How To Saw Mdf Skirting Board Under 45

How to cut off a plastic skirting board: how to cut and how to cut it correctly, cutting methods

A skirting board is an essential element for decorating a room and giving it a complete and neat look. It can be made of various materials, but the plastic skirting board is especially popular now. It is easy to install, but even in this process there are some subtleties that are important to know about. How to cut a plastic skirting board correctly so that you can neatly dock it in the corners?

skirting, board

How to cut a plastic skirting board

How to cut a plastic skirting board

If the angle in the room where it is planned to finish the joints of the walls and the floor with a plinth is 90 degrees, which happens extremely rarely, then the cuts of the plinths should have an angle of 45 degrees each. Such a cut is the easiest to make, especially with a miter box. It is enough to insert the plinth into the miter box, then select a groove at 45 degrees and make a cut.

However, such angles of 90 degrees in rooms are extremely rare, usually they differ by several values ​​in one direction or another. And in some rooms, the corners may even be larger. Then the cutting is done differently: a marking is drawn on the floor with a pencil, where the border of the location of the plinth is drawn on one and the other side of the corner. you get a small rhombus. The diagonal of this rhombus will be the very cutting line of the product. Next, a plinth is applied to the marking, on which the marking is performed in accordance with the diagonal of the rhombus. If you draw a straight line from this mark to the corner of the plinth, then you get the very necessary cutting line.

Cutting the corner on the skirting board

Advice! When trimming the skirting board, it is recommended to saw off a little less than necessary. In case of an error, this will correct the situation by slightly processing the edges of the product by hand and adjust the skirting board to the desired size.

The outer corners of the skirting boards are formed a little differently, or rather, in a room with ideal geometry, you can also cut products at an angle of 45 degrees (but in a different direction) and, after joining, close the edges with a plug. Non-standard corners are cut like this: one of the skirting boards is applied to one of the walls, its borders are marked with a pencil. The same procedure is carried out with another product. again a rhombus flaunts on the floor, the diagonal of which will become a guide for cutting products.

Decoration of the outer corner of the plastic skirting board

How to properly trim the corners of the skirting board

Since it is hard plastic skirting boards that are increasingly used during repairs, it is about them that will be discussed. Their installation is inevitably associated with the need to cut and form beautiful joints in the corners. The quality of all work and the appearance of the room where the repair is being made will depend on how the plinth will be joined, in general.

Methods for cutting plastic skirting boards

Cutting skirting boards is seemingly simple, but responsible. If the corners are cut incorrectly, then they will not fit correctly and all the work will go down the drain, since the product will no longer have a beautiful appearance. there will be gaps between two sections of the plinth and decorative inserts (corners, joining elements, etc.).

Most often, an ordinary metal hacksaw, which has fine teeth, is used to cut the plinth. However, it will not work for thin skirting boards, since the product will simply break under the influence of this tool.

Plastic skirting board cutting angle grinder

Sometimes the plinth is cut with metal scissors. But the method also has its drawbacks, because the product can be crumpled under the pressure of the blades. Less common, but still used is an angle grinder. However, the cutting line after cutting can be inaccurate, as the tool often “tears” soft plastic. Especially often this method turns out to be unsuccessful for beginners in the world of repair, who still do not know how to fully control the work. So the angle grinder can be attributed to rather specific methods.

Metal scissors

On a note! You can use a sharpened knife or utility knife to cut thin skirting boards. But such work requires some skill, therefore it is recommended to first practice on the scraps of the old plastic baseboard.

The most important thing in the procedure for cutting skirting boards is observing the required geometry. The procedure is never performed “by eye”, the accuracy of measurements and accuracy are important here. Therefore, there are other methods for cutting skirting boards.

The absence of fittings implies the use of other methods of connecting skirting boards. This is an option with and without clipping templates.

Useful Tips

Experienced craftsmen recommend starting the installation of the skirting board from the inner corner. At the junction of two walls, which form the inner corner, the cut on the baseboards will be 45 degrees (in a room with correct and accurate geometry). It is recommended to cut with a miter box. this is the only way to achieve a perfectly even cut.

Cutting floor and ceiling plinths with a miter box

Advice! If necessary, you can slightly adjust the skirting boards to each other using a grinder or rasp, slightly “removing” their edges.

