How to cut a baseboard at 45 degrees

How to properly cut a 45 degree angle

Sometimes you have to trim a part or product at a certain angle. As a rule, you need to trim baguettes, fillets, platbands, baseboards and other similar interior elements at an angle of 45 degrees. Anyone can cope with this task. The main thing is not to rush, not to be nervous, and everything will work out.

Buy prefabricated corner elements

Of course, the easiest thing is not to bother with trimming this or that part, and buy it already ready, not in need of processing and trimming. Such details and elements are sold today everywhere in large supermarkets or smaller stores.

For example, with regard to the baguette or studs, they sell special corner elements that fit perfectly into the corner and do not need to be trimmed. It is enough to glue them in place and press them well.

The way to connect the trim platbands without trimming

Trims today often do not trim at an angle to then join together, and make the junction at right angles. This method of connecting the casing does not require any special trimming, which is very convenient. In addition, this method looks more modern and attractive.

Trimming at an angle with a power tool

If it is still necessary to trim at an angle to one or another part, it is worth stocking up on a power drill, the simplest device, which looks like a small box. The chair has slots for a saw or a long, sharp knife. Of course, these slots are made in such a way that they form an even and accurate angle of 45 degrees.

However, the cross cutter can have many slots at once, at different angles. It is convenient because with one device, it is possible to trim any parts at different angles.

Chisels that are adjustable are also available on sale. Slots in such a chair can be adjusted, allowing the master to set such an angle, which is required at the moment. In particular, it is fairly easy to translate slots in such a chair to a 45 degree position.

Now you can trim the workpiece elementary. Put a molding, a platband, or a baseboard in the crossbar, and then insert the saw into the slots and cut off the excess material with a simple procedure. The angle is eventually ideal, exactly 45 degrees.

What to do if you do not have a jigsaw? Very simply. It is necessary to make a template, which will not be difficult to transfer to the workpieces the necessary markings. As a template, you can choose a thick cardboard or something else that will be appropriate in this case.

What joints are to be decorated

There is a big difference in how to cut the decorative joints of the floor and wall moldings, depending on what kind of connection will be finished. There are two kinds of them:

Certainly, trims will be cut differently, and parameters of a cut which is necessary to be guided too will differ. It is to orient, as ideal joints of walls and surfaces in our apartments, alas, does not exist, and there is always a small deviation. Therefore, it is often necessary to deviate from the ideal knot geometry in order to obtain a quality joint.

A small digression: the most ideal option for uneven corners will be the preliminary preparation of the planes in the form of alignment to the ideal of ninety degrees. However, not everyone can afford it, and to perform the work requires certain skills of a plasterer.

That is why we have to make compromises: not to create a perfect joint, and allow the formation of small gaps or cut strips do not ideal. At the same time, it is better to avoid gaps. it looks very ugly. It is better to make a more accurate, though not under forty-five degrees connection of slats, than to leave gaps. In such a situation, you will have to refuse to use special devices, and all sawed off by their own markings.

The choice of tools for cutting

Before making corners on the ceiling plinths, it is necessary to find out what construction material is made of the fillets:

• Styrofoam. This material is extremely fragile, it crumbles easily. Its advantage is the price that many consumers can afford. When working with polystyrene, a knife or a hacksaw should be used, because of its brittleness. Do not press too hard, the work has to be done very carefully and slowly, otherwise the skirting board will break.
• Polyvinyl chloride. It is an inexpensive product, but it needs to be handled with care. PVC skirting boards are highly electrostatic and therefore strongly attract dust. To cut such products use a hacksaw or knife.
• Extruded polystyrene foam. Tacks made of this material are durable and reliable, but their cost is higher than previous samples. They are not easy to break, and they do not crumble when cut. Making a choice, what tool and how to cut corners on the ceiling plinths of this material, it is best to use a construction knife or hacksaw, which are designed to work with products made of metal.
• Wood. Wood is the strongest type of these products. This reliable product is the hardest to work with because of the high resistance of the material to physical impact. Use a fine-toothed hacksaw to cut wooden skirting boards.
• Polyurethane. It is used to produce durable skirting boards for ceiling surfaces. They have a big disadvantage. polyurethane products do not react well to temperature differences and are sensitive to heat or cold. These nuances must be considered before trimming the ceiling plinth in the corners.

On sale, there are special fittings that facilitate the process of installing the fillets. These are corners for ceiling plinth. They help to hide all sorts of errors that arise during installation. Simply insert the skirting boards into these corners. Simply cut the skirting at right angles. The corner piece will cover any imperfections.

What tool is needed

When installing the ceiling plinth, it must be trimmed to size or in the corners.

