How to cut a wooden skirting board into an angle

How to cut corners: Choosing the right ceiling and floor skirting boards

Installing the baguettes and baseboards gives the repair a finished and neat look, but only if the trimming is done correctly and all the joints converge perfectly even. For trimming different tools and methods to facilitate the work, but it is also important to take into account a lot of nuances, which we will tell you today.

Installing the baguettes and skirting boards is no less important stage of the repair than any other. And trimming corners is the hardest part. It is important to choose the right tool for the job and the most appropriate way to cut.

Ceiling skirting

Ceiling moldings, also known as moldings, fillets, borders or just a skirting board, most often used for finishing joints between the wall and ceiling, although sometimes they cover the inner corners, making a decorative frame or paneling, draw the niches and architectural elements. There are several of the most popular materials for making ceiling moldings:

Plastic (PVC). Wide and rigid moldings are easier to cut with a metal saw. If a more gentle tool is needed, a jigsaw is used.

Styrofoam (polystyrene foam). A very light and porous material that is best cut with a sharp construction or office knife.

Wooden baguettes. Saw blades with a helical sharpening, specially designed for baguettes, are suitable for cutting. You can also use hand or electric jigsaws.

Skirting boards

Modern floor plinth can hardly be called a plank that closes the gap. It is a structural component that complements the design and enhances the overall appearance. Baseboards are made of several materials:

Wooden can be made of solid wood or veneer. For trimming use flat or circular saws, jigsaws.

Plastic skirting boards are “dangerous” competitors to traditional wood. Easy to install and cut with a regular hacksaw for metal.

Aluminum baseboards. the last word in interior design. Are usually cut with an electric saw or a hand-held metal saw.

Only on the wooden skirting boards will have to do a corner trim. The others are trimmed evenly and connected by special corners.

Types of corners

Corner docking and trimming of the skirting differs depending on the type of corner, distinguish: internal, external and non-standard.

Inner corner, in other words, the corner of the room is less than 180 °, usually 90 °. When trimming an inside corner, the bottom of the ceiling plinth always protrudes over the top. The first thing you must still measure the angle between the walls, if it is standard and equals 90 °, then the strips are trimmed at an angle of 45 °. Baguette, which is glued to the right side should be trimmed to the left, and the left plank. to the right.

External corner or external corner is less common, it is more than 180 °, usually about 270 °. In working with such corners, everything is exactly the opposite. The edge of the baseboard, which will be pressed to the ceiling, should be larger than the bottom.

Non-standard corners. Under such corners often mean corners with a degree greater or less than the standard of 90 ° and 270 °, as well as various kinds of roundings. Trimming in this case is carried out “by eye” or with a marking on the spot. Areas with rounded corners are assembled from several small elements, each of which is fitted in turn.

A few words about tools and materials

Floor skirting boards are now made of wood or polyvinylchloride (PVC), simply put, plastic. Ceiling baseboards have a slightly longer list:

The range of ceiling plinths is much wider than the floor direction.

• Polyurethane. these baseboards have good elasticity and can envelop radial and other curvilinear surfaces, but under clear corners, they must be trimmed in any case;
• Foam. the easiest budget option, the price of foam skirting boards is low and they are very easy to cut;
• PVC. the principle is the same as the floor skirting boards, but the range is much wider;
• Wooden. similar to the floor, only here there is still a wide model;
• Gypsum. with the advent of polyurethane and foam plastic, gypsum ceiling strips have fallen by the wayside, firstly, they are heavy, and secondly, fragile. But it’s worth mentioning them to be fair.

Since correctly trim ceiling plinth and its floor counterpart is impossible without a good tool, on this issue, let us dwell a little more.

The best, almost ideal tool for trimming any skirting boards and not only. this trimming saw with a pivoting frame. High-speed disc makes smooth and precise cuts, and the bed in these units rotates to any angle. The only problem is the serious cost of this tool.

The mitre saw is almost ideal for trimming baseboards and baseboards.

It is said that one of the best hand tools for making precise cuts in small boards is the barrel saw. This is true in principle, but I will tell you honestly, it is not easy to find a really good quality saw, even with the current range. If you dare to buy such a tool, buy a saw with a fine tooth.

The crosscut saw is very handy when working with a jig saw.