In general, in any case, the cut edges of plastic skirting boards should be sanded. this way it will be possible to get rid of sharp edges, and it will be easier to work. And the skirting boards with cable channels are cut only after the product has been disassembled. the decorative strip designed to hide the wires and attachment points of the skirting board is cut separately.

The plinth of the desired size is cut

It is recommended that immediately before installing the plinth, cut the segments to the required length and arrange the corners so as not to be distracted by this procedure during the assembly of the plinth. You should not neglect the use of additional elements. plugs, corners and other products for the baseboard. With their help, it will be possible to give the finished work a complete and harmonious look.

Advice! If the corners where the plinth is laid and joined are uneven, then even decorative plugs and other elements can be trimmed if necessary.

It is very easy to cut skirting boards at any angle with this device.

The main types of floor skirting boards

The wooden skirting board is a classic. It is a natural product, as it is made from solid wood. This type is distinguished by its high strength and durability. the skirting boards, installed back in the times of the USSR, still serve faithfully in some apartments and houses. Now they are made mainly of pine wood, but there are also products from walnut, oak, ash and other species. However, due to this, the cost of products increases. not everyone can afford such skirting boards.

Wooden floor plinth

Because of this, veneered skirting boards have appeared on the market. their are an order of magnitude lower. However, outwardly, they practically do not differ from products made of expensive wood. The fact is that their upper part, which plays a decorative role, is just made of a thin layer of expensive wood. Without certain knowledge and experience, it is almost impossible to distinguish veneered plinth from ordinary wooden skirting.

On a note! For cutting skirting boards. wood and veneer. use a regular wood saw.

It is convenient to cut wooden skirting boards with a hacksaw for metal

Plastic skirting boards, that is, made of PVC, are especially popular now. It partially displaced conventional wooden products from the market, as it has a number of advantages:

  • looks beautiful and neat. able to imitate natural wood products;
  • easy to install, flexible and very easy to cut;
  • can serve as a cable channel for laying wires;
  • not afraid of exposure to water, and also does not rot, mold does not start on it;
  • is inexpensive compared to wood or veneered products.

Plastic skirting board is made of polyvinyl chloride, which is passed through special forms under high pressure. After the mass has solidified, a neat plastic product is obtained.

On a note! Some manufacturers decorate the edges of plastic skirting boards with rubber. This measure helps the product not to slip on walls and floors during installation and to adhere tightly to surfaces.

Plastic skirting board

Plastic skirting boards are of several types. for example, used for carpet (they have a special shape in the form of the letter G, fix the material) or for linoleum. There are also universal products that can be installed on any type of flooring. They can be classified and depending on the hardness.

Table. Types of plastic skirting boards depending on hardness.

Flexible plastic skirting boards

Stencil cutting

The method is recommended for cutting products intended for installation in non-standard-shaped rooms with angles that differ from the standard mark of 90 degrees. Stencils for the desired angle can be made from paper or thin cardboard. First, strips are cut from the rough material, which have exactly the same width as the skirting board. Then they are applied to the corner and fixed, after which they are cut to the shape of the corner. Then, according to the stencils received, the skirting board itself is cut at the required angle.

Stencil cutting of plastic skirting boards

Miter box for skirting boards

A carpenter’s miter box is a device for cutting at a certain angle. It is used with a hacksaw. In principle, you can make a miter box yourself by assembling a guide from the boards and making cuts in the walls. There are various models on sale ranging from 15 to several hundred dollars. They differ in capabilities, materials, although all are called “miter box”. Professional models are made on the basis of a good hacksaw, have a scale that allows you to set the saw as it should. With such a tool, it is not a problem to set any desired cutting angle in order to properly cut the skirting board for a perfect fit.

Professional carpentry miter box. a tool with a wide range

The simplest miter box is a plastic U-shaped profile, in the walls of which slots are formed. These slots are used as a hacksaw guide. They do not allow the web to deflect. In any case, there are two cuts. straight and at 45 degrees. Some may have a couple more options.