To cut the corner of the ceiling plinth, as a rule, the following tools will help:

• Wood saw. It can be used on wood.
• Metal hacksaw. This tool is convenient to cut plastic, foam plastic and polymer frieze. The result is a fairly clean, burr-free joint. When working with saws, it is convenient to use a jigsaw.
• A box cutter. With its help, you can cut foam baguettes, without using special devices. The main thing is that the knife should be well sharpened and have a thin and smooth blade. If you act carefully, the cut is smooth, without any dents.

It is important not to apply too much force when using a saw, otherwise the skirting board will be squashed. It is best to practise on a scrap piece first. This will allow you in the future to get a beautiful piece.

Ways to get a nice corner

The most difficult part in the design of the ceiling surface frieze are the corner areas. If you just cut the skirting at the right angle, ugly gaps will remain. To achieve a tight fit of two adjoining products, it is also necessary to trim their edges. There are several ways to do this.

In rooms with even corners and walls, it is usually not very difficult to cut a ceiling plinth with a wire cutter. The tool takes the form of a U-shaped trough with a saw guide made at 90 and 45 degrees. Placing the element to be cut inside the device, insert a saw into the guides. In the process of cutting the baguette must be firmly held in place, to avoid defects. It is difficult to cut the skirting board, because it is necessary to obtain its simultaneous adjacency to two planes. If the width of the baguette is small, it is more convenient to press on the near side. “How to cut ceiling plinths. tools and cutting rules”.

How to cut the corner of the ceiling plinth, if the outer corner is designed:

• Before you cut the corners of the ceiling plinth with a wire cutter, a 45-degree angle file is made.
• The chair is set in a comfortable position. This will make it possible to determine the exact location of the baseboard: first of all, this applies to the edge of the product, which will be adjacent to the ceiling. To avoid confusion, it is best to position the right-hand slat on the right and the left-hand slat on the left.
• The surface is pressed against the bottom surface of the chair. In this case the second part is lifted up, so it is the part closest to the wall. It must be so put on the wall of the jig to avoid wobbling during the work. In this positioning, the front side of the product is turned to the opposite side.
• The cut must be made at a 45-degree angle. If everything is done correctly, when folding the two halves, you get a beautiful outside corner.

After the correct sawing of the ceiling plinth in the corners is completed, both pieces should first be dry-applied to the ceiling to check the matching geometry of the corner. If necessary, adjustments are made by trimming with a knife. Small gaps are easier to cover with putty, which must be treated with sandpaper after drying. As for the inner corner, it is much easier to formalize it.

The procedure, how to cut the ceiling plinth in the corners of the internal type is much like the above described. The first thing to do is to determine the side that will be adjacent to the ceiling. It is placed on the bottom of the mortar. The back side is leaned against the near wall. After sawing off the skirting boards on the ceiling is finished, the received fragments should be applied dry to the corner, checking the quality of the junction. If necessary, adjustments are made. After that, the installation of one and the second skirting board on the mounting compound. Small gaps in the corner can be filled with a special putty.

Baseboard plier

A carpenter’s frame is a device for making cuts at a certain angle. It is used with a hacksaw. In principle, you can make the plinth router yourself by assembling a guide out of boards and making cuts in the walls. There are different models on sale, with ranging from 15 to several hundred dollars. They differ in features, materials, although they are all called “chisel”. Professional models are made on the basis of a good hacksaw, have a scale that allows you to align the saw as necessary. With this tool it is no problem to set any desired angle of cut to properly cut the baseboard for a perfect junction.

The professional carpenter’s chair is a tool with a wide range of uses

The simplest utility knife is a plastic U-shaped profile with slots in its walls. These slots are used as a guide for the hacksaw. They prevent the blade from deflecting. In any option, there are two cuts. straight and at 45 degrees. Some may have a couple more options.

How to file the baseboard at 45 degrees? One way is to use a jigsaw

Sometimes a hacksaw is included, sometimes it is not. Usually, the ones that are included are not too good. You can use any type of hacksaw, matching the blade to the material you plan to cut. It is important that the blade moves freely in the slots.

How to cut a skirting board in inner corners: an action plan by steps

Start installing baseboards in one of the corners. If this is a first experience for you, choose the part of the room where something will stand. Not always, of course, the first pancake, but still it is better to hedge. To make a corner on the baseboard neatly, work without haste. One sawed, checked, adjusted. Moving on to the next one. It is better to mount after the two adjacent corners are assembled. But you shouldn’t put it off too much either.

