How to cut corners: cut ceiling and floor skirting boards correctly

Recommendation points

• Types of ceiling and floor skirting boards, choice of tools
• Ceiling plinth
• Floor plinth
• Types of angles
• Methods for cutting skirting boards
• Cutting a baguette with a miter box
• Cutting skirting boards with a stencil
• Slicing with pencil marks
• Cutting wide patterned molding
• Tips

The installation of moldings and skirting boards gives the renovation a finished and neat look, but only if the trimming is done correctly and all the joints converge perfectly evenly. For pruning, they use different tools and methods to facilitate the work, but it is also important to take into account the many nuances that we will talk about today..

Types of ceiling and floor skirting boards, choice of tools

The installation of moldings and skirting boards is no less important stage of repair than any other. And trimming the corners is the hardest part here. It is important to choose the right tool for the job and the most suitable cutting method.

Ceiling plinth

Ceiling molding, it is a molding, fillet, curb or just a plinth, is most often used to finish the joint between the wall and the ceiling. Although sometimes it is used to cover the inner corners, make decorative frames or panels, decorate niches and architectural elements. There are several of the most popular materials for making ceiling moldings:

Plastic (polyvinyl chloride).Wide and rigid moldings are more convenient to cut with a hacksaw for metal. If you need a more gentle tool, use a jigsaw.

Foam (expanded polystyrene).Very lightweight and porous material that is best cut with a sharp utility or utility knife.

Wooden baguettes.Suitable for cutting are helical saws specially designed for baguettes. You can also use hand or jigsaws.

Floor plinth

Modern skirting boards can hardly be called a gap bridging strip. It is a building block that complements the design and enhances the overall look. Skirting boards are made from several materials:

Woodencan be made of solid wood or veneer. For trimming, use flat or circular saws, jigsaws.

Plastic skirting boards– “dangerous” competitors to traditional wood. Easy to install and cut with an ordinary hacksaw for metal.

Aluminum skirting boards– the last word in interior design. They are usually cut with an electric saw or a hand saw for metal.

Only on wooden skirting boards will you have to make a corner trim. The rest are cut evenly and connected using special corners.

Types of angles

Corner joining and trimming of the skirting board differs depending on the type of corner; they are distinguished: internal, external and non-standard.

Inside corner, in other words, the corner of the room is less than 180 °, usually 90 °. When trimming an inner corner, the bottom of the skirting board always protrudes above the top. The first step is still to measure the angle between the walls, if it is standard and equal to 90 °, then the planks are cut at an angle of 45 °. The baguette that is glued on the right side should be cut on the left, and the left plank on the right.

The outer or outer angle is less common, it is more than 180 °, usually about 270 °. In working with such angles, everything is exactly the opposite. The edge of the skirting board, which will be pressed against the ceiling, should be larger than the bottom.

Non-standard angles. These most often mean angles with a degree greater or less than the standard of 90 ° and 270 °, as well as various kinds of rounding. Trimming in this case is carried out “by eye” or with markings in place. Areas with rounding are assembled from several small elements, each of which is fitted in turn.

Methods for cutting skirting boards

If the corners are standard, it is most convenient to cut the skirting boards with a miter box or stencil. In other cases, resort to the method of marking in place.

Cutting a baguette with a miter box

The miter box is a carpentry tool that is specially designed for cutting baguette. It can be made of plastic, wood, or metal. It resembles a tray with slots (grooves) on the walls. The miter box helps to correctly determine the angle of inclination and evenly cut the bar at 45, 60 or 90 degrees. Some models may have more graduation guides.

When working with a miter box, it is important to place the baguette correctly:

1. The baguette in the end cut has the shape of an irregular triangle, so the side that will be glued to the ceiling is pressed against the bottom of the miter box, and the wall side against the tool wall.
2. The cut is made through opposite grooves. If you need to cut a baguette at an inner corner, then it is cut at an acute angle, and if the outer one – at a blunt.
3. Ceiling skirting boards are always placed against the nearest wall. The left side is placed on the left side, and the right, respectively, on the right.
4. Floor plinths are applied to the far wall of the miter box, “away from you.” The corners are cut according to the same principle..

Cutting skirting boards with a stencil

A stencil is nothing more than a flat imitation of a miter box. It’s easy to make. To begin with, you should arm yourself with a ruler, pencil and protractor.

On a flat surface, draw two parallel lines, the width between which should not be less than the width of the baguette. A perpendicular is drawn in the middle of the segments. All angles must be 90 °. Further, this segment, connecting the two parallels, is divided in half and two more lines are drawn through the point at an angle of 45 ° from the perpendicular. A baguette is placed on the stencil, as in the miter box.

Slicing with pencil marks

This is another way to cut the baguette straight without having a miter box..

For inner corner.The plinth is applied to the ceiling as it should stand, to the left of the corner, and a line is drawn on the ceiling. Then the segment is applied to the other side, to the right of the corner, and a line is also drawn on the ceiling. The two lines should form an intersection point. Again, apply the pieces of the plinth in turn and from the point of intersection they lower a straight line to the lower edge of the plinth, it will be the cut line.

For outside corner.Apply a plinth to the right of the corner and draw a line on the ceiling with a pencil further than the corner of the walls. After that, a plinth is applied on the left side of the corner and a second line is drawn to the point of intersection with the first. The intersection point is transferred to the top edge of the baguette. The point where the corner of the walls converges and the inner bottom edge of the baguette will be the second mark. Two points connect and cut the baguette along the line.

Cutting wide patterned molding

If a large drawing on the surface of the curb fell just at the joint of the inner corner, it will have to be adjusted, otherwise the general view will be spoiled.

A section with a pattern is cut out of the ceiling molding, leaving 5 cm of margin on the sides. The resulting area is divided in half, that is, an even cut is made in the middle of the pattern. After that, the baguette is cut in turn in a miter box or by eye.

Tips

Some useful tips to help you get started:

1. Practice on a short cut before starting to finish cutting..
2. The baguette should be cut from the front side, then the unevenness of the cut will remain on the back side.
3. The saw cut can be carefully trimmed with a knife or sandpaper.
4. Cut the skirting board on a firm, level surface.
5. If a miter box is used, for convenience it can be fixed to the working surface with self-tapping screws..
6. If the result is unsatisfactory and the gaps at the joints are still visible, they can be carefully putty.

If the corners in the repaired room are even, you can buy ready-made corners for the chosen type of baguette and completely avoid the stage with cutting corners.