How to cut a corner ceiling plinth

Cutting skirting boards for ceiling decoration

Another type of ceiling plinth is made of extruded polystyrene foam. They are much denser than ordinary foam products (therefore they do not crumble), they are a little more expensive, but they are also somewhat more difficult to cut. For work, you can use the same knife or hacksaw for metal.

The most expensive skirting boards are made of polyurethane. These are elastic, strong and moisture resistant products that are very easy to cut with a construction knife. True, they cannot be used in all rooms, since polyurethane is sensitive to high temperatures. it deforms, begins to crack or cracks.

corner, ceiling, plinth

For working with wooden skirting boards, only a hacksaw with fine teeth is suitable, you can use a metal tool.

How to cut a corner of a ceiling plinth. proven methods and techniques

Ceiling skirting boards are very often used for decorating rooms. They give the ceiling a complete look, allow you to convey a particular style in the interior. In addition, they serve to mask the joints between walls and ceilings, where two different materials are mated. Although such elements are not always present in the premises, they make the interior more complete. In the material below, we will tell you in detail how to cut the corner of the ceiling plinth, since in such places the joining of individual elements is often a problem for inexperienced builders.

If the room has a simple shape, then only the inner corners will need to be cut. But in rooms of a more complex configuration, with columns, partitions and niches, there will also be external corners. To make decorative elements look beautiful, trimming must be done correctly and accurately, otherwise the appearance of the ceiling will be spoiled.

To trim the ceiling plinth in the corners as best as possible, you can use quality and sharp tools or other means. The type of tool that will be used to cut skirting boards depends on the type of material used to make them. So, ceiling plinths are made of PVC, foam, polyurethane and wood.

The cheapest option is PVC skirting boards. They are soft, so it is easy to leave dents and creases on them, which cannot be fixed in any way. In addition, this material has the ability to attract dust. A hacksaw or a sharp knife is suitable for cutting such skirting boards.

Another fairly cheap type of material is polystyrene foam skirting boards. They crumble easily, so only a sharp knife or a metal hacksaw should be used to trim the corners of the ceiling plinth. Movements should be soft, without pressure.

Applying a miter box template

To cut the plinth in the corner to the ceiling as evenly as possible, you can use a paper, cardboard or wooden template instead of a regular miter box. Two parallel lines are applied to it, then a central point is found and any necessary angle is laid from it with the help of a protractor. Before you cut the corner of the ceiling plinth without a miter box, you should double-check the size of the inner or outer corners between the walls of the room, using the same protractor.

The principle of cutting corners using a template is similar to using a standard miter box. In this case, the workpiece must be pressed against a parallel line and, setting the hacksaw at the desired angle, saw off the workpiece.

Marking on the ceiling for making a corner on the skirting board

There are different ways of how to correctly make a corner on a skirting board. Some are easier to do, others are more difficult. One of these methods is to mark the plinth on the ceiling. True, it is not very convenient to cut the plinth by weight, but this method is not inferior in accuracy to all others. Before cutting the plinth to the ceiling, it is applied to the surface, while all the imperfections and irregularities of the walls, as well as the size of the corners, are immediately taken into account.

Let’s consider in detail how to correctly make the corners on the ceiling plinths using this technique:

  • First, two mating plinths must be cut at an angle of 90º;
  • One of the blanks is pressed against the wall, and its end is abutted against the opposite wall. Then the outline of the workpiece is drawn on the ceiling.
  • At the next stage, they take the second plank and press it with its butt against the wall in the same way. Outline the line.
  • At the intersection of the lines obtained, a point is put along which further trimming of the baseboards will be carried out.
  • Then each of the strips is alternately applied to the ceiling again and the cutting point is transferred to the blanks.
  • From this point to the corner of the plinth, draw a diagonal cutting line.

Along the lines obtained, unnecessary sections of the baseboards are cut off, then the conjugated segments are joined, checking the correctness and completeness of the fit. “How to cut a corner of a ceiling plinth. simple and correct ways”.

It should be noted that this method is more often used for internal corners.

Using a miter box to cut skirting boards

In carpentry, a special device made of wood, metal or plastic is often used. a miter box. Special cuts are made in it, which allow an even cut at 90º, 45º, and in more complex devices. even at 60º. There are also professional miter boxes equipped with a swivel mechanism. In them, the cutting tool can be installed and fixed at any angle to the workpiece. Before making a ceiling plinth in the corners, you need to understand the details.