Trimming the baseboard in the corners requires certain skills. But by making a few joints yourself, you can beautifully decorate complex corners

How to use the crosscut saw to cut baseboards? Position the machine in front of you, preferably on a table, but you can also do it on the floor. Which way you turn it doesn’t matter, it’s symmetrical. You insert the plank into the profile, rotate it as it will stand against the wall. When sawing a skirting board in the jig, the wall is the one farthest away from you. Once again: you press the baseboard tightly against the back wall in the position in which it will be installed. You put a hacksaw into the right slots. You are ready to start sawing.

The first joint in the room

The first skirting board must be trimmed as close to the edge as possible. Carpenters have their own lingo and say “cut” a corner. No matter what you call it, it is important that the plank is set in the jigsaw so as to make the cut at the very beginning. By the line for the cutting trimmer we extend the bar on a small distance, for starters it is possible on 1-2 cm. It is harder to cut a smaller piece, so save it for later when you have some skill.

Place the skirting board on the far wall, facing in the direction of your face. This is easier to check if you are cutting/sawing properly

Further to do a corner on a skirting board is necessary so:

• Putting the skirting board into the joiner, press it to the opposite wall from us. We set it in the mounting position. how it will stand up against the wall.
• Insert the hacksaw into the desired slots (see picture below).
• Move the skirting board so that it is slightly beyond the cutting trimmer’s guide line.
• Cut off.
• Take the second piece of baseboard, repeat the same steps, but the position of the saw on the jigsaw is reversed. Insert the skirting board from the other side. Be careful here, otherwise you will have to redo several times, because the connection will not work.

How to cut a skirting board correctly in a jig: for the outer and inner joint We got two pieces of cut for the junction in the inner corner. To make the joint perfect, try on parts in place. There are likely to be some imperfections. We take an abrasive paper with medium grit, remove everything that interferes with the joint. Then a fine grain achieve a tight joint without gaps and gaps.

When connecting the baseboards in the corner, use a transparent silicone sealant. Before you install the fasteners, a layer of silicone is applied to the cut. Immediately after the plinth is fixed, we remove the surpluses that have appeared on the outside. Remove until the surface is absolutely clean. This method of connecting baseboards in the corners looks more accurate, it does not get clogged with dirt and dust.

How to file the corner of the skirting boards at the right distance

The second and all other corners of the skirting boards must be done at a certain distance. If the next corner is again internal and the distance to it is less than the length of the strip, we use the same fragment, which already has a notch. We measure the distance with a tape measure. strictly from corner to corner. Then this distance is marked off on the strip using the same tape measure. The beginning of a tape measure coincide with a ledge, we measure required distance, we do a mark with a pencil. It will be the starting point for the cut.

You need to know how far to cut

The skirting board with the mark is placed in a jig, select the desired direction of sawing. The line can be aligned with the blade of a hacksaw or with a slot in the jigsaw. It’s convenient for everyone. Cut off. This piece should be “tried on” in place. If both corners rest against opposite walls or the gap is only 1 mm, everything is normal. It is possible to cut a second slat out of the new piece of material to make the joint. And again we remove the imperfections with sandpaper.

If the length of the wall is longer than the length of the skirting board, take a new strip. We will cut the second corner on it. It is important not to mistake, in what direction to saw. Having set both planks along the wall, on one of them to mark the place of connection, to make a straight cut. There are also slots in the jigsaw for a straight cut. So you won’t have any problems.

How to join two skirting boards in a straight line

But the joint in a straight line does not always look ideal, and in operation it often diverges, forming a visible gap. If there is a desire, you can cut at an angle (any) two slats.

To do this, first cut off the edge of one slat at an angle, mark on the second the place of the connection. The mark is placed on the side of the baseboard, which is pressed to the wall. On this mark we saw off other part without changing the position of the saw relative to the jointer, but having inserted a slat from the other side. The joint turns out on a slant. It is more accurate. Especially the difference can be seen in wood skirting boards and fiberboard. A cut, again, bring “to mind” by means of an abrasive paper.

Options for splicing wood skirting boards or fiberboard

We make the external joint

In apartments or houses there are not only internal corners, but also external corners. In this case, first trim the nearest inside corner, finish it. When it is ready, you can make the outer corner on the baseboard. We put the plank in the corner, as it should be. At the outer corner with a pencil make a mark exactly at the place of the turn.

How to make the outer corner of the baseboard

Next, we transfer the plank to the jig, and choose the appropriate position. In order not to make a mistake, all the time imagine how the skirting board stands against the wall and what you should get.