How to cut a plinth at 45 degrees? One way is to use a miter box

Sometimes a hacksaw is included, sometimes not. Usually the ones included are not very good. Any hacksaw can be used, picking up a blade for the material that is planned to be cut. It is important that the blade moves freely in the slots.

How to cut the skirting board correctly. Miter box for cutting corners

When installing skirting boards, it is important to arrange the corners correctly. It is they who often spoil the overall picture. How to make a corner on the plinth. external and internal, how and with what to cut. We will discuss all this further.

How and what to cut a plastic skirting board

All of the above applies to MDF and wood skirting boards. Cutting them with an ordinary hacksaw is not a problem. It is advisable to take a blade for metal, since it has a smaller tooth and the saw cut is smoother, you will have to work less with sandpaper. With plastic, the situation is different. when you try to cut a piece, some thin-walled skirting boards crumble and break.

Cutting plastic is not very convenient because of the thin walls

To cut normal quality plastic skirting boards you can use:

  • Hacksaw for metal.
  • angle grinder (angle grinder) with diamond disc.
  • A revolving miter saw. Before cutting, speed up the disc and only then start cutting.
  • A jigsaw and a file with a fine tooth. Here you have to try. select the speed and file.
  • Sharp knife.
  • Metal scissors. In any case, it is not difficult to make straight cuts with them.

Only personal experience will help you decide what is more convenient for you to cut a plastic floor plinth. If you have a miter saw, try using it. It is not a problem to try the angle grinder with a diamond disc a couple of times. If all this does not work well, try a hacksaw, jigsaw, or knife. There are, of course, special scissors for plastic, but they are too expensive to buy for a single use.

Accessories for the design of corners and joints of PVC skirting boards

In plastic skirting boards, you can design corners and joints using special fittings. There are external and internal corners, plugs and connectors. Basically, they allow you to assemble the desired configuration. Each manufacturer makes its own fittings. for its own profile, colors. But the principle of their use is the same.

How to shape the corners of a plastic skirting board

The first rule is that all cuts are made straight. Strictly perpendicular. The marks in the corners are set at a distance of 1-1.5 mm from the corner. The fact is that the rigidity fittings have their own jumpers. For them, it is necessary to retreat a couple of millimeters, but no more. Otherwise, a gap will appear or skirting boards will pop out of these corners.

This is the result of the assembly

I must say that not everyone likes the look of plastic corners. You can make a corner on a PVC skirting board in the same way as described for wood or MDF. The only difficulty is that you have to be careful with plastic. it breaks down from excessive efforts. There is one trick. before cutting the plastic skirting board, add a little polyurethane foam on the back side and wait for the polymerization to begin. It will be tougher, easier to cut, less deformation. If the foam subsequently interferes, it is not a problem to remove it, but to cut it is, indeed, easier.

Making an external joint

In apartments or houses, there are not only internal corners, but also external ones. In this case, the nearest inner corner is first trimmed and modified. When it’s ready, you can make an outside corner on the baseboard. We put the bar in the corner, as it should be. In the place of the outer corner with a pencil, we make a mark exactly at the place of rotation.

How to make the outer corner of the skirting board

Then we transfer the bar to the miter box, choose the appropriate position. In order not to be mistaken, all the time imagine how the plinth is against the wall and what you should get.

We cut the second segment at 45 degrees so that it joins the finished one. To do this, we change the position of the saw to the opposite and start the plinth on the other side.

How to make a skirting angle more or less 90 °

Not all angles are exactly 90 degrees. If the deviation is small, the cracks can be removed with sandpaper. In other cases, you will have to mark and cut taking into account the real degree. The main task in this case is to find a point on the floor where two plinths will join.

Let’s start by explaining how to properly slice the outside corner if it’s not 90 degrees. We take the bar, put it to the corner on one side, press it tightly against the wall. as it should stand. Draw a line on the floor with a pencil along the bottom edge of the plinth. We apply the bar to the other side of the corner, do the same. The intersection of the two lines will be the joining point of the two skirting boards.