To cut the inner corner of a ceiling plinth using a miter box, you must:

  • First, the skirting board must be attached to the ceiling surface and mark the length.
  • Now a piece of plinth is placed in the miter box in the same position as it should be placed on the ceiling.
  • The plinth is tightly pressed against the back wall of the miter box.
  • Hold the work piece with one hand to keep it from shifting while cutting.
  • The hacksaw is set at an angle of 45º to the workpiece.
  • Cut the plinth, controlling the degree of pressure of the hacksaw, so as not to damage the product.
  • Then proceed to cutting the counter piece of the skirting board. It is also applied to the far wall of the miter box.
  • The workpiece is pressed and held by hand so that it does not move.
  • The hacksaw is installed at an angle of 45º to the workpiece so that the direction of the cut is opposite to the first element of the plinth.
  • Cut off the corner of the plinth.

After trimming the ceiling plinths in the corners, they proceed to the joining of the resulting elements. If the cutting was done accurately, they will fit snugly together.

Please note that it is recommended to start cutting the inner corner of the skirting board from the front side. Then the cutting line will be more accurate and even. As for the wooden elements, then all the flaws on them will need to be cleaned up with a file. “How to properly cut the ceiling plinth in the corners. options and methods for plinths from different materials”.

Let’s take a look at how to cut the outer corner of a ceiling plinth using a miter box:

  • It is best to start marking and measuring the ceiling plinth from the inner corner, and only after completing it, start cutting the outer corner. Otherwise, the plank may be short, not enough to fill the entire length of the ceiling.
  • The plinth is applied to the ceiling and its length is marked.
  • Then the workpiece is placed in a miter box and pressed against the front wall.
  • The hacksaw is placed at an angle of 45º and, holding the workpiece with your hand, saw off the corner.
  • Similarly, you must cut off the opposite part of the outer corner.
  • The workpiece is pressed against the front of the miter box.
  • The hacksaw is placed at an angle of 45º to the plinth and the workpiece is sawn off.

At the end of the work, the pieces of the skirting board are joined together, checking if everything is done correctly and evenly.

It is worth noting that the miter box can help to cut the corner of the ceiling plinth as evenly as possible only if the walls are strictly perpendicular. If they are uneven and the angles are not precise, this device is unlikely to be useful. “How to properly cut the corner of the ceiling plinth. rules and methods”.

How to make a miter box yourself

Often the only way to cut the corner of the ceiling plinth evenly is to use special tools so that the tool does not move to the side during the cutting process. In this case, you can make a miter box yourself.

Option 1. A box in the shape of the letter P is made of three boards. The required corners are marked on the walls of the box and the slots are cut out in the appropriate places. The result is a complete adaptation.

Option 2. Sometimes it is quite difficult to make the corners of the skirting boards on the ceiling as even as possible, especially if you have to keep the workpiece suspended. In this case, you can use a homemade device. Take two boards and knock them down in the shape of a corner. Then, on a sheet of paper or cardboard, they draw lines with the desired angles, apply a template to the corner. Then the plinth is pressed, a template is placed under the cutting site and the corner is sawn off along the lines.

Option 3. If you are still in doubt about how to properly cut the corner of the skirting board, almost any household item, the shape of which allows you to form a corner, can help with this. It can be a chair or a table just against the wall.

To understand how to properly cut the ceiling plinth, you should also familiarize yourself with the rule for measuring blanks. So, to complete the inner corner, the length begins to measure right from the beginning of the corner. But to determine the outer corner, it should be borne in mind that it will be issued into the space of the room by the amount of the width of the product.

There is no need to rush and fix the workpieces before the mating skirting boards have been made in the corner. In order not to redo the work, you must first make sure that the mating surfaces are tightly adjacent to each other and to the ceiling. Small flaws can be corrected with a file, a thin nail file or a knife, depending on the material of the products.

If cutting off the skirting boards in the corners did not work out perfectly, small gaps can be simply putty. In general, the process of trimming skirting boards in the corners is not at all difficult. However, for training, you can take a few small pieces of the baseboard and practice on them.

Features of cutting different materials

The following materials are used for the manufacture of ceiling plinths:

  • Styrofoam;
  • Wood;
  • Expanded polystyrene;
  • Polyurethane.

