How to cut a ceiling plinth: work with or without a tool
Any repair requires attention to the smallest detail. On how well the finish is made, depends on the look of the room and its overall perception. To a greater extent, this applies to ceilings, which in most cases are not perfect, so to hide all the imperfections (their and the walls), many owners use ceiling skirting boards, which give the rooms completeness. If the installation of the baguettes in straight areas is not particularly difficult, the joints of the elements in the corners require the utmost accuracy. Therefore, many owners who are planning, or have already begun repairs, are interested in how to cut the ceiling plinth, what tools can be used for this stage of the work.
The answer to the question of how to cut a ceiling plinth, depends on the material it is made of. Cutting is different because the baguettes have different densities. Therefore, the first thing to consider is the most popular materials, and at the same time the peculiarities of their cutting.
Styrofoam
Such products have the lowest price, because the material is very unstable to mechanical impacts. Styrofoam is easily scratched, damaged by accidental impact. Pros. minimum weight, which simplifies gluing, easy processing, the ability to paint in any color.
This foam material consists of small granules, which are quite easy to separate from each other. However, they are the main disadvantage of such baguettes. They require a very sharp tool. Otherwise the skirting board could crumble, so it would be unsuitable for installation. This is true for both angular and flat cutting.
Styrofoam
This contender is more expensive, but it is not very different from the first candidate, because it is a “relative” of Styrofoam: it is produced from expanded polystyrene. This material also consists of small granules-bubbles, but they stick together more densely. But the expanded polystyrene does not tolerate a blade that is not too sharp, it also crumbles. Therefore, the craftsman needs to prepare no less sharp implements.
The main advantage of the foam plastic and polystyrene foam is their softness which allows you to avoid gaps by pressing the workpieces tightly to each other and to the corners.
Extruded polystyrene foam
EPS is made from the same raw materials as conventional polystyrene foam, but in this case using a different, more sophisticated technology. Ordinary EPS is made with steam, which is passed through the microgranules.
To obtain extruded polystyrene foam, the particles are mixed at high temperature and the same pressure, and then a foaming agent is added to the raw material. The size of the granules in this material is much smaller (maximum 0.2 mm), as a result it crumbles less and is more durable. Very sharp tools are not needed to cut it, but bluntness of the cutting edge is also not welcomed.
Polyvinyl chloride
Plastic skirting boards (PVC). another type of ceiling products. They are usually purchased for finishing bathrooms. If we consider the topic “How to cut a ceiling plinth”, in this case they are exceptions, because for their docking use special, ready-made corners.
In general, these baguettes can be cut with a stationery knife, a metal hacksaw or a sharp kitchen tool. Since PVC products do not restore shape due to their lack of elasticity, it is not recommended that they be pressed hard when cut.
Polyurethane
This is another representative of polymer products. It has a high density and lacks the disadvantages of previous competitors. It is easy to cut, so the tool must be sharp, but there are no maximum requirements for its sharpening. Polyurethane skirting boards do not crumble, do not deform, and can withstand practically any pressure with honour.
Wood
This traditional material is cut with the usual carpentry tools: for example, a jigsaw, hand or electric. The places of the cut are treated with sandpaper or a file. Since such products cost more than other plinths, when working requires accuracy. A serious mistake can be made easily, but there is no way to fix it. The consequence of negligence will be the purchase of a new baguette.
The ideal tool for cutting wooden workpieces will be an electric mitre saw. Its biggest disadvantage is its high price, especially of high-quality models. On the other hand, buyers have the opportunity to find an inexpensive tool that will do a decent job.
Tools to be used
First about how to cut a polymer or wooden ceiling plinth, how to do it correctly and quickly. In this case, the work will require 2 tools. a plane and a cutting tool.
What to cut baseboards with?
As for the latter, the choice depends on the baseboard material:
- Products made of foam plastic (all polystyrene) assume the use of a sharp office knife;
- Polyurethane baseboards are usually cut with a metal hacksaw;
- wood requires “active” participation of the jigsaw or saw.
The second potential tool for polyurethane is the same office knife. The reason. a rather low density of the material. Another alternative is a sharply sharpened kitchen knife. A special requirement for it. not too thick a blade.
A metal saw is a good alternative to the wood jigsaw. The blade with the smallest teeth is optimal. Otherwise, the tool will get stuck in the material, and in such conditions it is extremely difficult to make a flawless cut.
Chisel and making it yourself
Chisel. the second obligatory tool for working with baseboards.