How to join a skirting board if the angle is less than or more than 90 degrees

Now we attach the plinth strip again, set it in the way it will be attached. We make two marks: at the top at the turn itself, at the bottom in the place where the lines we have drawn intersect. Now an important task: it is necessary to make a cut according to these marks. If you have a miter saw or a miter box with an adjustable saw tilt, set it up and cut it. If not, carefully cut it with a hacksaw. In order not to get lost, you can use a pencil to apply the fishing line along which you need to cut. Similarly, mark and cut off the second part. Modifying the connection of skirting boards with sandpaper.

Few of the professionals process the joints with sandpaper. this is time and additional work. But if you join skirting boards in the corners in your own house, with your own hands, you definitely want everything to be beautiful. This is what this manual tweak is for.

The inside corner of the custom size is exactly the same. We put a plinth in the corner, draw a straight line on the floor. We do it on the other side. Transfer the intersection point to the planks.

Types of corners in rooms

When installing skirting boards, you need to arrange the corners in some way. By their appearance, the corners are external (which protrude forward) and internal (for example, corners in a room). In rooms with normal geometry, the corners are straight, i.e. 90 °. When joining two pieces of the plinth strip in the corner, they are cut so that each has an angle of 45 °.

To arrange the outer and inner corner, the skirting board must be cut

But how do you make an angle on the plinth so that it is exactly forty-five degrees? To do this, use a special carpentry tool. miter box.

How to cut the skirting board in the inner corners: an action plan step by step

Begin installing the skirting boards in one of the corners. If this is your first experience, choose the part of the room where something will stand. Not always, it’s over, the first pancake is lumpy, but it’s still better to insure yourself. To make the corner on the baseboard neatly, work slowly. One was sawed off, checked, adjusted. Let’s move on to the next one. It is better to fasten after two adjacent corners are assembled. But you should not postpone the assembly too much.

Trimming skirting boards in corners requires some skill. But having made several joints yourself, you can beautifully design complex corners.

Cut 45 degree corner skirtingboard, how I cut an external mitre, outside corner on skirting boards.

How to use a miter box to cut skirting boards? Place the device in front of you, preferably on a table, but also on the floor. It does not matter which side to turn it, it is symmetrical. Insert the bar into the profile, turn it so that it will stand against the wall. When washing down a floor plinth in a miter box, the “wall” is the wall that is farther from you. Once again: press the plinth strip firmly against the back wall in the position in which it will be installed. Insert a hacksaw into the desired slots. You can start sawing.

How to saw down the corner of the plinth at the right distance

The second and all other corners of the skirting boards must be made at a certain distance. If the next corner is again internal and the distance to it is less than the length of the bar, use the same fragment on which there is already a cut. We measure the distance with a tape measure. strictly from corner to corner. Then this distance is laid on the bar using the same tape measure. We combine the beginning of the measuring tape with the ledge, measure the required distance, make a mark with a pencil. She will be the starting point for the cut.

You need to know at what distance to cut

Plinth with a mark is placed in the miter box, the desired direction of the cut is chosen. The dash can be combined with a hacksaw blade or with a slot in the miter box. As it is convenient for anyone. Cut off. This segment must be “tried on” in place. If both corners rest against opposite walls or the gap is only 1 mm, everything is fine. You can cut a second strip from a new piece to design a joint. And again we remove the flaws with sandpaper.

If the length of the wall is longer than the length of the plinth strip, take a new strip. We will cut the second corner on it. It is important not to be mistaken in which direction to cut. Having installed both strips along the wall, mark the joint on one of them, make a straight cut. There are also slots for a straight cut in the miter box. So there will be no problems.

How to connect two skirting boards in a straight line

But the joint in a straight line does not always look perfect, and during operation it often diverges, forming a visible gap. If you wish, you can cut off at an angle (any) two planks.

To do this, first cut off the edge of one plank at an angle, mark the second joint. The mark is placed on the side of the plinth that is pressed against the wall. At this mark, we saw off another section, without changing the position of the saw relative to the miter box, but inserting the bar on the other side. The joint is oblique. It’s more accurate. The difference is especially visible on wooden skirting boards and MDF. Cut, again, to bring “to mind” with sandpaper.

Method number 1. Classic miter box

The classic miter box is a U-shaped bed with slots in the opposite sides. A piece of a suitable size is inserted into this stock and sawed off with a hacksaw through the slots in the sides. The idea is not new, the tool is already several hundred years old, but despite the simplicity, not everyone knows how to properly cut the corner of the ceiling plinth using such a miter box.