Each option has a number of characteristics, so they need to be considered separately.

Wood

Wooden ceiling skirting boards differ from analogues. Wood has a fairly large weight, which affects the mass of products from it. As a result, the skirting boards turn out to be quite dense, very resistant to mechanical damage and hard, which allows you not to be afraid of accidental deformation during installation or cutting.

A Simple Trick to Install Baseboard Corners Perfectly

To trim a fillet made of wood, it is best to use a fine-toothed hacksaw designed specifically for delicate work with this material. However, a good option would be a high-quality sheet for metal.

Styrofoam

Styrofoam fillets are one of the cheapest options. However, the advantage in the form of low cost is offset by a large number of disadvantages. In particular, the foam itself is a rather brittle and soft material that is very easy to break. Even if you just squeeze such a product in your hand, it can deform.

Due to the low strength, it is very difficult to handle foam skirting boards. If there is little experience in cutting such parts, then most of them in the process of work will become unusable, so all the benefits from the cheapness of the skirting boards will be leveled. A hacksaw or a well-sharpened knife is usually used to cut foam fillets.

The need to trim skirting boards

Installation of ceiling plinths (also called fillets) must be carried out using the correct technology. However, there are no difficulties in it. the vast majority of fillets are mounted with glue. It is enough just to properly coat the product and hold it in the right place for a while.

But with how to properly cut the ceiling plinth in the corners, questions arise. When arranging a ceiling, there is always a need to process corners. but their value can have both a standard value (for example, a right angle) or a certain deviation. The latter case is possible if the room has a complex shape, or if during the repair it was not possible to align it.

The fillets should fit perfectly evenly, regardless of the corners of the room. In addition, skirting boards often have to be cut at the outer corners. To carry out such work correctly, you need to stock up on the right tools and figure out how to cut the corners of the ceiling plinth at home.

Pruning with a miter box

To give the plinth the required angle, a special tool is used. a miter box. Structurally, this tool is a tray made of wood, metal or plastic. In certain areas of the miter box, there are vertical slots that allow you to cut various parts at an angle of 45 or 90 degrees.

complex devices can be found on the market, in which, in addition to the angles already described, there is the possibility of a 60-degree cut. There is also a professional miter box equipped with a swivel mechanism. This tool differs from the simplified one in that it has the ability to fix the cutting blade at any angle. You need to know how to properly glue the ceiling plinth in the corners so that everything looks beautiful.

Finished corner pieces

Unfortunately, this method is not relevant in all situations. The dimensions of the corners produced at the factory are adjusted to certain standards. but the skirting boards themselves do not always meet the standards. Of course, such details can be combined, but the result will look unaesthetic. If corners of a suitable size are not on sale, then you will still have to cut the baseboards yourself.

Outside corner cutting

In the case of external corners, the cutting technology will look like this:

  • For greater accuracy, it will be better to start from the inner corners, and only then proceed to the outer ones. If this is not done, then the length of the plinth in the end may simply not be enough.
  • The part is applied to the ceiling, and marks are made on it in the right places. Then the plinth is placed in the miter box, held with the left hand near the near wall and cut off at the desired angle using a hacksaw.
  • The opposite plank is laid near the near wall of the miter box, but is already held by the right hand. The hacksaw is at a 45-degree angle and the workpiece can be cut off. Finished planks need to be docked with each other to make sure that the cut is correct.

Cutting skirting boards with a miter box is only suitable if the walls and ceiling are at right angles to each other. If there are any irregularities, it would be better to use another method.

With decorative corners

There is one more, the easiest way. For skirting boards made of polyurethane or polystyrene, use ready-made, factory decorative corners. They are installed in a corner, strips are glued to them closely. Cutting them if necessary is very simple: a few millimeters with an ordinary clerical knife.

Examples of finished corners for fillets

How to make a corner of a ceiling plinth without a miter box

Few people in apartments or houses have angles exactly 90 °. Small deviations are easily corrected after fitting. But not always. Then you have to mark everything “in place”. under the ceiling.

You will need a finely contoured pencil (hard. it is not so visible on the ceiling, but leaves quite clear marks near), a small piece of plinth, a ruler and a good stationery knife if you work with polyurethane (polystyrene) baguettes or a metal saw to work with other materials.