What is it?
Not everyone may know what it is. This is a device that allows you to cut any workpiece at different angles (45-90°). It is a groove consisting of the bottom and two sides in which slots are made for tools. On the bottom of it lay the material, and in the slots are inserted a hacksaw (knife, etc. д.). After sawing the baguettes with its help you get almost perfect blanks.
The chisel is a necessity for trimming any skirting boards, since a 45° angle is required for the joints of the elements. Otherwise, the connection of the parts will not work: or there will be a gap between the adjacent skirting boards, or they simply will need to be trimmed again, since it will be impossible to dock the adjacent products.
Yes, the remaining hole can be masked with some compound. However, this option is still not the best. The filler may soon change color a little, and this discrepancy will become very noticeable. However, even here there is an exception.
How to make a diagonal cutter?
To make it yourself you will need to find a board length of about a meter or more, or a sheet of plywood (chipboard). It is still necessary to prepare:
- From the selected material cut 3 parts with a width of 200 to 250 mm, their length. 300 mm (400, 500 mm). Use self-tapping screws to connect them in a “U” shape.
- Using a protractor, on the tops of the sides make marks corresponding to the angle of 45 ° (if necessary, and 90 °).
- Then take a hacksaw, which cuts holes so that the grooves reach the bottom of the tool.
Finished holes are bored raspilnym so that they could freely enter the jigsaw or hacksaw.
Cutting with a power plier: the outside corner
Most often, when installing ceiling plinths home craftsmen are interested in how to formalize the inner corners of the room. Cutting outer corners is less common, but in certain wall layouts it is also necessary. Let’s consider how to properly make the inner fillet, using a special tool (the plier).
First you will need to buy a plane. This tool is a tray, in which the part is fixed, and its trimming is performed. In order to measure the length of the necessary product, place it on the ceiling. Next, it will be necessary to install the skirting board in the chair. Its location should correspond to the position it will occupy on the ceiling.
The chair
Important! While cutting it is necessary to hold the tack with the left hand. It must fit tightly against the wall of the tool. The part of the product that will be fixed to the ceiling must be at the top. The other part is pressed tightly to the bottom of the working tool.
How to properly cut the inner corner of the ceiling plinth. not a simple question, to answer which the corresponding photos help. Experts recommend that you study them, and only then proceed to work.
After making sure the product is positioned correctly in the tool, you can begin the actual cutting. The hacksaw must have a certain angle, namely: 45 degrees. Avoid exerting too much pressure on the cutting tool during cutting, as this can damage the surface of the jigsaw. Then the trimming of the adjacent fillet is performed, which is done in a “mirror” way.
Cutting with the Jigsaw: inside corner
To get the right inside corner, it is easier to use a professional tool. Of course, such work can also be done without a chisel, but in that case you will need to make more effort. Consider the sequence of operations for cutting an inside corner with a pitching tool.
The first thing to do is to determine the distance from the corner on the outside to the nearest wall. Next, it will be necessary to mark the baseboard, thus preparing it for cutting. On the outer side of the fillet you need to draw a line for the trimmer along the length of the measurement. It is worth noting that, in this case, the upper part of the plank should protrude slightly.
After that you can start trimming. To do this, the ceiling plinth is placed in the cutting tool and pressed firmly against the wall. After trimming the first piece, you can start processing the counter piece.
Tools you will need for trimming the skirting boards
When cutting the skirting board, you should take into account what material the ceiling cornice is made of. If the plinth is plastic, then you can’t do without a metal hacksaw. Wooden skirting boards are cut with a fine wood saw. Well, if you need to glue a foam or polyurethane baguette for the ceiling, a simple sharp knife will suffice, a gypsum board or a stationery knife is ideal for this case.
In addition to cutting tools, you may also need such tools:
Note! Use only tools that are in good working order. The cutting tool should be sharp, with frequent and fine teeth. This will not only allow you to achieve a perfectly flat and smooth cut, but also will protect against possible damage to the product.
How to make a chisel yourself
Undoubtedly, this joinery device, the most important tool if there is a question of how to properly cut the corner of the baseboard. And, of course, when cutting ceiling plinths from hard material, you can not do without it.
But what to do when you need one but don’t have one?? There is a solution. Make it your own hands.
