpieces occurs in exactly the same way as using the tool itself.
This method is good because you can set aside an angle not strictly 45 or 90 degrees, but a little more or less, because not always the wall surfaces in the corners are directed to each other at an angle of 90 degrees, there are errors. Therefore, for a more accurate cut on the miter box depicted on paper, you can draw any angle using a protractor. The degree of the angle is first checked with a protractor, the resulting value is divided by 2. The resulting number will be the exact degree for the correct undercut.
If desired, the miter box can be built with your own hands. The easiest way is to make a tool out of wood, you just need to take three boards and put them together in the shape of the letter P. Then make marks on the side parts at different degrees, make cuts with a hacksaw. You can also make a miter box from two planks, after making cuts in them, or use a drawing with the right angles on paper to accurately determine the slope.
Even a table can be used as an improvised tool. The main thing is that it has angles by which one could navigate.
In order to properly cut external corners, you can do without auxiliary tools and paper drawings at all, you just need to design the future corner on the spot.
The plinth of the outer corner always protrudes into the room by an amount equal to its width, therefore, to determine the exact cut, it is necessary to make marks on the right and left halves of the plinth. Set aside the width value from the side adjacent to the wall. Then, from the resulting point, draw a line to the upper corner of the half. The resulting triangle must be cut out, and the halves joined in place for a preview.
Interior
To join the halves of the plinth in the inner corner, you can use the same methods and tools. The location of the halves in the miter box when cutting for the inner corner is identical to the location of the parts used to join the outer corner. But, you can not turn the right half of the plinth over for the notch, but only change the inclination of the notch (use a different slot). In any case, on the left side of the plinth the line will be slanted to the left of the corner point located on the side adjacent to the wall, and on the right side of the plinth the line will be slanted to the right of a similarly located point.
With perfectly flat corner surfaces, an ordinary square can be used instead of a miter box. To do this, you need to press the half of the plinth to the inner corner of the ruler and cut off the unnecessary part at an angle of 45 degrees. It is not difficult to do this, since the side of the ruler and part of the plinth form a total of 90 degrees, the notch line divides this angle in half, which means that part of the plinth will be cut at an angle of 45 degrees.
For wooden and plastic skirting boards, making an incision on the spot will not work, you can only mark the surface of the skirting board, and then make the cut according to the mark later using a hacksaw or saw.
In order to properly cut and then join the halves of the plinth for the inner corner, you need to measure on the spot with a simple pencil. The right workpiece must be attached to the corner on the corresponding side until it stops. On the ceiling surface along the half, draw a line and remove the workpiece to the side. We do the same with the other half.
At the intersection of the two lines, a point has formed, with which you need to make marks on each half of the plinth. To put a point, you need to attach a half to the docking point. From the resulting point, you need to draw a line to the bottom corner of the half, as a result you get a small triangle, which you need to cut off.
The halves cut in this way must be adjusted to each other; with inaccurately cut edges, the sections can be leveled with a knife if the material of manufacture is foam.
To eliminate small flaws on the cut of wooden or polyurethane skirting boards, you will have to use a file. Only after the incisions have completely coincided can you begin to fix the halves.
Sometimes it's not possible to achieve a perfect fit, but there is always a way out. To eliminate cracks, you can use putty. The choice of putty depends on the material of the plinth. In order to eliminate inaccuracies in cutting skirting boards, you need to practice using small pieces of skirting boards for this or cut off the strips a little longer than the intended size. Such a margin will make it possible to make a new cut in case it was made with the wrong slope or the material at the cut point was deformed.