Not everyone knows how to cut a ceiling plinth in a corner using a classic miter box.

Tip: when trimming, ceiling skirting boards are applied to the side of the miter box, which is closer to you, and the floor skirting boards, on the contrary, must be applied to the side of the tool farthest from you. It’s not a dogma, but it’s much easier to work this way.

It is easier to work with skirting boards, since the miter box lies on a horizontal plane, it is easier for you to orient yourself in the position of the skirting board. People most often make mistakes when trimming the ceiling fillet, it is simply incorrectly put into the tool. There is a simple but important rule here.

Important: the side of the ceiling fillet, which touches the wall, should be directed to the upper edge of the side of the miter box, and that part of the plinth that borders on the ceiling is placed on the bottom of the miter box.

Skirting board trimming scheme.

The corner, as you know, has 2 sides, so, in order to make less mistakes, train yourself to put the bar that will be mounted on the right side of the corner into the miter box on the right, and the bar that is attached to the left, put it into the miter box on the left. Details about the intricacies of using the classic miter box are described in the video in this article.

How to properly trim the inner and outer corners of the ceiling fillet.

In addition to the classic U-shaped miter box, there are two more types of similar designs. a professional and a rotary tool. As for the professional version, only masters use it. The device is quite bulky, but it turns at any angle and has a hacksaw that can be fixed in the desired position.

Professional miter box with the ability to fix the hacksaw and part.

The swivel device can be safely called a “” miter box. The only advantage here is the ability to clearly fix the angle of rotation of the bar. On the one hand, it is easy to work with it. set the corner, put it to the baseboard and cut it off. But on the other hand, you need to get used to such a tool, if you do not have experience with a hacksaw, then you should not take a rotary miter box.

How to work with a swivel miter box.

Tip: when choosing a classic U-shaped miter box, firstly, do not take Chinese products. And secondly, try to buy models with the possibility of rigid fixation of the part inside, one of these models is shown in the photo below.

A miter box with the ability to fix a part inside is much more convenient to work.

Using factory corners. an alternative to cutting and sawing

PVC ceiling molding corners

The disadvantage of corner pieces is that they are actually and visually larger than the baseboard, which will make the corner noticeable. This can ruin the look of the room. It is also inconvenient to use the corners where the walls do not join strictly at an angle of ninety degrees. But most of the time they look great.

First joint in the room

The first plinth should be cut as close to the edge as possible. Carpenters have their own jargon and they say “cut” the corner. It does not matter what you call it, it is important that in the miter box we set the bar so as to make a cut at the very beginning. For the cutting line, we push the bar a short distance, for a start, you can 1-2 cm. Cutting a smaller piece is more difficult, so save the savings “for later” when at least some skill appears.

In the miter box, place the plinth at the far wall “facing” you. This makes it easier to check if you are cutting / sawing correctly.

Then you need to make a corner on the plinth like this:

  • We put the plinth in the miter box, press it against the wall opposite us. We expose it in the mounting position. how it will stand against the wall.
  • Insert the hacksaw into the desired slots (see the picture below).
  • Move the bar so that it goes slightly beyond the cut line.
  • Cut off.
  • We take the second piece of plinth, repeat the same operations, but change the position of the saw on the miter box to the opposite. We insert the bar on the other side. Be careful here, otherwise you will have to redo it several times, since the connection will not work.

How to cut a floor plinth in a miter box correctly: for external and internal joint

We got two pieces cut for joining in the inner corner. To make the joint perfect, we try on the details in place. Most likely there are some flaws. We take sandpaper with medium grain, remove everything that interferes with docking. Then, with small grain, we achieve a tight joint without cracks and gaps.

When joining the skirting boards in the corner, use a transparent silicone sealant. Before installing the fasteners, a layer of silicone is applied to the cut. Immediately after the plinth is fixed, remove the excess that appeared outside. We clean up to an absolutely clean surface. This way of connecting the skirting boards in the corners looks more neat, dirt and dust does not clog into it.