Apply the plinth to the corner, draw along the outer edge with a pencil. Apply to the other side of the corner, also mark. You have a cross on the ceiling, the center of which marks the place where the plinths of the ceiling plinth should converge (look at the photo). Having installed a piece of plinth in the corner, which will be glued there and resting it with its end on the wall, transfer the mark to it.

How to make corners on skirting boards without using special tools

Now take a ruler and connect the edge of the skirting board with the marked mark. If you just put the plinth on the table and cut along the line, in the corner the two parts will still not fold: the inner part will interfere. It can be trimmed later by trying on the ceiling. The second way is to set the piece to be cut on the table with the piece that will be on the ceiling. And cut along the line, but holding the knife at an angle of about 45 °. It will still be necessary to correct, but much less (and less chance of error).

Repeat the same operation with the second bar. Attach it to the desired wall, rest the butt against the adjoining wall, mark the place where the cross is drawn, draw a line and then cut it off. Correction Carried out “dry” without applying glue.

You repeat exactly the same steps for the outer (protruding) corner. Now you know another way to make a corner of a ceiling plinth, and without a scissor or other special devices.

How to get the correct angle

Most of the problems when working with skirting boards arise in the design of corners. Since the surface of the products is complex, it will not be possible to simply cut off at the desired angle: it is also necessary to cut it so that they dock and, preferably, without large gaps. In reality, there are several ways to make the corner of a ceiling plinth perfect (or almost).

Using a miter box

If the corners and walls in the room are even, you can use a special carpentry tool. a miter box. This is an inverted U-shaped chute with lines for cutting at 90 ° and 45 °. The part in which you need to make a gash is laid inside, a saw is inserted into the guides. The part is held in place, cut at the desired angle.

This is what the miter box looks like. Can be plastic, wood or metal

In the case of skirting boards, not everything is so simple: they must simultaneously adjoin two surfaces, therefore they must be pressed against one or the other wall of the miter box. When working with ceilings, they are pressed in the side closest to you.

The sequence of actions when finishing the outer corner, you need to make a gash at an angle of 45 degrees. Place the miter box in front of you. Trying on how the plinth will be located, determining which part of it will be attached to the ceiling. In order not to get confused and cut off the ceiling plinth correctly, place the strip that will be located on the right on the right, the one on the left on the left.

How to cut a corner on a ceiling plinth: install it correctly in a miter box

Press the part that is on the ceiling to the bottom of the miter box. The other side is closer to you and raised. Lean it on the wall of the device so that it does not stagger when cutting. That is, the front part of the skirting board turns out to be turned away from you. Do the cutting direction as shown in the photo below. By folding the two cut pieces together, you get a protruding outer or outer corner.

How to make the outer corner of a skirting board using a chair

First put the sawn-off parts in place “dry”, without applying glue. If the geometry of the corner is not so perfect, you can tweak it a little with a knife. It is easier to cover small errors with a special putty.

The situation is very similar with the inner corner of the skirting board. First you try on which side will be on the ceiling, press this part to the bottom of the miter box, lean the second part on the wall closest to you and make cuts as shown in the photo below.

How to make an inner corner of a ceiling plinth using a miter box

And again, first try on without applying glue, if necessary, slightly adjust. Then apply a thin bead of glue to both surfaces that will adhere to the wall or ceiling.

Your own version of how to use the miter box correctly is shown in the video.

How to cut ceiling plinth in corners

The quality of the ceiling finish greatly affects the appearance of the room. Therefore, they try to do everything perfectly, or very close to it. The finishing touch to the design is the ceiling plinth. They give the finish a complete and holistic look. The strips themselves are mounted on flat surfaces simply: on a special white glue, but problems arise with the design of the corners. Without knowing how to make the corner of the skirting board correctly, a lot of material deteriorates. How and what to cut it in the corners and tell you.

What is it made of and what is it called

The very first skirting boards on the ceiling were made of plaster. They were cast in special molds and then installed on the ceiling with mortar. Such figured ornaments were called fillets. Today you can rarely see them: they are expensive, and outwardly they are almost indistinguishable from the cheaper options. And the name is almost lost.

The most popular ceiling skirting boards are made of polyurethane or polystyrene. They are inexpensive, look great, easy to install, have a wide range of profiles and patterns. The width can be from 5 mm to 250 mm. They are used in almost any room, decorated in any style. An exception is wooden houses with a corresponding interior. Wooden products are most often used here. the style dictates its conditions.