Advice from! If your plans, a large amount of work with the installation of ceiling plinths, do not be lazy and make up this simple and indispensable tool yourself. Unfortunately, in construction stores mostly plastic tools are sold, but that’s not even the point, it’s just that their quality wants better. From my experience, I know that when cutting even baguettes from foam plastic, such a tool does not hold more than one object. You can, of course, buy a professional device, but the price is not small.
A tool that is not difficult to build yourself
The first thing to determine is the size of the future tool. The length can be chosen based on the building materials available, and the height and width, based on the size of the products to be cut on the tool.
If the plinth has a size of 10 cm, then, accordingly, and the width and height should be at least 10 cm. We, however, can recommend the following dimensions:
- length. not less than 500 mm. This size length allows for quality exposure and fixation of the product.
- Width and height it is better to take 200×200 mm. With these dimensions it will be possible to cut the largest ceiling plinths.
Once we have decided on the dimensions, let’s take the example of 500x200x200 mm, it is necessary to prepare the main elements of the future jigsaw
- The base is a wide board, which serves as a lining. On the basis depends on the length and width of the jig, so you should make it the planned length and width, in our example is 500×200 mm. The recommended thickness is 25mm. The base must be strictly rectangular. The quality of the cut corner depends on it.
- guide boards. their task is to guide the hacksaw blade according to the chosen angle. It is necessary to prepare them the same length as the basis, the thickness, here is not so important, quite enough and 15 mm, but here is width calculate taking into account the thickness of the basis, in our case 25200 = 225 mm. Thus, we will get the working area of the crosscut 500x200x200 mm. Guiding boards also should have rectangular forms.
So, we have prepared the material, let’s proceed to the creation of our tool, instructions:
- Using screws, screw the guide boards to the ends of the base.
- Using a protractor mark the angles, to work with the ceiling baguettes enough 45 and 90 degrees.
- Using an angle piece, we draw lines from the marked points on the walls of the guide boards;
- Cut along the marked lines.
This is how to make a quality joinery device with your own hands.
The result of our actions. no complications
How to make a smooth corner: ways
The most difficult thing to cut a corner so as to get a perfectly flat: the surface of the materials used is not easy to cut, in addition, it is necessary to observe a good docking, preferably without huge gaps. How to make an angle on the ceiling plinth? You can use several methods: with a jigsaw, without a jigsaw, with the use of decorative corners, as well as an alternative method.
How to cut a skirting board without a joiner? To work you will need a well-sharpened pencil, a small piece of skirting board, a stationery knife (for polystyrene or polyurethane) or a metal saw (for other materials), a ruler.
It is necessary to put a skirting board to a corner and to lead a fishing line for a trimmer a pencil along the outside edge, then to put to other side of a corner and also to mark. You will end up with a cross on the ceiling, the center of which will mark the place where the ceiling skirting strips should converge.
Put a piece of the skirting board where you will glue it. With the end of the skirting board against the wall, transfer the desired mark to the wall. This way you can cut the corners of the ceiling skirting boards without the jigsaw.
Cutting corners with the wire cutter
If the walls and corners of the room are level, you can use a power drill. To correctly cut the corner, inside the jig, put the part where the person will make a cut, then insert the saw into the guides.
That way the workpiece will be held in place, and it will be possible to cut it at the desired angle. For quality cutting of the skirting board, it must simultaneously adhere to both surfaces, so it should be pressed against the wall of the jigsaw. Press the skirting board against the side that is closest to you.
You will need to cut a 45-degree angle using a wire cutter. First you need to determine how to position the baseboard in the jigsaw. To avoid confusion and cut correctly, place the right slat on the right and the left on the left.
Do the work according to the following instructions:
- The part that will be on the ceiling, press against the bottom of the jig. The other side will be raised up and be closer to you. It can be supported on the wall of the tool, and then it will not wobble when sawing.
- Determine the direction of the kerf as shown in this figure, and then cut the corner.
Put it on the ceiling and check the geometry. If it is not flat enough, it can be slightly corrected with a knife, and in the case of minor defects and wide gaps, you can use putty.
Join the skirting boards with decorative corners
If the walls are perfectly prepared, and external and internal angles are equal to 90 °, you can use special decorative elements for joining the baseboard trim. The advantages of this method:
- Ease of installation: no need to “teach yourself” by perfecting the technique of trimming parts of the baseboard;
- Saves time: to join the elements you just need to cut at a right angle and attach the decorative part.
The decorative parts themselves are designed to join the skirting boards:
This method of connection is the only option in the case of installation of plastic skirting boards, which can not be trimmed without slots.
