How to cut a ceiling plinth in the corners without a miter box the first time. How to trim a ceiling plinth using a miter box template How to trim a ceiling plinth straight

In many apartments and houses, the ceiling plinth (fillet) is the final design element that complements the interior of the room. The main difference between the ceiling plinth and the floor plinth is that when cutting the latter, minor mistakes are permissible, because it can be putty and painted. Cutting the corners of the skirting board requires the highest precision. In this article, we will tell you how to correctly mark and cut the ceiling plinth so that after installation in place, all the elements fit snugly to each other and there are no gaps.

What is the ceiling plinth made of?

The most popular materials for making ceiling plinths are:

  • foamed polyurethane;
  • Styrofoam;
  • expanded polystyrene.

All these materials are characterized by low mechanical strength and ease of processing. They can be cut both with a hacksaw for metal, and with a reward, a special hacksaw for wood for delicate work. Cutting with a knife is not recommended, because a correctly marked and cut off corner does not need to be adjusted, and if the marking or trimming is done incorrectly, then it will not work to correct the situation with a knife, as on wooden floor plinths.

Corner marking

First, the skirting board must be marked. There are two ways. The first is suitable for external and internal 90 degree angles. The second method is suitable for any angle. The essence of the first method is that a standard carpentry miter box provides a cut of any material at angles of 90 and 45 degrees. Therefore, only the corner of the wall is marked on the plinth, that is, the short part of the corner of the plinth. Then they are placed in a miter box and cut at an angle of 45 degrees. The second method is more complicated, but much more reliable. A plinth is applied to the junction of the wall and ceiling and mark where the outer edge passes. Then the plinth is also applied on the other side of the corner. The intersection of the marks is the outer edge of the skirting board joint, and the corner of the two walls forms the inner edge of the joint.

In this case, it is necessary to take into account the direction of the corner, because inexperienced finishers sometimes confuse it and the joint has to be redone. After that, the corresponding markings are applied to the plinth. This can be done by measuring the marking distances on the ceiling, or by attaching a piece of plinth to the junction of the wall and ceiling and marking the outer and inner edges on it. Then the plinth is placed in a miter box with a variable angle and carefully cut. If there is no such tool, you can use a regular wooden miter box by cutting the corresponding grooves in it.

How to cut a skirting board - Video

There are several rules to help you make a clean cut on any skirting board:

  1. Be sure to use a miter box and never cut "by eye", this will lead to the appearance of cracks.
  2. Position the skirting board so that the main cutting force is directed towards the vertical wall against which the skirting board is pressed.
  3. Cutting in the other direction will cause the skirting board to move and cause scratches and damage.
  4. To cut the skirting board, use a sharp tool - a metal hacksaw or a reward. If the blade is dull, replace it.
  5. Move the hacksaw in smooth movements without jerking, keeping the blade strictly parallel to the floor or table.
  6. Practice on unnecessary pieces before cutting the skirting board to size, this will help fill your hand.

Today it is impossible to imagine the interior of a residential building or apartment without skirting boards. The skirting board covers the irregularities of the suspended ceiling or wallpaper, cracks and imperfections in the walls, and gives the interior completeness. But how to make the skirting board fit perfectly in the most important place - in the corner? There are several ways.

Using a miter box

Correctly cutting the plinth for installation in the corner will help a miter box - a special device that is a tray for cutting boards, plastic, etc. at different angles. You can buy a miter box in a store or make yourself. Usually a saw is included with a miter box sold in stores, but you can use your own tool.

The miter box has a recess for a cut-off board or plinth and saw slots at an angle of 45 and 90 degrees. You will need to cut the skirting board at a 45 degree angle.

To cut the skirting board with this device, you need to follow these steps.

  1. We apply the plinth to the future attachment point.
  2. We mark where we will cut.
  3. We put the plinth in the gutter of the miter box so that the lower part is pressed against the surface of the device, and the part that will be greased with glue “looks” up.
  4. Cut off the area by inserting the saw into one of the 45-degree holes.
  5. We correct the cuts with a knife or the same saw (remove irregularities).

The skirting board can then be glued in place.

How to make a miter box yourself?

If desired, the miter box can be made at home. It can be crafted from wood or iron. The dimensions of the workpiece do not play a special role, but the wider it is, the more accurate your cuts will be. However, if the width is greater than the length of the hacksaw, with which you will cut the baseboards or boards, then it will be extremely inconvenient to saw, so you do not need to take a workpiece that is too wide.

