How to cut a corner of a ceiling plinth. proven methods and techniques
Ceiling skirting boards are very often used for decorating rooms. They give the ceiling a complete look, allow you to convey a particular style in the interior. In addition, they serve to mask the joints between walls and ceilings, where two different materials are mated. Although such elements are not always present in the premises, they make the interior more complete. In the material below, we will tell you in detail how to cut the corner of the ceiling plinth, since in such places the joining of individual elements is often a problem for inexperienced builders.
If the room has a simple shape, then only the inner corners will need to be cut. But in rooms of a more complex configuration, with columns, partitions and niches, there will also be external corners. To make decorative elements look beautiful, trimming must be done correctly and accurately, otherwise the appearance of the ceiling will be spoiled.
To trim the ceiling plinth in the corners as best as possible, you can use quality and sharp tools or other means. The type of tool that will be used to cut skirting boards depends on the type of material used to make them. So, ceiling plinths are made of PVC, foam, polyurethane and wood.
The cheapest option is PVC skirting boards. They are soft, so it is easy to leave dents and creases on them, which cannot be fixed in any way. In addition, this material has the ability to attract dust. A hacksaw or a sharp knife is suitable for cutting such skirting boards.
Another fairly cheap type of material is polystyrene foam skirting boards. They crumble easily, so only a sharp knife or a metal hacksaw should be used to trim the corners of the ceiling plinth. Movements should be soft, without pressure.
Cutting skirting boards for ceiling decoration
Another type of ceiling plinth is made of extruded polystyrene foam. They are much denser than ordinary foam products (therefore they do not crumble), they are a little more expensive, but they are also somewhat more difficult to cut. For work, you can use the same knife or hacksaw for metal.
The most expensive skirting boards are made of polyurethane. These are elastic, strong and moisture resistant products that are very easy to cut with a construction knife. True, they cannot be used in all rooms, since polyurethane is sensitive to high temperatures. it deforms, begins to crack or cracks.
For working with wooden skirting boards, only a hacksaw with fine teeth is suitable, you can use a metal tool.
Using a miter box to cut skirting boards
In carpentry, a special device made of wood, metal or plastic is often used. a miter box. Special cuts are made in it, which allow you to make an even cut at 90º, 45º, and in more complex devices. even at 60º. There are also professional miter boxes equipped with a swivel mechanism. In them, the cutting tool can be installed and fixed at any angle to the workpiece. Before making a ceiling plinth in the corners, you need to understand the details.
To cut the inner corner of the ceiling plinth using a miter box, you must:
- First, the skirting board must be attached to the ceiling surface and mark the length.
- Now a piece of plinth is placed in the miter box in the same position as it should be placed on the ceiling.
- The plinth is tightly pressed against the back wall of the miter box.
- Hold the work piece with one hand to keep it from shifting while cutting.
- The hacksaw is set at an angle of 45º to the workpiece.
- Cut the plinth, controlling the degree of pressure of the hacksaw, so as not to damage the product.
- Then proceed to cutting the counter piece of the skirting board. It is also applied to the far wall of the miter box.
- The workpiece is pressed and held by hand so that it does not move.
- The hacksaw is installed at an angle of 45º to the workpiece so that the direction of the cut is opposite to the first element of the plinth.
- Cut off the corner of the plinth.
After trimming the ceiling plinths in the corners, they proceed to the joining of the resulting elements. If the cutting has been carried out accurately, they will fit snugly together.
Please note that it is recommended to start cutting the inner corner of the skirting board from the front side. Then the cut line will be more accurate and even. As for the wooden elements, then all the flaws on them will need to be cleaned up with a file. “How to properly cut the ceiling plinth in the corners. options and methods for plinths from different materials”.
Let’s take a look at how to cut the outer corner of a ceiling plinth using a miter box:
- It is best to start marking and measuring the ceiling plinth from the inner corner, and only after completing it, start cutting the outer corner. Otherwise, the plank may be short, not enough to fill the entire length of the ceiling.
- The plinth is applied to the ceiling and its length is marked.
- Then the workpiece is placed in a miter box and pressed against the front wall.
- Place the hacksaw at an angle of 45º and, holding the workpiece with your hand, saw off the corner.
- Similarly, you must cut off the opposite part of the outer corner.
- The workpiece is pressed against the front of the miter box.
- The hacksaw is placed at an angle of 45º to the plinth and the workpiece is sawn off.
At the end of the work, the pieces of the skirting board are joined together, checking if everything is done correctly and evenly.
It is worth noting that the miter box can help to cut the corner of the ceiling plinth as evenly as possible only if the walls are strictly perpendicular. If they are uneven and the angles are not precise, this device is unlikely to be useful. “How to properly cut the corner of the ceiling plinth. rules and methods”.
Applying a miter box template
To cut the baseboard in the corner to the ceiling as evenly as possible, you can use a paper, cardboard or wooden template instead of a regular miter box. Two parallel mowing lines are applied to it, then a central point is found and any necessary angle is laid from it with the help of a protractor. Before you cut the corner of the ceiling plinth without a miter box, you should double-check the size of the inner or outer corners between the walls of the room, using the same protractor.