How to connect with a door trim

You know neatly how to make a corner on a plinth, but that’s not all. The room most often has doors. By the way, they must be installed before fixing the baseboards. So, you still need to correctly dock the skirting boards with the platbands on the door. If you just cut it straight, it turns out rough. There are plugs for plastic. not the most elegant way, but quite acceptable. Wooden ones can also be trimmed by cutting off the “face” obliquely. Also “not ice”, but already something. And what to do with MDF skirting boards, because the saw cut from them is unpresentable? There is a way to make a beautiful junction with the jambs. You will need to make two cuts at an angle of 45 degrees (see photo below).

How to properly arrange the joint between the skirting board and the door jamb

If the edge is not even, we first cut it off strictly perpendicularly. With respect to the aligned edge, make a 45 degree cut. A small cut off piece will be useful for us to design the junction. We make the second cut at 90 degrees relative to the first, but if we lower the perpendicular from the angle, we also get 45 °.

How to make a neat jamb fit

Now we take the first cut piece, attach it to the just made cut with the long side. It turns out a beautiful rounded cut. If there are chamfers, grooves on the plinth, they match perfectly. In the case of woody patterns, you cannot be sure that the lines match. Anyway, such a joint between the skirting board and the door casing is much more aesthetically pleasing.

There are more than enough tips on how to cut a plinth at 45 degrees on the net now, the only bad thing is that most of them are given by people who have never done this. Next, from the point of view of a practice, I will tell you how to cut skirting boards at the corners with your own hands in 3 options, and you will learn both about traditional methods and about folk universal recipes.

The science of how to properly trim ceiling skirting boards in corners is not as difficult as it might seem.

How to cut the skirting board in the inner corners: an action plan step by step

Begin installing the skirting boards in one of the corners. If this is your first experience, choose the part of the room where something will stand. Not always, it’s over, the first pancake is lumpy, but it’s still better to insure yourself. To make the corner on the baseboard neatly, work slowly. One was sawed off, checked, adjusted. Let’s move on to the next one. It is better to fasten after two adjacent corners are assembled. But you should not postpone the assembly too much.

Trimming skirting boards in corners requires some skill. But having made several joints yourself, you can beautifully design complex corners.

How to use a miter box to cut skirting boards? Place the device in front of you, preferably on a table, but also on the floor. It does not matter which side to turn it, it is symmetrical. Insert the bar into the profile, turn it so that it will stand against the wall. When washing down a floor plinth in a miter box, the “wall” is the wall that is farther from you. Once again: press the plinth strip firmly against the back wall in the position in which it will be installed. Insert a hacksaw into the desired slots. You can start sawing.

How and what to cut a plastic skirting board

All of the above applies to MDF and wood skirting boards. Cutting them with an ordinary hacksaw is not a problem. It is advisable to take a blade for metal, since it has a smaller tooth and the saw cut is smoother, you will have to work less with sandpaper. With plastic, the situation is different. when you try to cut a piece, some thin-walled skirting boards crumble and break.

Cutting plastic is not very convenient because of the thin walls

To cut normal quality plastic skirting boards you can use:

  • Hacksaw for metal.
  • angle grinder (angle grinder) with diamond disc.
  • A revolving miter saw. Before cutting, speed up the disc and only then start cutting.
  • A jigsaw and a file with a fine tooth. Here you have to try. select the speed and file.
  • Sharp knife.
  • Metal scissors. In any case, it is not difficult to make straight cuts with them.

Only personal experience will help you decide what is more convenient for you to cut a plastic floor plinth. If you have a miter saw, try using it. It is not a problem to try the angle grinder with a diamond disc a couple of times. If all this does not work well, try a hacksaw, jigsaw, or knife. There are, of course, special scissors for plastic, but they are too expensive to buy for a single use.

Accessories for the design of corners and joints of PVC skirting boards

In plastic skirting boards, you can design corners and joints using special fittings. There are external and internal corners, plugs and connectors. Basically, they allow you to assemble the desired configuration. Each manufacturer makes its own fittings. for its own profile, colors. But the principle of their use is the same.

How to shape the corners of a plastic skirting board

The first rule is that all cuts are made straight. Strictly perpendicular. The marks in the corners are set at a distance of 1-1.5 mm from the corner. The fact is that the rigidity fittings have their own jumpers. For them, it is necessary to retreat a couple of millimeters, but no more. Otherwise, a gap will appear or skirting boards will pop out of these corners.