First, a transverse line is marked in the center of the workpiece. Then, at a distance of 1/2 the width of the workpiece from the intersection of the straight line with the edges of the workpiece, marks are made. Then these marks are connected crosswise, as shown in the figure.

Next, the process of marking the side walls of the miter box begins. Attach them to the already marked base and make marks based on the base markings. Then draw straight lines from these marks across the entire wall.

After that, the process of mounting the miter box begins. The walls must be attached to the base with self-tapping screws if the fixture is made of wood or chipboard or corners with bolts if it is made of steel. Only after installation in the miter box are the saw slots cut.

After making the slots, the miter box is ready. If you have a large amount of work or want to repair regularly (on a professional basis), this simple device can speed up the process of trimming skirting boards by 5-10 times.

How to cut a skirting board without a miter box?

The easiest way is to draw a future cut line on paper (cardboard, wallpaper), and then, attaching a baseboard blank to it, cut it off.

To do this, you first need to attach the skirting board blank to the paper and draw two parallel lines that will indicate the sides of the skirting board. Then, using a protractor, you will have to measure 45 degrees and draw the line of the future cut. Then the drawing is used in the same way as the miter box: a blank is placed on it and the excess is sawn off along the line.

The disadvantage of this method is that the saw will have to be held on weight, focusing on the drawing, and not inserted into a previously prepared slot.

If the angle is not right

Unfortunately, in some cases, the angle between the walls in the room is not straight, but sharp, or, conversely, obtuse. This is due to structural defects that have arisen through the fault of non-professional builders, the architect's idea or the result of soil subsidence some time after the construction of the building. This is especially common in village houses and summer cottages.

No miter box or a drawing replacing it will help in this case, and you will have to do the markup in place.

  1. Attach the workpiece to one of the walls so that it rests against the other wall with its end.
  2. Draw a line on the ceiling along the workpiece.
  3. Perform the same operation on the other wall.
  4. At the intersection of the two lines, put a mark on the workpiece itself.
  5. Draw a line from the mark to the corner of the workpiece and cut along it.
  6. Do the same with the workpiece, which you will attach to the other wall.
  7. Glue both blanks; they will come together tightly.

Outside corners

It happens that the room has not only internal, but also external corners, which also need to be pasted over with a plinth (see photo). How to do it? There are several ways here as well. The easiest way, as is the case with the inner corners, is to cut them with a miter box. The outer joints must be cut so that the side that will be glued to the ceiling is on the surface of the miter box, and the side pressed against the wall faces the wall of the fixture.

As with interior corners, you can also use in-place markings, that is, draw lines on the ceiling. Here, the technology is exactly the same as that used for the inner corners.

You can use the markings on the wall by attaching a workpiece and drawing a line along its bottom edge (see photo).

If the outer corner is too rounded, you can finish off the joint with a knife.

To the point where they converge, a line is drawn directly along the future part of the connection. From the point on the ceiling to the second one. The resulting marking will be the line along which you need to saw off or cut off the connecting parts. Using these techniques, you no longer need to wonder how to cut the corners of the ceiling plinth.

What tools can you use?

The feasibility of using certain tools is associated with the materials from which the skirting board will be made.

Tab. 1. Varieties of materials and features of their use.

Variety of materialMaterial properties, requirementsTool
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)PVC skirting boards are distinguished by the fact that they are easily damaged when pressed and no longer restore their former appearance, since they are devoid of elasticity. Therefore, such skirting boards must not be pressed when cutting.Cut with a construction knife or a hacksaw for metal. A blade or a sharpened kitchen knife will also work.
StyrofoamFoam plinth is also not very durable, but better than PVC counterparts. It crumbles easily.The same tools can be used as for PVC
TreeStronger and more aesthetically pleasing than their polymer counterparts, but expensive.It is best to cut the tree with a hacksaw, you can use metal, although this way you run the risk of hammering the teeth of the blade with wooden sawdust. A hacksaw with fine teeth is best.

Using factory corners - an alternative to cutting and sawing

Instead of cutting the skirting boards, you can use ready-made corners that are sold in the same hardware stores. In this case, the main skirting board can simply be measured and cut in the usual way, at a right angle, and then attached end-to-end with the corner piece.

The disadvantage of corner pieces is that they are actually and visually larger than the baseboard, which will make the corner noticeable. This can ruin the look of the room. It is also inconvenient to use the corners where the walls do not join strictly at an angle of ninety degrees. But most of the time they look great.