The principle of cutting corners using a template is similar to using a standard miter box. In this case, the workpiece must be pressed against a parallel mowing line and, setting the hacksaw at the desired angle, saw off the workpiece.
Marking on the ceiling for making a corner on the skirting board
There are different ways of how to correctly make a corner on a skirting board. Some are easier to do, others are more difficult. One of these methods is to mark the plinth on the ceiling. True, it is not very convenient to cut the plinth by weight, but this method is not inferior in accuracy to all others. Before cutting the plinth to the ceiling, it is applied to the surface, while all the imperfections and irregularities of the walls, as well as the size of the corners, are immediately taken into account.
Let’s consider in detail how to correctly make the corners on the ceiling plinths using this technique:
- First, two mating plinths must be cut off at an angle of 90º;
- One of the blanks is pressed against the wall, and its end is abutted against the opposite wall. Then the outline of the workpiece is drawn on the ceiling.
- At the next stage, they take the second plank and press it with its butt against the wall in the same way. Outline the line.
- At the intersection of the lines obtained, a point is set at which further trimming of the baseboards will be carried out.
- Then each of the strips is alternately applied to the ceiling again and the cutting point is transferred to the blanks.
- From this point, a diagonal cutting line is drawn into the corner of the plinth.
Along the lines obtained, unnecessary sections of the baseboards are cut off, then the conjugated segments are joined, checking the correctness and completeness of the fit. “How to cut a corner of a ceiling plinth. simple and correct ways”.
It should be noted that this method is more often used for internal corners.
How to make a miter box yourself
Often the only way to cut the corner of the ceiling plinth evenly is to use special tools so that the tool does not move to the side during the cutting process. In this case, you can make a miter box yourself.
Option 1. A box in the shape of the letter P is made of three boards. The required corners are marked on the walls of the box and the slots are cut out in the appropriate places. The result is a complete adaptation.
Option 2. Sometimes it is quite difficult to make the corners of the skirting boards on the ceiling as even as possible, especially if you have to keep the workpiece by weight. In this case, you can use a homemade device. Take two boards and knock them down in the shape of a corner. Then, on a sheet of paper or cardboard, they draw a mowing line with the desired angles, apply a template to the corner. Then the plinth is pressed, a template is placed under the cutting site and the corner is sawn off along the lines.
Option 3. If you are still in doubt about how to properly cut the corner of the skirting board, almost any household item, the shape of which allows you to form a corner, can help with this. It can be a chair or a table just against the wall.
How to Cut and Scribe an Internal Corner on Skirting Boards
To understand how to properly cut the ceiling plinth, you should also familiarize yourself with the rule for measuring blanks. So, to complete the inner corner, the length begins to be measured directly from the beginning of the corner. But to determine the outer corner, it should be borne in mind that it will be issued into the space of the room by the amount of the width of the product.
There is no need to rush and fix the workpieces before the mating skirting boards have been made in the corner. In order not to redo the work, you must first make sure that the mating surfaces are snug against each other and against the ceiling. Small flaws can be corrected with a file, a fine nail file or a knife, depending on the material of the products.
If cutting off the skirting boards in the corners did not work out perfectly, small gaps can be simply putty. In general, the process of trimming skirting boards in the corners is not at all difficult. However, for training, you can take a few small pieces of the baseboard and practice on them.
How to properly glue the ceiling plinth in the corner?
Prepared skirting boards are glued as follows:
How to Cut & Install Skirting Board, Baseboard Internal Corners
- Glue is applied to the fillet surface (it is best to use a spatula for this purpose).
- The planks are inserted into the corner, then they need to be aligned and pressed tightly against the ceiling surface.
- Wipe off excess glue with a dry and clean cloth.
The better to glue fillets?
You can glue the foam fillet using liquid nails: acrylic and neopropylene. Liquid nails are produced in cylinders, they need to be inserted into a special gun. Such a substance can be squeezed out with a trickle having any thickness you need. Liquid nails have very high adhesion.
How to properly cut the outer corner of a ceiling plinth?
For an accurate cut, you need to start cutting it from the front. Measure the length of the skirting board from the nearest wall to the outer corner, leave the line on the wrong side with a pencil, indicating the desired length. Keep in mind that the edge (its upper part) should protrude slightly outward. Move the skirting board to the miter box and cut it.
The better to glue the ceiling plinth?
“Liquid nails”. pointwise, putty paste with a narrow spatula with a solid mass on the back side of the baguette or on the wall and ceiling; immediately after applying the glue, the fillet is pressed against the wall and ceiling.
How and what to glue the ceiling plinth?
Apply glue to the seamy parts of the skirting board, for this:
How to cut a skirting board without a miter box?
Without a miter box, you can easily cut the fillet for the outer corner: To do this, apply the ceiling fillet as it should stand to the right of the corner. We draw the line with a pencil along the ceiling beyond the corner. Then we apply a fillet to the left of the corner and draw the line along the ceiling until it intersects with the first line.