Selection of tools for cutting ceiling plinths

To cut the ceiling plinth correctly and accurately, it is necessary to use a suitable cutting tool. It is chosen depending on the material from which the baseboards are made:

Styrofoam. Characterized by low strength and costs relatively inexpensive, and therefore foam models are becoming increasingly popular. Their strength does not particularly affect the performance characteristics, because usually the ceiling plinth is not subjected to mechanical stress. A standard office knife is suitable for cutting.

It can be purchased in a construction store or make your own hands according to these instructions:

Three 5015 cm boards are nailed with a long edge into a shape of a three-sided, rectangular box. Pay attention, between the side planks and the cross plank must comply with the angle of 90 degrees.

To work with this homemade device was convenient and safe, the boards should be well sanded before stapling.

Technology for cutting skirting boards

For prompt and quality work it is necessary to select the tool according to the material of the plinth and choose the way of cutting. If you have a plane, then there will be no special difficulties in the process. If you do not have it, then there are two options: to cut according to the template and measurements on the ceiling, or to make this tool yourself.

Features of cutting ceiling plinths in the jigsaw

Work with this device should be extremely careful not to blunt the tool and not to leave jigsaws in unnecessary places. In the process, we adhere to the following instructions:

Fix the baguette in the jig the way you plan to place it on the wall. The side that will be pressed to the ceiling on the jig must be adjacent to the sidewall.

When cutting and trimming items made of foam plastic and polyurethane remember that these materials crumble and press through, so tools must be sufficiently sharp, and strong mechanical stress on them is undesirable.

Technique of cutting ceiling plinths on a template

This method can be used in the case if your corners are flat, and you need to trim the baguette exactly 45 degrees. To do this, before you cut the ceiling plinth in the corners, you need to draw the jig on heavy paper. Draw two parallel lines and mark the corners at the desired degrees, using a protractor.

We place the fillet in this case in the same way as on a traditional jigsaw. Take into account that the plinth must be cut, keeping the tool in a strictly vertical position.

Rules for cutting ceiling skirting boards by marking

This method is used to cut the skirting boards in cases where there is no jigsaw, or parts from which it can be made.

To do this, you need to make a marking on the wall in this order:

Put the baguette in the corner to the place of fastening.

When cutting in this way, it is important to accurately draw all lines and mark points. A mistake of even a few millimeters will cause a gap. This method is suitable for cutting and docking both inside and outside corners of the ceiling plinth.

How to cut a skirting board without a chisel

To neatly join the internal corners of the boards, you can do without a jigsaw.

We enclose the end part of the baguette to a sheet of paper and trace the contour of the convex side. It is more convenient to use a small piece of baseboard (if available).

How to make the inside corner of the floor plinth

Although the rooms are usually a regular rectangle, their angles may not be 90º. About the perfect angular convergence of the walls, as a rule, builders and repairmen only have to dream.

How to cut the corners of the floor plinth, if you are still lucky, and your apartment has the right corners, then to cut the baseboard strips, you need to do the following:

You can order the (good) saw itself HERE. Before ordering, make sure that the width of your baseboard corresponds to the maximum width of the scratcher!

Using a planking plier for skirting boards corners

• On the side panel of the tool, look for a 45º mark, put a hacksaw into the corresponding groove, saw off the excessive part of the workpiece;
• Then we machine the cut edges very carefully with sandpaper.

Important! When cutting the skirting board, we should consider its location (positioning side). It is recommended to saw with some increase, which will give you the opportunity to fit the skirting board as tightly as possible in the future. If a wooden baseboard is used, the joint is additionally treated with a special putty for painting.

What to do if the angle of converging walls is uneven?

In this situation, plaster plaster and a wide strip of gypsum will help.

• At the junction of adjoining walls, a small amount of gypsum mortar is applied about 10 cm to each side.
• Then the corner is attached reinforcing tape, carefully pressed with a wooden bar.

Reinforcing corner for corner alignment

Important! Work with a trowel very carefully so as not to disturb the position of the tape, but also not slowly, so that the plaster does not dry out

How to join the outer corners of the floor skirting

When the outer corners of the room have 90º, the procedure for cutting skirting strips is similar to that for inner corners. It is important to remember the future side of the strip when cutting. The ends of the joints of plastic baseboards are closed with special plugs. If the cutting of the slats was not carried out very successfully, you can fix such a defect with mastic, and then cover it with a plug.

How to join the corners of the floor plinth, if they do not have 90º:

• First the baseboard plinth attached to the first wall;
• We outline all the borders with a pencil (marker);
• Do the same with the second baseboard, attached to the other wall;
• at drawing of a marking the rhombus should turn out, as in a situation with the internal corner connection, only it will be located outside, accordingly the diagonal. a line for a trimmer of a cut of preparations
• After sawing the ends of the slats grind with sandpaper;
• then install the skirting board, the corner joints overlap the plug (for plastic products). The joints of the wooden skirting boards are covered with putty under the paint.