Conclusion

Thus, cutting out corners when gluing skirting boards is one of the most difficult and responsible procedures for which it is advisable to use a special device - a miter box - which allows you to cut the skirting board at an angle of 45 degrees. If the angle between the walls is not straight, you have to use manual marking. The cutting tools depend on the material of the baseboard.

Video - How to dock skirting boards correctly

Installation of a ceiling plinth only at first glance seems to be a very simple task. In fact, you can run into small and not very problems that can not only exhaust you, but also completely discourage the desire to make repairs. One of these problems is the joining of the ceiling plinth in the corners.

Many copies were broken by ordinary apartment residents about the question of how to make the corner of the ceiling plinth, because it cannot be simply cut off at an angle of 45 °. What to do in this case? Let's turn to the professionals for advice.

How to make a corner of a ceiling plinth, how to properly fit and cut a plinth

Yes, the main and most insidious nuance in the technology of installing a ceiling plinth is how to properly cut the plinth and dock it at the inner and outer corners. The fact is that, unlike conventional skirting boards, the ceiling molding is attached in relation to the base at an angle of 38-45 °, which is why it is problematic to make a classic 45 ° cut at the joints. On the inside, the cut edges do not join, leaving gaps.

But this is all complex professional lyrics. And how to make the corner of the ceiling plinth at home? The easiest way to work is with styrofoam accessories. First of all, measure the very angle between the walls. If it is 90 ° or so, then trim the edges at a 45 ° angle. Do the same with the second crop. For uneven joints between walls and ceiling, the corner radius is halved. Do not confuse the details with each other: the baguette that will be glued to the left should have a cut on the right side, and the right fillet on the left.

To create the inner corner of the skirting board on the ceiling, its lower part should protrude above the upper one; for the outer corner, the opposite is true. Due to the soft and pliable texture, it is not necessary to adjust the expanded polystyrene fillets to each other, but you will have to tinker with plastic or wooden fillets. After making the side cuts, try on the strips to the ceiling and, if necessary, trim them in accordance with the direction of the accessory's abutment to the surfaces.

After roughly joining the ceiling skirting boards, screw or glue the fillets to the ceiling and wall, and then seal the seams.

How to cut ceiling plinth corners, trimming and corner cutting tools

Certain tools are required to cut the corner of the skirting board. If you want to make joints no worse than a venerable repairman, then an electric miter saw or miter box will be useful to you. With the help of these devices, it is possible to achieve a high cutting accuracy. In this case, no effort is needed. All you need to do is set the required parameters and lower the sharp saw blade onto a plastic or wooden surface.

You can also trim the ceiling plinth with more economical materials, such as a hacksaw or a hand miter box. A simple saw is very cheap, and it is extremely easy to work with it. The only drawback of such a device is its rudeness. There is always a risk of spoiling the material. If you bought poor quality plastic or wood, then during operation the product may begin to crumble or delaminate into fibers.

To make a corner on the ceiling plinth without burrs, a jigsaw will help. The advantage of this tool, in addition to high accuracy and efficiency of work, is also ease of use. You can set the jigsaw in any direction of movement and make the highest quality cuts.

But these are all products that help solve the problem of how to dock a ceiling plinth made of wood or PVC. It makes no sense to use such a complex technique to work with foam. A regular construction knife will do here. The main thing is that it has a well-sharpened blade, then you will be able to make a high-quality cut without tearing and delamination of the material.

Are you still undecided how to cut the ceiling plinth? No problem. In stores, you can find fillets already prepared for joining in the corners. In this case, the principle of the opposite applies. When working with such a skirting board, you need to make not oblique, but only straight cuts for the frontal connection of parts. True, the cost of such accessories is higher compared to the classic ones.

In order to start cutting the corners of the baseboard, you need to acquire such a tool as a miter box. This attachment adjusts the correct angle for cutting with a cutting knife or trowel. Its size depends on the complexity of the work being done. For the installation of a plastic structure, it is enough to use miter boxes with low slopes up to 90 degrees. The most difficult moment here is, perhaps, the joining of all the elements so that there are no gaps between them. First you need to make a sketch. The skirting board is placed directly on the wall. If the miter box is not at hand, you can do with the usual stencil. The photo shows the process of cutting a small piece of foam with a knife.

