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.
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.
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.
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:
Install Perfect Outside Baseboard Corners/Easy Math Trick
- 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”.
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.
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.
The Secret Formula for Making Perfect Miter Cuts When Less Than 90 Degrees
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.
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.
Working solutions for baguette preparation without miter box
Another option for trimming the plank is to create some kind of structure from thick cardboard and a wooden block. The first step is to bend the cardboard to the angle you measured in the corner of the room. Then, to the wooden block intended for cutting the corner, press the cardboard and draw the line along which you want to cut the block. this will be your template. To cut the fillet, place the wooden template on top of the plank, and cut the required angle along the block.
Current offer in the construction market. Kindecor skirting board made of expanded polystyrene, made by extrusion technology. Therefore, the ceiling slats of the Russian company “Kindecor” do not have the disadvantages of PPU cornices. The cost of cornices is much lower than foam or other analogs.
How To Cut Baseboard Corners That Look Great
But in old houses with “floating” corners, such sets are unlikely to come in handy. in the kit you will find only angles at 45 0. 60 0 and 90 0. How to fix the situation? You need to roughly cut the end of the baguette. an angle of approximately 45 0. and then, during several fittings, cut the angle in place to the required value.
When cutting the baguette and shaping the outer corner, use this method:
- Press the plinth to the right side of the corner so that the plank protrudes beyond the corner by at least its own width;
- Use a pencil to mark the line on the ceiling;
- Press the plinth to the left side of the corner so that the plank protrudes beyond the corner by at least its own width;
- With a pencil, mark the line on the ceiling, mark the intersection of these two lines;
- Copy the markings to the plank, connect the dots with a line, cut the baguette along this mowing line;
- Check the evenness of the cuts by applying the prepared baguettes to the outer corner;
- Before gluing the ceiling plinth without a miter box, remove any errors (irregularities, chips, gaps, inconsistencies) on the fillet surfaces.
Docking of ceiling fillets without an industrial miter box
Factory miter box. it is an aluminum, plastic or wooden tray with depressions 45 0 or 90 0. Such a device is rarely used at home, so it is not found in everyone. But few also know how to cut a ceiling plinth without a miter box, so we will consider a few simple solutions that will allow you to dock the ceiling plinths in the corners of the room with great accuracy.
When renovating an apartment, installing a new ceiling is often necessary to create a complete design idea. The completed ceiling is decorated with beautiful fillet skirting boards. The baguettes are glued, nailed or screwed along the perimeter of the room, their position is previously marked in the corners at the joints of the walls and ceiling. Ceiling cornices are often rigid and solid strips (although there are elastic silicone ones), so they need to be beautifully docked in the corners of the room with each other, and without a miter box it is difficult to do this, but it is possible.
Fillets for framing the corners of the ceiling are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), expanded polystyrene (PPU), polyurethane (PU), polystyrene (PS), polystyrene (PP), wood or metal:
- Foam decorative cornice is fragile, but this does not matter for unloaded ceiling structures. PP skirting boards can have different widths, the standard length is 1 meter, the surface is bas-relief with various patterns;
- Expanded polystyrene. the material is dense, easy to install, the edges of the cornice do not crumble during cutting;
- Aluminum or wood is the most difficult to dock. you need great accuracy, which is difficult to achieve without the use of a miter box. It is recommended to cut the corners of such cornices with a sheet for metal, to calculate the correct cutting angle, use the methods below.
Polyvinyl chloride is easily crushed, after which it is not restored. Requires caution and minimal pressure when machining
Cut with a carpenter’s cutter or a hacksaw for metal
The foam plank is fragile and crumbles easily. It is recommended to cut the PP plinth with a very sharp cutter or a special tool. an electric nichrome cutter
Cut with a carpenter’s cutter or a hacksaw for metal, hot wire clamped in clamps
It is cut with an ordinary hand or special tool (electric side saw, wood saw with fine teeth, metal blade), the cost of products is higher than PPU, PP OR PVC curtain rods
Cutting and joining techniques for baguettes
In the picture above, you can see the process of cutting off the curtain rod along the slot of the miter box, but how to trim the ceiling plinth without the miter box? We offer you several options with descriptions, as well as making a template for the simplest miter box on your own. Let’s consider all the methods in order:
- Try on the cornice to the ceiling surface, run a marker line along the ceiling surface;
- To the right of the selected corner, press the product against the ceiling, draw another straight line;
- At the intersection of straight lines, mark the plinth itself with a dot, then draw the line from the markings on the baguette to its lower corner. Along it you will cut off the required corner on the fillet;
- The left corner is marked in the same way;
- After cutting both skirting boards, press them into a corner and check for precision. If there are gaps, trim the corners again. Remember. so that the bar does not become shorter than the required length, do not shorten the unmarked part of it until you achieve an exact connection;
- After adjustment, the fillet is glued or screwed on. The ceiling plinth for stretch ceilings cannot be attached to the surface of the ceiling material. it is glued only to the plane of the wall.