Saw a plinth corner (in the example a ceiling plinth, but the technique of sawing the corner is similar)

After completing the fastening of skirting boards on the corners, you can finally fix them along the entire perimeter of the room with self-tapping screws, liquid nails, finishing nails or a special adhesive composition.

The main varieties of floor plinths

To date, for finishing the premises are used baseboards made of the following materials. wood, plastic, fiberboard.

Skirting boards made of wood. a traditional type of finishing product. In older homes were placed on the floor only these. Wooden baseboards have a relief surface on the outside and special grooves for mounting wires and cables inside them. They are fixed with self-tapping screws, less often with nails. It is allowed to use sealant for their fixation on the floor. If self-tapping screws are used for fixing, then dowels are pre-installed in the walls.

Among the advantages of wooden skirting boards are durability, environmental friendliness, safety for people and animals, reusability.

However, their use does not always allow you to hide the wiring. In addition, after wooden skirting boards are installed, they must be painted, varnished or stained if necessary. In addition, wood. an expensive material, and therefore the products from it will be different high cost. And before you cut the skirting boards on the floor, you will need to prepare special equipment.

Baseboards made of plastic are simple and convenient products for finishing flooring. They are often thought out in detail: the design of external and internal corners, s for routing cables and wires, end caps, special fasteners for fixing to the wall and floor.

Plastic skirting boards are notable for quick assembly, wide range of colors, no need for filling or painting after installation, availability of additional elements for sealing joints. Such finishing goes well with any flooring material: parquet, carpeting, tile, laminate, linoleum. Whatever flooring you have, you can easily find a plastic baseboard to match it.

However, plastic. a fragile material, and a strong blow to its surface can cause chipping and holes. It will require a complete replacement of the entire whip of the product, at a minimum. Despite this disadvantage, modern builders give preference to plastic skirting because of the large number of its advantages.

Skirting boards made of fiberboard. eco-friendly and attractive products. On their front side is glued paper impregnated with dyes. The process is carried out at high temperature and under pressure. This eliminates the peeling of the decorative coating during use.

A melamine coating is applied on top of the paper. It protects the skirting boards against moisture and persistent dirt. Even in direct sunlight the product does not lose its appearance for many years. The advantages of wood-fibre board skirting boards are also fast assembly, easy care, economic efficiency and a wide range of colors.

Before you dock the floor plinth in the corners, you should remember that wood fiberboard is very fragile. In the process of installing and cutting such a product is important extreme accuracy.

Plastic or fiberboard, from which the skirting boards are made, are lightweight materials that have a large number of colors. That is why the product is easy enough to match any finish and design solution. Most often, the color of the skirting boards is influenced by the color of the flooring.

Tools for installing a skirting board

The procedure of trimming and joining the skirting boards made of different materials is not much different. The main difference is that wood, plastic and Fibreboard have different hardness and density, and working with wood, for example, is more difficult. If for cutting plastic will do and a sharp knife, for wood you need a hacksaw.

To work with wood, plastic skirting boards or fiberboard, you will need:

Chisel. a special carpenter’s tray for the saw, which is flanked by slots at different angles.

External connections

Strangely enough, but despite the general identity of the work with the inner joints, the outer ones cause more problems. Here the joining of elements is carried out in the same way as in the case of internal joints. The only difference will be the position of the sawn slat when sawing. you need to remember that the sawn pieces should be joined together projecting outward, not jointing inward. The rest is the same. a jigsaw, a saw, and the trimming of the cut.

Uneven corners

Unfortunately, this situation will be more common than perfectly flat corners. To understand how to cut the corners of the floor plinth in this case is difficult, and the technology of cutting ceiling moldings will come to the rescue. Here we have to do it this way:

• Put the first piece so that it must touch the wall with one side and touch the abutting wall with the end piece.
• Guide the trimmer line on the floor along the edge of the piece.
• Take the second part tightly press it to the perpendicular wall, also pressing into the adjoining surface with the end.
• Draw the second trimmer line on the floor.
• The point where our drawn lines will intersect is transferred to the bottom of the two slats to be trimmed.
• We draw a fishing line for a trimmer from the point transferred to the workpiece to its edge and along it we cut the workpiece.
• With the second detail we repeat operations.

The described algorithm can be applied to the inside corners, but, with external will be about the same, except that the skirting boards will not fit anywhere, and will protrude to the width of the cut outside the walls. The photo below shows how you can dock moldings on the ceiling, but it is even easier to work with the floor decor elements, and the principle will be the same.