There is also a similar plastic finish. It is mainly installed in bathrooms. But even in damp rooms, you can safely mount polyurethane strips. they are not afraid of damp.

You need to cut the ceiling plinth in the corners of any material in one of the ways described below. The only exception is plastic skirting boards: you can arrange such a corner only using ready-made corners.

How and how to cut

Working with skirting boards made from different materials means using different cutting tools. When working with a wooden skirting board, it is more convenient to work with a saw on wood. All others, including plastic, made of foam and other polymers, are better cut with a metal sheet. The result is a smoother cut, less burr. Saws are usually used when working with a miter box.

Corner design looks attractive

When working with polystyrene skirting boards without special devices, they are cut with a good stationery knife. Its blade is quite thin and even, the cut is smooth, not wrinkled. If you use a saw with polyurethane or polystyrene, do not press hard: you can wrinkle.

In general, to get used to the tool and material a little, take a piece and practice on it: cut, saw, trim. So there will be fewer problems when working.

How to dock in corners

If the installation of the first corner is completed, we can assume that you have already learned almost everything. “Almost”, because you still need to learn how to join the corners and cut the planks to length. When some part is already glued and a small distance remains to the corner, how not to be mistaken with the length? The answer is simple: leave stock.

At first, you can cut a piece 10-15 cm longer: it will be possible to redo it several times if something does not work out right away. Then you make a corner in the way described above, try it on dry, adjust everything so that the result suits you. Only then can you attach the already cut strip to the corner and mark the place to which it can be shortened. You need to trim at exactly 90 °. It is not necessary to use a miter box. Just try to put the knife (hacksaw) perpendicular to the surface.

How to trim a ceiling plinth with a miter box template

Something resembling a miter box can be done by applying the required cut angles to paper, cardboard or wood. You need to draw two parallel lines, determine the center, and then set aside the necessary corners using a protractor. The advantage of this method is that you can postpone any angle, including more than 90 degrees. Of course, before cutting the corners of the ceiling plinth, you must first check the angle between the walls using a corner and measure with a protractor.

The technique for cutting a ceiling plinth using a painted miter box is exactly the same as using the miter box itself. We press the plinth plinth to one of the parallel lines, then set the hacksaw at the desired angle, which is already outlined, and cut off.

Ceilings

Ceiling plinth performs not only a decorative function, visually separating the walls from the ceiling, but can also hide the joints of various finishing materials of the ceiling and walls. Not every interior design involves the use of a skirting board, but more often than not, the overall look of the room seems incomplete without it. There is nothing complicated in fixing this element. fillets. almost all types of skirting boards are attached with glue. But the question of how to properly cut the ceiling plinth in the corners of the premises can confuse many. Indeed, even in the simplest room there are internal corners, where the plinths of the ceiling plinth must be precisely and beautifully docked. And in a more complex configuration of the room, you will also have to dock the skirting boards, performing the outer corner. In this article, we will look at various options for how to cut a ceiling plinth with and without tools at hand.

First you need to figure out how to cut the ceiling plinth, the answer to it depends on the material from which the fillet is made. At the moment, we sell ceiling skirting boards made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), expanded polystyrene (polystyrene), polyurethane and wood.

PVC ceiling skirting boards are the cheapest. Dents and creases are easily formed on them, which cannot be repaired, so the product must be thrown away. Also their disadvantage is electrostaticity. the ability to attract dust. You can cut them with a sharp construction knife or hacksaw.

Styrofoam ceiling skirting boards are also cheap. This material is very fragile, it easily crumbles during processing, therefore, it is necessary to cut the expanded polystyrene with a sharp knife or a hacksaw on metal, without making too strong pressing forces.

Ceiling skirting boards made of extruded polystyrene foam are slightly more expensive than polystyrene foam, they are denser and more difficult to cut. However, they crumble less, making them easier and more comfortable to work with. Cut with a construction knife and a hacksaw for metal.

Polyurethane ceiling skirting boards are the most expensive at the moment. They are durable, elastic and moisture resistant, can be easily cut with a construction knife and do not crumble. The disadvantage of polyurethane skirting boards is their dependence on temperature changes. For example, over a gas stove, a polyurethane skirting board will permanently deform and crackle slightly. If you try to process or cut such a skirting board, it may bend or deform in other ways.