Theoretically the foam plastic and polyurethane can be cut with any sharp and strong knife. But you need a steady hand and at least a little experience in cutting Styrofoam. Plus, wide skirting boards are very problematic to cut with a knife.

Without experience, making a clean cut with a knife is very problematic.

Personally I only use a hacksaw when I do not have a coping saw. It can cut absolutely any material from Styrofoam to wood. By the way, often ask the question, what to cut a plastic skirting board for the floor, so. take a hacksaw for metal and definitely will not make a mistake.

For trimming baseboards, a metal hacksaw is considered one of the best tools.

With what to start

If the home craftsman does not have enough skills, experts advise starting the design of the joint in the part of the room where the furniture will stand. Fix segments of the wooden baseboard preferably after both adjacent corners are assembled.

Place the chisel in front of you, on the floor or wall. Insert the plank into the tool as it will stand against the wall. It remains only to insert the blade of a hacksaw into the desired slots. Now it is possible to saw. With the second piece of baseboard proceed in the same way. The only difference is that the saw’s position on the jigsaw is reversed. Two obtained sections are tried on the place of docking. If you find any flaws (most likely they will be). they are removed with sandpaper. It helps to get a perfect fit, with no gaps or crevices. To connect the baseboard pieces in the corner, use a clear silicone compound. It is applied before installing the fasteners. After the baseboard is fixed, the remains of sealant are removed. This makes the connection more neat, the joints do not accumulate dirt.

How to make a crossbar yourself?

If you wish, the jigsaw can also be made at home. It can be made of wood or iron. The size of the workpiece does not play a special role, but the wider it is, the more accurate your cuts will be. However, if the width will be greater than the length of the hacksaw, which you will cut skirting boards or planks, it will be extremely inconvenient to saw, so do not take too wide a workpiece.

First, a transverse straight line is marked in the center of the workpiece. Then at a distance of 1/2 the width of the workpiece from the intersection of a straight line with the edges of the workpiece are made marks. Then these marks are connected crosswise, as shown in the figure.

Wooden chair, fastened with self-tapping screws

Next begins the process of marking the side walls of the cutter. Put them to the already marked base and make marks, focusing on the marking of the base. Then draw straight lines from these marks across the entire wall.

Then begin the process of assembling the crosscut. Attach the walls to the base with self-tapping screws, if the device will be made of wood or particle board, or corners with bolts, if it is made of steel. Only after installation, saw cuts in the jigsaw.

After making the slots, the frame is ready. If you have a large amount of work or you want to do repairs regularly (on a professional basis), this uncomplicated device can speed up the process of trimming baseboards by 5-10 times.

How to cut a baseboard without a chisel?

The easiest way is to outline on paper (cardboard, wallpaper) the future line for the trimmer of the cut, and then, by placing the baseboard billet against it, cut off.

To do this, you first need to put the baseboard blank to the paper and draw two parallel lines that will mark the sides of the baseboard. Then, using a protractor, you will have to measure 45 degrees and draw a line for the trimmer of the future cut. The drawing is then used in the same way as the jigsaw: the workpiece is placed on it and the excess is sawn off along the line.

How to cut the corners of a ceiling plinth without a jig

The disadvantage of this method is that the saw has to be held by weight, referring to the drawing, and not inserted into a pre-prepared slot.

Inner joint

The workpiece is placed in a special device. a plough. This unpretentious tool is inexpensive and must be purchased. Take into account the maximum width of the cut slat that can be accommodated in the jigsaw. it must be no less than the width of your parts. Firmly press the strip to the wall of the jig saw, and through the slit, under which is marked “45 degrees”, saw off the skirting boards. We get one piece. The second is heated exactly the same way, but, the cut is made in the other direction and the slat must be applied to the opposite side of the cutter.

After these operations we get two elements, perfectly adjacent with their cuts to each other. As a result of the connection you get an internal joint of ninety degrees. It is recommended to carefully grind the cut with an emery prior to installation. If you sawed off wooden blanks, then to get perfect joints need wood filler. often when sawing there are small chips.

Trimming technology

Using a power drill

Instructions for the corner fitting skirting and fillets depends on what configuration will have a joint. As a rule, when performing repairs, the parts are joined perpendicularly, so in this section we will consider this option in more detail.

As noted above, the easiest way to cut corners is to use the jigsaw.