This is the result of the assembly

I must say that not everyone likes the look of plastic corners. You can make a corner on a PVC skirting board in the same way as described for wood or MDF. The only difficulty is that you have to be careful with plastic. it breaks down from excessive efforts. There is one trick. before cutting the plastic skirting board, add a little polyurethane foam on the back side and wait for the polymerization to begin. It will be tougher, easier to cut, less deformation. If the foam subsequently interferes, it is not a problem to remove it, but to cut it is, indeed, easier.

Skirting board installation tools

The procedure for trimming and joining skirting boards from different materials is not much different. The main difference is that wood, plastic and MDF have different hardness and density, and working with wood, for example, is more difficult. If a sharp knife is also suitable for cutting plastic, then a hacksaw is needed for wood.

To work with wooden, plastic or MDF skirting boards you will need:

    The miter box is a special carpentry tray for sawing, on the sides of which there are slots at different angles.

Roulette and pencil.

Hacksaw, jigsaw, or joiner’s knife. Any of these tools will work for cutting. But it’s up to you to decide how to cut the plastic skirting board for the floor. It depends on which tool is easier for you to work with.

Fine-grained sandpaper.

Sealant or putty.

Fasteners (screws, dowel-nails).

  • Screwdriver and hammer.
  • Before proceeding with the final finishing of the floor, it is necessary to correctly calculate the number of skirting boards. To do this, measure the perimeter of the room and multiply by the standard length of one product. Most often it is 2.5 or 3.5 meters. It is imperative to purchase finishing elements, plugs, fasteners and docking tabs.

    Cutting the plinth for internal corners

    Despite the fact that rooms most often look like a regular rectangle, the corners in them are not equal to 90 degrees. Such a corner is the dream of any builder and repairman. If you are still lucky and have a classically correct angle, then to cut the skirting board you need to do the following:

      We place a wooden or plastic sheet in a miter box;

    We find on the side panel a furrow and a mark of 45 degrees;

    Focusing on it, we begin to saw the plinth with a hacksaw;

  • We clean the resulting edge with sandpaper.
  • When cutting a skirting board, remember which side it is on. When working with wood, the ideal angle will help to obtain a special putty.

    If you are unlucky and your angles do not have 90 degrees, then you need to do the following steps:

      We make small markings on the floor. Use a pencil or a washable marker for this. On one and the other side of the corner, it is necessary to draw the future border of the plinth. In the corner, you will get a kind of rhombus. Its diagonal is the cutting line.

    Attaching the plinth to the resulting rhombus, we mark its diagonal.

    Draw a straight line from the resulting mark to the corner of the plinth. This is your cut line. Focusing on it, sawing is done with a hacksaw.

  • The resulting end face is recommended to be processed with sandpaper.
  • Some experts recommend making the cut at a low magnification. This will allow you to manually adjust the skirting board to the corner as accurately and tightly as possible.

    At the end, you need to insert a plug into the resulting joint to form a neat inner corner of the plinth for the floor. If this is a tree, then the joint should be treated with putty and prepared for further painting.

    Forming outer corners on skirting boards

    If you have a classic outside angle of 90 degrees, then the process of forming it is the same as for the inside one. When cutting, you must remember which plinth you have on which side. After receiving the joint, it is necessary to close the ends with a special plug. If during the cutting process there are small flaws, they can be easily corrected with mastic, and then closed with a plug.

    If you have non-standard angles, then cutting the skirting board comes down to the following steps:

      We apply the canvas to one wall.

    Using a pencil, mark its inner and outer borders.

    We do the same with another skirting board.

    As with the inside corner, we get a rhombus just outside. Its diagonal will serve as the cutting edge.

    Using a file and a miter box, we cut.

    We carefully clean the resulting ends and install the plinth.

  • The final touch is the end caps in the corners.
  • Your outer corner of the plinth on the floor is ready, and you can finally fix the product around the perimeter of the room using self-tapping screws or special glue.