Wooden ceiling skirting boards are dense, heavy products that can only be cut with a hacksaw, preferably with fine, dense teeth. You can also use a cloth for metal.

Before proceeding to the enumeration of the methods of how to properly cut the ceiling plinth, I would like to note that there is a possibility not to cut the plinth with great precision. There are special corner pieces on sale into which the edges of the skirting board are inserted. In this case, it is enough to cut the plinth strip at an angle of 90 °, and the corner element will hide all the flaws. But this method is not always used, since the dimensions of the corner elements are slightly larger than the skirting boards themselves, so the corners in the room will stand out against the general background. Sometimes it can look bulky. However, if the design of the room allows the use of corner pieces for ceiling skirting boards, it makes sense to use them. Further instructions will be useful to those who nevertheless decided to accurately cut the skirting boards at a given angle.

How to cut a corner of a ceiling plinth using a miter box

The miter box is a simple carpentry tool that allows you to cut the workpiece at the desired angle. Most often it is a plastic, wood or metal tray with vertical slots for cutting at an angle of 90 ° and 45 °. There are also more complex miter box designs. for cutting at angles of 90, 60 and 45 degrees. For more professional work, a miter box with a swivel mechanism is used, where the hacksaw can be fixed at any angle to the workpiece.

How to cut a skirting board with a miter box. inner corner:

  • We apply the plinth to the ceiling, measure the required length.
  • Then we install the plinth strip in the miter box so that the position coincides with the position of the plinth on the ceiling.
  • The plinth strip must be pressed against the far wall of the miter box.
  • Hold the plinth with your left hand.
  • We choose such a position of the hacksaw when the angle is 45 degrees and at the same time the handle of the hacksaw is as close as possible to the left hand.
  • We cut the workpiece without making excessive pressure on the saw.
  • The next step is to trim the plinth striker. We also install it to the far wall of the miter box.
  • Press and hold with your right hand.
  • We choose such a position for the hacksaw when the angle is 45 degrees and the handle of the hacksaw approaches the right hand.
  • Cut off the skirting board.

Next, we join the trimmed plinths and check the cutting accuracy. For a more accurate orientation, they also say that in order to complete the inner corner, it is necessary to start cutting from the front of the skirting board. After trimming, wooden skirting boards will most likely have to be adjusted with a file.

How to cut a ceiling plinth with a miter box. outside corner:

  • In order not to be mistaken with the dimensions, it is better to start by marking the inner corner, and then cut out the outer corner. Otherwise, a situation is possible when the planks may not be enough in length.
  • It is necessary to attach the plank to the ceiling and outline the dimensions.
  • Install the plinth strip and press it against the nearest wall.
  • Hold with your left hand and choose a position for the hacksaw at an angle of 45 degrees, when the handle approaches the left hand.
  • Cut off the workpiece.
  • We install the striker to the nearest wall, hold it with the right hand.
  • We set the hacksaw at a 45 degree angle when the handle approaches the right hand.
  • Cut off the workpiece and join the corner.

Trimming the workpiece with a miter box is only suitable if the angle between the walls is even. 90 degrees. If the accuracy is poor, you will have to use other methods.

How to trim the corner of a ceiling plinth using ceiling markings

Marking the skirting board on the ceiling also allows you to cut the corner evenly and accurately. The only drawback of this method is that it is difficult and inconvenient to keep the plinth plinth suspended during the cutting process. Otherwise, you can mark the cutting angle in this way even more accurately than in other ways. Applying the skirting board to the installation site, all wall flaws and deviations in the corner size are immediately taken into account.

Cutting the corner of the skirting board:

  • First of all, two workpieces must be cut at an angle of 90 degrees.
  • Then we first apply one plank, resting its end against the perpendicular wall. We draw a line on the ceiling, outlining the contour of the plinth.
  • We remove this bar and apply a striker, also resting its butt against the wall. We outline the line.
  • The point of intersection of the outlined lines will be the mark at which the skirting board needs to be cut.
  • Again we apply each bar in turn and mark the cutting point on them.
  • Draw a line from this point to the other edge of the plinth.

We cut off the skirting boards along the outlined lines, join them and apply them to the installation site. Please note that this method is more convenient to cut the inner corners.

DIY impromptu miter box

Making a miter box with your own hands is also not difficult.