Direction of cutting when forming an inner corner

• We put the part to the place of installation, and then measure the required length of the piece.
• Place the chair on a flat, stable surface. It would be better to use a workbench for this purpose, since it would not be so convenient to saw on the floor.
• Lay the skirting board in the plane as it will be placed on the wall. Press the product to the tray wall so that the flat parts fit into the inner surfaces of the wood saw.
• Hold it with your left hand to avoid dislodging it.
• Install the saw blade in the slot at the desired angle (the correct orientation for inside and outside corners is shown in the diagrams and photos). Carefully sawing off the piece, avoiding excessive pressure on the tool.

Cut to form an outer corner

Tip! A skirting board with thin walls can crack under pressure. To avoid that, we put a wooden staple or another block of wood of the appropriate size under it and saw it together.

• Now start cutting the second corner. Lay the other part of the skirting board symmetrically to the first one in the jig and press it to the tray in the same way.
• We perform trimming, setting the hacksaw in the appropriate slot.

After that, it is desirable to check how closely adhere to each other trimmed corners, and only then proceed to glue them.

Connect the fragments should only be after a preliminary adjustment

Without the use of the chisel

The price of such a device as a crossbow for a molding and a baseboard is relatively small, but at the right time it may simply not be at hand. Of course, in this situation the laboriousness of the task increases, but you can still cope with it.

Scheme of drawing a marking

The first method is suitable for ceiling ties and involves the use of marking on the ceiling:

• Cut both parts to be joined at 90.
• We enclose one panel to the fastening point, press it tightly, align and set the end against a perpendicular wall.
• Using a pencil we draw a line for a trimmer, outlining the contour of the panel.
• Remove the panel, put a symmetrical part and repeat the operation.
• Now we have the intersection point of the two lines on the ceiling. Attach the parts one by one to the base and make a mark against this point.
• After laying the skirting board on the workbench, connect the mark to the corner and trim along this line.
• As in the previous case, check the quality of the joints between the skirting boards.

Sequence of operations

You can use templates for the floor skirting boards:

• Take two strips of heavy paper or cardboard, the width of which corresponds to the width of the baseboard.
• We put them to the place of installation of the product, noting how the connecting line for the trimmer should pass.
• We cut out templates according to the marks, which we then lay on the skirting and use as a sample for trimming.

Advice! Use one pair of templates in order to join a few corners, you can only if you are sure of their perfect perpendicularity. Otherwise the gaps will be quite large, and time-consuming adjustment is required.

Using the markings on the cardboard

Difficult configurations

Sometimes it is necessary to join not perpendicular baseboards, but parts located at a different angle.

In this case, the task is seriously complicated:

• Cut two blanks with a good reserve in length.
• Apply one piece to the mounting area and mark the lines corresponding to the location of its edges at the top and bottom.
• Repeat the operations for the second piece.
• According to the intersections of the lines determine the place where the joint will be placed.
• Before you cut a corner on the baseboard, we put it to the wall and transfer the marks directly on the material.
• Connect the marks with a line, along which we make a neat kerf.
• Let’s try on whether we have correctly adjusted the parts, first by weight, and then on the base. If necessary, either remove some of the material from one edge, or (if the discrepancy is too strong) repeat the trim, more carefully performing all measurements.

Angles greater than 90

Exactly the same thing is done when it is necessary to assemble a curved surface from several segments, only the joint lines of parts here will naturally be more.

Polyurethane

Polyurethane skirting boards are the most expensive products. The high cost is caused by a large number of advantages, among which. excellent resistance to moisture, high mechanical strength, reliability and elasticity. For most situations, this option will be optimal.

However, there are exceptions. polyurethane does not withstand temperature changes. If you place such baseboards in the kitchen in the area of the stove, over time, polyurethane will deform and crack. Cutting such fillets is performed with a special knife, and there are no complications in the process.

Wood

Ceiling plinths made of wood are different from their counterparts. The wood is quite heavy, which affects the weight of the product. Baseboards as a result are quite dense, very resistant to mechanical damage and solid, which allows you to not be afraid of accidental deformation during installation or slicing.

To trim a wood fillet, it is best to take a fine-toothed hacksaw, designed specifically for fine work with this material. However, a good option would be a good quality blade on metal.

Chisel. a tool for cutting baseboard corners

There are two ways to cut corners. with the help of a tool (a jigsaw) and without it. We will look at both methods.