    Cutting skirting boards at non-standard angles

    Modern design solutions in interior decoration often consist in the use of original forms. In this case, it is quite difficult to carry out the installation of a floor plinth in non-standard corners. After all, they are often both internal and external at the same time. Sometimes the corners are completely rounded. That is why the above docking methods are not suitable.

    If you are dealing with a round corner, then you need to cut the skirting board into 4-5 pieces. Using the connection plugs, carefully lay out the entire corner in small pieces. Do not forget to fix them with glue or putty. This way you will have a neat rounded corner.

    If you have an inside-outside corner in the room, then you should take the following steps:

      On one side, we apply a plinth and draw its border on the floor.

    Now we apply the second half and make two marks: one is the intersection with the drawn border, the second is with the wall.

    We connect the resulting points and make a cut.

  • We carefully close the ends with plugs.
  • If you use wooden skirting boards to finish non-standard corners, then instead of plugs you will have to use putty. After hardening, the resulting surface must be carefully sanded with sandpaper. And the principle of how to cut corners for a wooden plinth remains the same.

    The main types of floor skirting boards

    To date, skirting boards made of the following materials are used for interior decoration. wood, plastic, MDF.

    Wooden skirting boards are a traditional type of finishing product. In old houses, only such were laid on the floor. Wooden skirting boards have a raised surface on the outside and special grooves for mounting wires and cables inside them. They are fixed with self-tapping screws, less often nails. It is allowed to use a sealant to fix them on the floor. If self-tapping screws are used for fastening, then dowels are pre-installed in the walls.

    Among the advantages of wooden skirting boards are durability, environmental friendliness, safety for humans and animals, the possibility of reuse.

    However, their use does not always hide the wiring. In addition, after installing a wooden skirting board, it must be additionally putty and varnished, paint, stain. In addition, wood is an expensive material, and therefore products from it will be distinguished by a high cost. And before cutting the skirting boards to the floor, you will need to prepare special equipment.

    Plastic skirting boards are simple and convenient products for finishing flooring. In them, everything is most often thought out to the smallest detail: the design of the outer and inner corners, s for laying cables and wires, end caps, special fasteners for fixing on the wall and floor.

    Plastic skirting boards are characterized by quick installation, a variety of colors, no need for putty and painting after installation, the presence of additional elements for sealing joints. This finish goes well with any flooring material: parquet, carpet, tiles, laminate, linoleum. Whatever coverage you have, you can easily match a plastic skirting board to it.

    However, plastic is a fragile material, and with a strong impact, chips and holes can appear on its surface. This will require a complete replacement of the entire whip of the product, as a minimum. Despite this drawback, modern builders prefer plastic skirting boards due to the large number of its advantages.

    MDF skirting boards are environmentally friendly and attractive products. On their front side, paper impregnated with dyes is glued. over, the process is carried out at high temperature and under pressure. This eliminates peeling of the decorative coating during operation.

    A melamine coating is applied on top of the paper. It protects skirting boards from moisture and stubborn dirt. Even when exposed to direct sunlight, the product will not lose its appearance for many years. Also, the advantages of MDF skirting boards include quick installation, easy maintenance, cost-effectiveness, a wide palette of shades.

    Before joining the floor plinth in the corners, it should be remembered that MDF is highly fragile. In the process of mounting and cutting such a product, extreme accuracy is important.

    Plastic or MDF, from which skirting boards are made, are lightweight materials that have a large number of colors. That is why it is quite easy to choose a product for any interior decoration and design solution. Most often, when choosing the color of the skirting board, they are repelled by the shade of the floor covering.

    How to join a floor plinth in the corners

    articles:

    • Main varieties
    • Installation tools
    • How to cut the corners of a skirting board
    • Internal
    • Outdoor
    • Non-standard
    • Installation instructions

    Docking the floor plinth in the corners is a responsible process, which is important to carry out with high quality, since precisely defined, clear corners delight the eye and give the floor covering a complete look. To connect the products and get a neat joint, you need to know the technology for cutting them and the existing methods of fixing. Before cutting the floor plinth, read the instructions and recommendations below.

    How to cut the corners of a skirting board

    The acquired plinth must be cut according to the perimeter of the room. To make this process faster and easier, you can draw its diagram on a sheet of paper, marking all the outer and inner corners.