You will need three wooden planks or boards, which must be put together in a U-shaped box. Then the necessary angles are marked on the walls of the box, and a cut is made with a hacksaw. As a result, you should get a wooden miter box, in which grooves are cut.

A combination of an impromptu miter box and a template with marked lines. For the convenience of cutting, it is necessary to build something in which it will be convenient to hold the plinth strip, since it is difficult to keep it suspended. It is enough to put together a corner from two wooden planks or boards. On paper, you need to draw lines with angles for cutting at 45 degrees or at any other. Then we apply the baseboard blank to the corner, press it with our hand, as described in the technology for using the miter box, move the piece of paper with the template under the edge where we are going to cut it, and cut it off. In the process of cutting, we focus on the line drawn on the paper.

As an impromptu miter box, you can use anything, anything. that we form an angle. For example, a table pushed against a wall.

Important! Pay attention to the rule of making measurements for trimming the ceiling plinth. To mark the inner corner, you need to measure the length directly from the corner itself. To outline the outer corner, you need to be guided by the fact that the plinth will protrude deep into the room at a distance equal to its width.

It is not necessary to fix the plinths of the ceiling plinths before cutting off the striker and trying on their location. Only after the two strikers are perfectly aligned in the corner, you can start attaching them to the ceiling. Minor imperfections can be finished with a file or a nail file in the case of wooden and polyurethane skirting boards. To fit foam products, you will have to wield a sharp knife.

If suddenly, even after adjusting the skirting boards, a small gap remains between them, do not despair, it can be repaired with a putty. Cutting the ceiling plinth yourself is not difficult. But in order not to spoil many products, it is better to pre-train on small blanks.

Required tools

Installing a skirting board means trimming the excess length and adjusting it in the corners. In order to do a pruning, you need tools. The choice of this or that type of tool depends on the material from which the plinth is made.

When working with wood and plastic, use an electric miter saw. Cutting with this tool is accurate, fast and effortless, you just need to set the desired parameters and correctly lay the skirting board. 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 cope with another well-known carpentry tool. a miter box paired with a hacksaw. This tool is in the shape of a tray, made either from wood, or from plastic, or from metal. In the two parallel sidewalls of the miter box, there are slots for the saw, for easy cutting of the plinth at the desired angle. In a simple tool modification, the ceiling element can be cut at an angle of 45 or 90 degrees, and in a more complex version, the plinth can be cut 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 damage to the material, especially if the quality of the purchased material is poor. In addition, the miter box is more suitable for rooms with smooth walls and corners.

For a smoother 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 lighter in weight and with a less strong structure, you can use an ordinary construction knife, the main thing is to pick up a specimen with a sharp blade.

Outside corner

For the outer corner, the skirting board is trimmed 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 at exactly 90 degrees, you can use a miter box to trim the skirting board. In order to properly cut the outer corner planks, 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 trim 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 halves of the plinth, 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 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 needs to be laid face down in the miter box, and the location of the adjacent parts to the ceiling and wall here will be the same.

How to cut coving corners perfectly

For a straight cut, the bar placed in the miter box 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 put it aside. The second half of the skirting board should be cut in the same way, remembering to turn it face down.

In the absence of a miter box, you can make a draft of it on paper or cardboard. First, we draw a rectangle, inside which on the longer sides we draw two more parallel lines. On each side, inside the lines, using a protractor, set the desired angle in different directions. Preparation and subsequent cutting of workpieces is exactly the same as using the tool itself.

This method is good in that you can postpone the angle not strictly 45 or 90 degrees, but a little more or less, because the surfaces of the walls in the corners are not always directed towards 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 using a protractor, the resulting value is divided by 2. The resulting number will be the exact degree for the correct undercut.

If desired, you can build a miter box with your own hands. The easiest way is to make a tool out of wood, you just need to take three planks and put them together in the shape of the letter P. Then make marks on the side parts at different degrees, using a hacksaw to make slots. You can also make a miter box from two boards, having previously made slots in them, or use a drawing with the desired angles on paper to accurately determine the slope.

You can even use a table as an improvised tool. The main thing is that he has angles along which he could navigate.

In order to properly cut the outer corners, you can do without any auxiliary tools and drawings on paper at all, you just need to design the future corner in place.

The outer corner skirting board 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 half of the skirting board. You need to set aside the width 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, and the halves must be joined in place for a preview.