How to cut a corner on a skirting board?
- Making the right measurements.
- We install the plinth strip in the miter box so that this position exactly coincides with the placement on the ceiling.
- The plinth should be firmly pressed against the opposite wall of the miter box.
- We put a hacksaw at an angle of 45 ° in a special hole and cut off the part.
Self-made miter box
If there is no tool, and you do not know how to cut a corner on the ceiling plinth, make a miter box with your own hands:
- you will need 3 boards. They are fixed in the form of a U-shaped box, on the walls of which the necessary markings are applied. Cuts for a hacksaw or a knife are cut out along it;
- the lightweight version will help you get the job done neatly and effortlessly. Two thin strips are connected with nails in the shape of an angle. Sections are drawn on the sheet in the required proportions. The template is superimposed on the corner, the plinth is cut according to the markings;
- use of improvised items. Take everything that has corners. chairs, boxes, tables, against the wall close.
Advice! Measure the blanks for the inner part from the extreme point. When marking the outside, take into account its protrusion into the room equal to the width.
Docking features
In order for the edges of the skirting boards to align with the corner point without gaps, an error must be warned. Fillets should be cut with a margin of about 10-15 cm and tried on on a dry surface. Excess needs to be marked and trimmed at a 90-degree slope.
To understand how to cut out the corner located outside or inside on the ceiling plinth without mistakes and evenly with your own hands, joining the parts will help. After the initial cutting, you will need to position the parts on the ceiling and check their edges.
After the rough joining of the fillets, glue is applied, screwed in with self-tapping screws and the seams are sealed with a putty mixture.
Element material selection
Photos of finished premises show that different corners are used for decoration:
- polystyrene foam. the decor remains resistant to moisture, does not fade, but because of the fragility, the corner sometimes breaks during installation. It is easy to cut it with a knife or a hacksaw, but you should not press on the fragile panel. Moldings are not pressed against the wall so as not to spoil the texture;
- polyvinyl chloride. inexpensive products are sensitive to mechanical stress, so they often get dents. Suitable for cutting into pieces with a hacksaw or knife. Minus slats. electrostatic, cleaning must be done constantly;
- from extruded polystyrene foam. the material is durable, reliable, but not cheap. In the process of processing with a knife or hacksaw for metal, it maintains its integrity;
- wooden. durable and practical elements that are cut with a small hacksaw. Baguettes are selected for a specific interior, but a specialist should be engaged in the installation;
- polyurethane. plastic products look beautiful, but they become cracked when exposed to moisture or temperature extremes. Moldings can be easily cut with a clerical knife, metal file and installed in the living room, bedroom or hall.
Advice! If you will be cutting corners yourself, stop on models made of expanded polystyrene or polyurethane.
By pattern
If you have a good eye and work skills, you can make a special template. A step-by-step instruction for making wort imitation looks like this:
- Draw a horizontal rectangle on a thin board or thick plywood.
- Measure 45 degree slope left and right.
- Connect opposite sides by drawing a line.
Lamellas are not inserted into the layout, but superimposed on it. The tool works on the finished markup.
Is it possible to cut without a miter box?
There are practically no perfectly smooth joints at 90 degrees. In the presence of minor errors, it is possible not to use the miter box. For cutting you need to take:
- solid plain pencil;
- a small striker;
- ruler;
- a sharp stationery knife for plastic baguettes;
- metal saw for PVC and wood.
To do the job neatly, you will need:
- Attach the product to the corner and mark along the mowing line of the outer edge. Repeat the process for the second side.
- A cross is visible on the ceiling, the center point of which is the junction of the planks.
- Put a piece of molding in the corner, rest its end part against the wall and transfer the markings.
- Use a ruler to connect the edge of the part and the markup.
- Carefully cut the fillet, trying to comply with the marked mowing lines.
- The inner part may be smaller, but how flat it will fit depends on the adjustment by trying on the ceiling.
- The adjacent striker is cut in a similar pattern.
Advice! The cutting process is the same for external and internal baguettes.
Using a miter box
The tool allows you to cut the corners of the molding, located on the outside or inside. The swivel mechanism will help to form parts with a bend of 90 or 45 degrees.
How to properly cut corners on skirting boards
A neat and beautiful edging on the ceiling sets interior accents and masks the gaps between finishing materials. There are several tricks on how to properly cut a corner on a ceiling plinth. Builders use few or no special tools.
Internal elements
How to neatly cut the innermost corner that is on the skirting board? After completing the markup, work according to the following algorithm:
- Place the bar in the bottom of the miter box so as to repeat the position on the surface.
- Press the plinth against the far wall of the miter box.
- Holding the product, clamp it with your free hand.
- Place the hacksaw at a 45 ° angle into the recess and cut.
- Trim an adjacent element in a similar manner.
On a note! The inner corner made of PVC or expanded polystyrene can be processed with a stationery knife or a hacksaw for metal.