Chisel. a carpenter’s tool, which is a small rectangular tray (you can make it yourself from wood or buy ready-made of plastic or metal), in the walls of which there are grooves. Grooves guide the blade of the hacksaw at a specific angle to the axis of the tray.

Important:The angle of cutting the edge of the skirting is always oblique, and equals 45 °, when processing elements designed for installation butt to butt in the corners of the ceiling. The oblique cut provides a tighter fit to the fillets.

Before you begin

Choosing the right width of the baguette is a prerequisite for a beautiful interior. Not the least important factor in the sawing process is the method by which you do it. We would like to give you a couple of tips to help you achieve what you have in mind.

So, how to choose the width of the material and how to trim the ceiling plinth in the corners:

• The prepared wall surface is not the benchmark for evenness, use a smaller width trim strips, as they are more flexible and will be able to cover the maximum number of defects. Accordingly, on the contrary, the more ideal the surface, the width of the molding can be greater, but note. in rooms with low ceilings, mount a not wide molding, so as not to reduce them still and visually;
• Always put the left side of the corner to the saw when sawing on the left, the right side. on the right. In addition, it should be the side of the tool closest to you, the far side is for floor moldings. Please don’t get confused.

Below we will deal in more detail with the task at hand, where you will learn. how to cut the corners of the ceiling plinth correctly and with the best quality.

External

There is one nuance of this process that you should never forget. We always look at the ceiling molding from below, so when the strip is placed in the mortise (to the wall closest to you), it must always be turned over.

You will then have the top of the molding at the bottom and the bottom of the molding at the top. Thus, there will be no gaps between the planes of the parts of the corner when they are joined.

• Get measuring tools, such as a tape measure, and a pencil. Start marking from the inside corner, so you don’t miss the outside. It may happen that not enough baguette length and have to do a lot of joints;
• Apply the molding to the ceiling surface and mark the dimensions;
• Prepare a wire cutter and a metal saw. Press the baguette to the side of the tool closest to you;
• Hold the fillet with your hand and select the position of the hacksaw at which the appropriate angle of connection will be exhibited. This can be the standard parameters. 45, 90, or 135˚, or arbitrary, for which you need to extend the hacksaw by the selected degree;
• Cut the piece with a hacksaw;
• Place the opposite slat against the near wall of the tool and secure it by hand;
• Expose the selected degree on the jigsaw and cut the workpiece with a metal hacksaw;
• Connect the resulting baseboard planks.

Tip: If the walls are connected to each other at right angles, only in this case you will help in the work of the jigsaw, otherwise you will have to make trimming your own hands.

Internal

There is a professional chair, which has a turntable and can be moved to obtain arbitrary angles, as well as for home use, where special features are limited. Usually it is enough to use the second option in the repair.

So, the basic principle is that the ceiling strips are cut at the side of the tool closest to you, we hope you haven’t forgotten.

• Measure the required length of the molding, placing it on the ceiling surface;
• Place the molding strip in the jig, keeping its position fully aligned with the location of the baguette on the ceiling ;
• Press the bar against the near wall of the tool;
• Select an appropriate degree of cut, most often 45. Make sure that the handle of the hacksaw is as close as possible to the hand holding the molding to make the cut as accurately as possible;
• Cut the workpiece, but do not apply excessive force to the hacksaw;
• Prepare and cut the opposite baguette strip, remembering that it must be pressed against the near wall of the jigsaw;
• Select an appropriate angle of cut for it as well, leaving a minimum distance between the handle of the hacksaw and the hand holding the molding;
• Cut off the edge of the bar.

It remains to check the correctness of the joints of the segments, and if everything meets expectations, install them in place.

Tip: Start cutting from the front of the molding, then you can orient it as precisely as possible in place. The corners of the wooden baguette after cutting off process and fit a file.

How to make the corners of a ceiling molding without a chisel

For the first time decided to make the framing on the ceiling, a beginner does not see this as a problem, and in vain. It is advised to immediately take into account in the costs some amount of material that will simply have to be thrown away.

Alas, but at what angle to cut the ceiling plinth depends only on the connection between the walls. Not everyone corresponds to the straight, for which it is sufficient to simply cut slats at 45˚. Often there are parameters that correspond to 85 or 95 degrees, and here it is a problem for beginners finishers.