Features of the

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, which was poured into a prepared mold. The cured gypsum element was fixed to the ceiling surface with mortar. Today, gypsum ceiling plinth is very rare, its cost is high, and it is much more difficult to install it in comparison with modern counterparts.

Ceiling elements are now available in several types of materials in numerous configurations. They are cheaper than gypsum ones, but they look no worse. The cheapest copies are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This material is subject to deformation with insignificant mechanical stress, the formation of irreparable dents or creases leads to a complete replacement of the element. In addition, all manufactured PVC skirting boards are electrostatic, dust accumulates very quickly on them.

Ceiling plinths made of polyurethane and polystyrene are among the most demanded products. They gained their popularity due to their reasonable price, a wide range of profile patterns, a variety of sizes (their width varies within 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, is prone to cracking, especially if installed above a 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. Plinths made of this material are used to decorate wooden houses or rooms, whose style is dictated by the use of wooden elements.

Interior

The same methods and tools can be used to join the halves of the skirting board in the inner corner. The location of the halves in the miter box when cutting for the inner corner is identical to the location of the parts used for joining the outer corner. But, you do not need to turn the right half of the plinth for a cut, but only change the slope of the cut (use a different cut). In any case, on the left side of the skirting board, the line will be sloped to the left of the corner point located on the side adjacent to the wall, and on the right side of the skirting board, the line will be sloped to the right of the similarly located point.

For perfectly flat corner surfaces, you can use a regular square instead of a miter box. To do this, you need to press half of the baseboard to the inner corner of the ruler and cut off the unnecessary part at an angle of 45 degrees. This is not difficult to do, 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, it will not work to make an incision in place, you can only apply a marking on the surface of the skirting board, and then cut the cut along the mark using a hacksaw or a saw.

In order to properly cut and then join the halves of the skirting board for the inner corner, you need to measure in place with a simple pencil. The right workpiece must be applied to the corner from the corresponding side until it stops. Draw a line on the ceiling surface along the half 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 skirting board. To put a point, you need to attach a half to the docking place. 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 cuts can be leveled with a knife if the material of manufacture is foam.

To eliminate minor blemishes on the cut of wooden or polyurethane skirting boards, you will have to use a file. Only after complete coincidence of the cuts can you start fixing the halves.

Sometimes you can’t get a perfect fit, but there is always a way out. To eliminate cracks, you can use a putty. The choice of filler depends on the baseboard material. In order to eliminate inaccuracies in trimming the skirting boards, you need to practice using small pieces of the skirting board or cut the planks slightly longer than the intended size. Such a margin will make it possible to make a new undercut in case it was made with the wrong slope or the material at the cut point was deformed.

Ceiling skirting boards: how to cut corners?

  • Features of the
  • Required tools
  • How to cut?
  • Outside corner
  • Interior
  • Advice

Any renovation work is always completed 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, do not forget about the decorative function that this element carries. It is not difficult to arrange the perimeter of the room by simply fixing it in a straight line. It is much more difficult to properly cut it in the corners without spoiling the material and spending a minimum of time and money.

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 fit in the corners, and what tools should you use 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 trimming the skirting board. Almost all methods and tools can be used to adjust the skirting board in both internal and external corners.

Advice

For a good fit of the ceiling plinth, it is not enough to properly cut and join the halves, you also need to glue them correctly. In order not to later cover up the cracks in the corners or alter the work altogether, you need to adhere to certain recommendations.

  • Before the final installation of the skirting board, it is necessary to properly prepare the surfaces that will come into contact with it. Priming or simply treating parts of the ceiling and wall surfaces will help improve the adhesion between the skirting board and surfaces.
  • The corners of the room in which the skirting boards are installed should be decorated first. The remaining sections of the perimeter are mounted only after the complete installation of the corner elements.

If there are not only internal, but also external corners in the room, the priority is in the design at the internal corners, since there is a risk of making a mistake with the length of the plinth.

  • In order to fix the ceiling element without gaps, it is necessary to press the plinth quite tightly to both surfaces. It is worth remembering that excessive pressure on some materials can lead to deformation of the element.
  • To avoid glue residues getting on the front surface of the element, you should immediately remove the excess adhesive before it has time to dry.
  • Sealing joints and cracks with a sealant should be carried out only after the glue has completely dried. Compositions with acrylic are most suitable as a sealant.

For information on how to cut the ceiling plinth, see the next video.