Caulking the joints of ceiling skirting boards
No matter how neatly the work was done, the joints between the skirting boards will be visible. This defect can be eliminated as follows.
- Apply glue to the joints of the skirting boards.
- After joining the elements, remove the excess glue with a clean rag. This is done after the glue dries completely.
- The gaps between the skirting board, ceiling and wall are grouted with a mixture of plaster filler and water-based paint using a rubber spatula.
This method is suitable for masking defects in the connection of wooden skirting boards, as well as dings of polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam. In some cases, you can use white sealant.
Using the tips outlined in this article and the necessary tools, you will be able to cut and dock ceiling plinth trim yourself.
How to trim the corners of a ceiling plinth
Manufacturing material and name
The first material from which began to produce skirting boards for ceiling design, was gypsum. They had to be cast in special molds, after which they were attached to the ceiling with plaster mortar. Such decorative elements were called ties and nowadays they are practically not used, and you can see them in old houses, which have hardly survived during this time. These are expensive elements of interior decoration, so no one uses them today, and their name is practically unknown to anyone. Nowadays there are cheaper and more practical skirting boards for finishing ceilings.
Part of the assortment in the specialized store
In our time, ceiling skirting boards are made from materials such as polystyrene or polyurethane. They are inexpensive decorative elements, which have a number of advantages associated with ease of installation, with practicality and attractiveness, as well as “weightlessness”, compared to elements of decoration from gypsum, which have an impressive weight. Similar plinths of polyurethane or polystyrene are made of different width (from 5 to 250 mm), and also have a wide range of forms and drawings, so there is an opportunity to pick up such decorative elements for any style of registration. The only exception are buildings made of wood, decorated in the appropriate style, where elements of wood are taken as a basis and here it can not be helped, because the style always dictates its terms.
There are still skirting boards made of plastic, which are not afraid of moisture, so they are used for finishing rooms where there is high humidity. For the sake of justice, it should be noted that polystyrene decorative elements are also not afraid of moisture.
Fit ceiling skirting boards in the corners with some methods, while such options are not suitable for trimming plastic skirting boards.
Tools to be used
Depending on the manufacturing material, for the fitting of baseboards are used different tools: when working with wood baseboards used hacksaw for wood, and when working with plastic or polyurethane baseboards is better to use a hacksaw for metal. Styrofoam elements can easily be cut with a regular, sharp office knife. In most cases, a wire cutter is used to evenly cut the skirting boards at a certain angle. If you use a hacksaw for metal, then you should not press hard, because the cut may not turn out even, with burrs, and the material can crumple and become unusable. Polystyrene and polyurethane ceiling plinths require careful handling.
If there is no experience with such tools, as well as elements of the decor, it is better to take a small piece of finishing material and practice with different force of pressure, which will further help in solving the problem.
The first method. with a wire cutter
Professional jigsaw with a swivel hacksaw
Chisel usually looks in the form of a tray with vertical holes for a hacksaw. It can be made of wood, metal or plastic. This tool represents the oldest and simplest carpenter’s tool, designed for cutting wooden parts at 90° and 45° angles. There are types of such a device and for professional work, with a swiveling mechanism, in which the cutting tool can be rotated and fixed in any position.
How to properly cut a ceiling plinth
Ceiling corners are divided into internal and external, the way of joining them is slightly different.
If necessary, you can make a jig with your own hands. You will need three strips of plywood or boards of equal size. First, they are applied in the form of an inverted “U” and make a marking of the corners. Then according to the markings cut slots under the hacksaw almost to the bottom, and the boards are twisted.
Inside corner
- Making the right measurements.
- Install the baseboard plank in the jig so that this position is exactly the same as the placement on the ceiling.
- The baseboard must be pressed tightly against the opposite wall of the joiner. Hold and press with your free hand.
- We put a hacksaw at an angle of 45 ° in a special hole and cut the part.
When cutting soft materials (PVC, Styrofoam) use a metal hacksaw or a regular construction knife. Then the work will be neat and with straight edges.
Outer corner
- Measure the length of the baseboard from the nearest wall to the outside corner, leaving a pencil on the underside of the line for a trimmer, marking the desired length. Note that the edge (its upper part) must protrude slightly outward.
- The skirting board is moved into the notch and cut.
- Adjacent strip should also measure with a margin and cut in a mirror reflection to the first part.
Trying on the ceiling plinth: the joining of parts must be perfectly flat. If the result is not achieved and the joints are uneven, you can trim the edges with a regular knife until the perfect junction.