Attention: Do not press with great force on the foam or expanded polystyrene cornice when cutting it. it may lose its shape, and after gluing, dents and other irregularities will be visible.
The method is as follows: how to cut a ceiling plinth without a miter box along the outer corner of the ceiling:
- Press the plinth to the right of the corner and draw a line 200-300 mm long with a pencil or marker along the ceiling;
- Press the cornice to the left corner, mark up to the first mowing line so that the markers intersect;
- On the plank, mark the points at the crossroads of the markers and in the corner of the room;
- Connect the marked points on the cornice, cut the plinth along the markings with an angle of inclination towards the inside of the plank;
- Check the accuracy of the joint in place, trim again if necessary.
Classic baguettes are made of wood, but it is difficult to fit them exactly without the use of a factory miter box and appropriate cutting tools. Wooden baguettes are formed with a cross-cut saw, and in its absence. with a carpenter’s hacksaw with a fine tooth, an electric jigsaw or a hacksaw for cutting metal.
Important: A cornice made of polyurethane or aluminum is considered reliable in terms of moisture resistance. But the polyurethane cornice should not be exposed to temperature changes, so it is not recommended to install them in the kitchen or bathroom.
Whatever the plinth, if the angle in the room is not 90 0, then it will be difficult to make an exact cut for joining the planks. In old buildings (stalinka, Khrushchev, and even brezhnevka), the angle in the room can be formed as 88 0 or 93 0 (for a piermer), and it is problematic to cut off such an end according to a template. Then how to properly cut the corner of the skirting board without a miter box, avoiding large discrepancies and without using a complex and expensive tool? Use the presented method.
The figure shows cornices made of materials such as:
- Polyurethane (PPU);
- Polyfoam (PP);
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC);
- Wood.
To form an exact inner corner from the planks, follow these steps in sequence:
- Try on a baguette to the corner of the room, for example, on the right;
- Draw a fishing line with a pencil along the plinth;
- On the left side, do the same operations with the cornice;
- The point of intersection of the marker lines will be the upper mark, from which it is necessary to cut;
- Place the curtain rod in the corner and transfer the crossing point to the plank;
- Connect the upper and lower marks on the cornice with a pencil;
- Cut the ends according to the markings;
- For the second plank, the points are repeated in the same sequence.
Important: Before gluing the strips, check the accuracy of the cut: attach the curtain rods to the corner, and if there are no gaps between the fillets, attach them. If there are irregularities at the ends of the joining surfaces. trim the skirting boards more precisely.
The following solution is how to cut accurately and how to glue the skirting board without a miter box to the inner corner of the ceiling:
- Find out the fillet width;
- On the bottom, mark a point at the distance of the width of the plank;
- Connect with a diagonal line the point of the upper corner with the point of the lower mowing line, cut the product along this mowing line;
- For the second cornice, all points are repeated in the same sequence.
How to make a miter box template yourself
In the absence of a miter box or unwillingness to buy it, it is not necessary to purchase a special tool in order to use it once or twice in the entire history of repairs. You can make a homemade template with the same capabilities. it doesn’t take much time. As a blank for an impromptu miter box, take a board, thick paper or cardboard, and mark the required cuts on them.
Then draw two parallel mowing lines on the template, find the center in the drawing, and use a school protractor to set any corners. This simple technology gives very accurate results, while you can draw and cut any angle greater or less than 90 0.
The technology for working with a homemade miter box is no different from operations with an industrial product. The baguette should be attached to one of the lines, put the hacksaw at the selected angle, and cut off the workpiece. If you do not plan to spend money on miter box pr