If you own an apartment built back in the last century, it was generally considered the norm. The fact that when you simply cut the strips at 45˚ and install them on the ceiling, gaps between them will remain, which then have to be sealed with sealant or putty. We will try to help you solve this problem with minimal cost, since the price of not every molding is penny.

So, how to properly cut the corners of the ceiling plinth for the inside corner:

• Styrofoam or polyurethane, then a sharp knife or metal hacksaw is enough;

• Take the molding and attach it to the selected corner. Orient it in the same way as it will be installed in the end. Use a pencil to draw a trimmer line along the bar and remove it;
• Do with the second bar the same procedure as with the previous one. At the same time, it should be adjacent to the joint;
• As a result, you will have a marked area;
• Take the baguette, lean it against the marking. Transfer to it the intersection point of the two lines you drew earlier;
• Draw a line from it to the opposite edge of the batten, which will be the cut line. Do the same with the second baguette.

However, naturally docked strips usually look more harmonious. And to spend on additional details in this case do not have. Therefore, further in the article consider how to cut the corner of the ceiling plinth correctly and what to process the seam.

Prefabricated corners

For convenience, some manufacturers of ceiling friezes for sale are ready to use products. This eliminates the need for time-consuming manual trimming of corners. It is enough to cut the product to size at right angles, which greatly facilitates docking. The main disadvantage of such friezes. the large size of the corner elements compared to the skirting boards. As a result, the corner areas begin to stand out noticeably, and the perimeter is obtained uneven. In some situations, it really affects the overall beauty of the finish. In addition, if the corners of the room are not perfect, the laying of the docking part will cause difficulties.

The procedure of trimming the corners of ceiling plinths is a very responsible activity. Any mistake made can ruin the appearance of the finish. Most often as a tool for high-quality design of corners use a plier. This uncomplicated tool allows you to get a precise cut of 45 or 90 degrees. In cases where the walls in the room do not form a right angle, the procedure, how to cut the ceiling plinth, is usually implemented manually. When selecting a tool for trimming, the baguette material is taken into account.

Joining the skirting board at non-standard corners

If you need to finish a rounded corner, then the skirting board must be cut into 4-5 separate parts, and use special plugs to connect them. Fixing is done with putty or a special adhesive composition.

How to file the corners of the baseboard flooring inside-outside corner:

• we put the first half of the plank to the wall, on the base of the floor we draw a pencil (marker) its boundary;
• Then apply the next half of the strip, draw two points: the first. the intersection with the boundary of the previous strip, the second. with the wall;
• further connect these points to each other, make a saw cut;
• the ends of the saw cuts of plastic specimens are closed with plugs, wooden ones are pre-scraped and then covered with putty.

How to cut the corner of the skirting board without a joiner

Finishing skirting board inner corner

• On the installation area is placed a profile, it must be rested against the conjugate wall;
• On the floor base with a pencil (marker) is a control line for the trimmer;
• the same actions are performed near the other wall;
• The intersection point of the two reference segments is the bottom cut, the junction point in the corner is the top cut.

Finishing the outer corner

• In this case, similar actions are performed, only the profile is led out beyond the corner of the converging walls;
• Where the reference segments cross. the bottom cut, the upper cut. the corner edge.

Important! For edging skirting boards you should try to keep the hacksaw under 45º when sawing.

Note! We strongly advise you to buy a pliers for trimming corners. it is not expensive, and to spoil or make an uneven and ugly corner without it is quite realistic!

Attaching plastic skirting boards

Nowadays plastic skirting boards are fitted with additional elements: joint sleeves, plugs and corners, which help to close the slices of the skirting boards. Therefore, when finishing corners do not need to trim additionally skirting boards.

Connecting elements for the plastic skirting boards

• Measure the length of both walls, to which the skirting boards are cut.
• Screw the skirting board to the wall with self-tapping screws (read more about how to attach a skirting board to the floor).
• At the corner, plastic skirting boards are screwed together using a special fastener, also made of plastic.
• Next, the corner of the skirting board is closed zaklushkoy corner, which simply must be put on the edges of the strips.

Photo example of fixing the plug on the plastic baseboard

Important! When using different plugs for corners and joints plastic skirting boards advise you as to mount them (in addition to standard fasteners) on a small amount of glue or liquid nails. this will “firmly” to fix the corner, and at low physical impact (eg, caught his little finger of the foot at the outer corner)))) ) plug will not pop out (less likely to break the fasteners or the plug itself with the baseboard).