Method two. without additional tools
For the inner corner, you can use the easiest way to perfect the joint. by marking on the ceiling. Another example of how to cut a corner nice and flat.
The result is an even 45° angle if you run a trimmer line from the crossing point to the edge of the piece. Note that the above method of marking works only with perfectly straight corners.
Trimming the fillet
Trimming with a notch
How to evenly trim the corner of the ceiling plinth with it?
The pliers are simple tools used by carpenters. It can be used to cut any workpiece at the correct angle.
It is usually a wooden, metal or plastic tray, which are made to cut at an angle of 45 ° and 90 ° special vertical slots.
There are complicated designs, which in addition to the named corners also have a hole to make a 60-degree cut.
For professional work, a special plier is available. Its rotary mechanism allows you to fix the cutting blade in relation to the workpiece at any given angle.
Inside corner
Prepared the skirting board is attached to the ceiling, postponed the desired length.
Then this same slat is inserted into the jib exactly as it will be located on the ceiling. It should be pressed against the far wall of the device. In this position, the plinth is held by the left hand.
The blade of a hacksaw should be in such a position that its angle is 45 degrees, and the handle as close as possible to the hand. Trying to avoid exerting pressure on the saw, we carefully cut the workpiece.
Further it is necessary to cut a counter strip from a plinth. It is also placed at the far wall of the tool, held and pressed, this time, with the right hand.
A similar position to the previous procedure of the hacksaw. its handle is close to the hand at an angle of 45 degrees. The skirting board is being trimmed.
Then the finished, already cut strips are docked. fit accuracy is checked. It is believed that for better orientation, in the manufacture of the inside corner, cutting is better to start with the front of the product. We usually need to adjust the cuts with a file.
Outer corner
The correct way to observe more precisely the dimensions is to begin to measure the inner corner first, and only after that move on to the outer.
Otherwise, it can happen that the entire length of the plank is not enough.
The strip is placed against the ceiling, and the marks are made according to its size. Holding with the left hand, the ceiling plinth is pressed to the closest wall, the handle of the hacksaw is close to the hand. The workpiece is cut.
The response bar is pressed against the nearest wall, while holding it with the right hand. The blade of the hacksaw must be at a 45° angle, and the handle of the tool is close to the hand of the craftsman. A piece of the workpiece is cut, the corner is neatly docked.
Such processing of the edge of the parts with a wort is good if the angle between the walls is flat and straight (90 °).
If its performance leaves much to be desired, then it is worth using another method.
Marking on the ceiling
The method with the ceiling marks allows you to cut the corner accurately and evenly. It has one drawback. it is quite inconvenient to hold the baseboard by weight during the procedure.
With this method you can mark an angle even more precisely than with the other methods.
When the plinth is applied to the intended place of installation, all size deviations and inaccuracies are noticeable and immediately taken into account.
Trimming a corner
First you need to take a pair of blanks, then cut them at right angles. Resting the end of the slat against a perpendicular wall, we attach one slat. We outline a trimmer line on the ceiling along the contour of the baseboard. We remove the first skirting board, then in the same way, having pressed its end against the wall, we enclose a counter skirting board. Follow the outline of the trimmer line in the same way.
The intersection point of the two separate lines is the mark at which to trim the workpiece. Each slat is placed against the surface again, and the point of the future cut is marked on both slats. From the found point to the other edge of the baseboard plank, draw a trimmer line. Trim the skirting boards accurately to the marks you made earlier, join them together, and position them where they will be installed.
This method allows you to more accurately process the inside corners.
How to cut a skirting board properly. Important details
Measurements required for trimming the skirting boards on the ceiling, should be made in a special way. To determine and mark an inside corner, the length must be measured from the corner. To mark the outer corner, be sure to take into account that deep into the room the baseboard will protrude at a distance that equals its width.
It is not desirable to fix the skirting boards before their precise positioning has been tested and the mating skirting has been cut. Only when the two mating strips are perfectly aligned in the corner can they be installed and fastened. If work is carried out with polyurethane or wooden skirting boards, defects and errors can be corrected with a file or file. To fit the foam plastic product, it is necessary to be armed with a sharp knife.
If after finishing the skirting boards even a small gap remains, do not rush to get upset. it is not difficult to patch it up with an ordinary putty. It is not that difficult to cut accurately and neatly a ceiling plinth. But in order to acquire at least a small skill, try to practice on small workpieces beforehand.