How to make a corner on a skirting board

In order to make a corner on the skirting board, you need to acquire two important elements. This is the material with which you will glue the ceiling, as well as a ruler with which you can measure the angles on the ceiling. If the wall is flat, then, as a rule, there are no special problems with measurements, but if there are gaps on it, then you cannot do without improvised means. It is better to pre-treat the corners with a sealant, sometimes it may need to be painted. It is important to remember that you first need to decide on the angle of the product, and then carry out the following operations, such as, for example, cutting the ceiling corner. In the diagram, you see a hint on how to make the corners correctly.

Ceiling baguettes

Ceiling baguettes - special decorative strips for the ceiling, which can be decorated in various elements. Such a product can impart a beautiful aesthetic appearance to the surface. Most often, the baguette acts as a cornice and is used in theaters and other buildings of cultural education. However, now in stores you can buy its varieties for home use. Most often, the product acts as an additional element. Its design can be different, both with the inner corner of the baseboard and the outer corner of the baseboard. It is recommended to install baguettes by experienced repairmen.
The figure shows one of the varieties of ceiling moldings.

How to cut ceiling plinths in corners

In order to cut ceiling skirting boards in the corners, you need to have several important building materials with you and follow certain important rules:

  1. use a pencil to measure the required length of the ceiling in which you are going to lay the plinth.
  2. using a miter box, you need to measure the length over which you will lay the corner of the baseboard and cut the corner.
  3. draw up an approximate layout with length readings and cut directly with a mounting knife.

Miter boxes can be purchased at any hardware store in your city.
In the figure, mark the area, the corner of which you want to trim.
Watch the video for more details:

Ceiling fillets

Ceiling fillets are now gaining wide popularity due to their ease of installation. To start installation, you need to measure the perimeter of the room using a regular ruler. We divide the area by about 2, depending on the area of ​​the room itself. You need to decide how many fillet strips you need to take. You can glue them in two ways: using glue or putty. In the first option, a flat surface of the wallpaper is required, for the second we cut the corners of the PVC baseboard with a clerical knife, and then we strengthen the products with putty.

How to cut a ceiling plinth

In order to trim the skirting board, you need to use a miter box. If you are resorting to professional repair, then you can buy the simplest version with a narrow range of corner radius, from about 45 to 90 degrees. In order not to be mistaken in how to cut the skirting board, draw a layout. This can help, for example, when installing a plastic product. It is cut off by the very edge of the miter box, if there are uneven edges, they are sawn off with an assembly knife. In plastic skirting boards, it is advisable to measure out several pieces of stucco molding, and then deal with their separation. You can use a regular saw to cut the skirting board.

What are the corners for the ceiling plinth

Corners for ceiling plinths or, as they are also called by another name, baguettes are special pieces of plastic that have a decorative finish. In everyday life, you can still find such a name as ceiling cornices. They were originally used for decoration in buildings of cultural importance, but over time their use has expanded to simple home furnishings. For the corners, it is also necessary to first measure the length of the ceiling. Corners are most often made of polystyrene and have a dense texture and structure. Placing such baguettes requires concentration and care. Installation is not much different from conventional ceiling finishes.

Skirting corners come in various shapes. Their main feature is decorativeness and protection of the outer corner.

How to dock a ceiling plinth

We will give you some tips on how to properly fit your ceiling skirting boards. And it doesn't matter if your skirting board is narrow or wide. In order to start joining each piece, you need to point one piece of foam plinth to the diameter of the wall and draw a line with a pencil to the other corner. This way you can measure the skirting board joint and the corner joint. Next, you need to attach the fillet directly to the corner (not to the mark!), And cut it with an ordinary clerical knife. For a successful connection, use sandpaper sticks. The corners are assembled directly into a monolithic structure and one color.

What is wood ceiling plinth

Wood skirting boards are a type of decorative ceiling finish that hides visible wall irregularities and adds a touch of flair to your room. In addition to standard plastic products, there are also wooden ones. You can get them in the warehouses of logging factories, or in a regular hardware store. Choose only one that matches your home's decor. Be sure to purchase nails or screws to hold the wooden ceiling cornice. Installation of these elements takes a certain amount of time, but the installation process itself is not as complicated as it seems.

It is necessary to carefully saw down the pieces, cut out the corners, and process the places of future joints. You will need a variety of tools and attachments to cut wood. The docking technique is practically no different from other types of similar products. The main thing is to carefully read how to calculate and how to fit all the joints. Then the connection will pass without problems.

How to join skirting boards

In order to tackle the process of joining the skirting boards, you need to prepare several tools:

  1. a pencil for measurements;
  2. docking stationery knife.

To begin with, measure the length and perimeter of the ceiling and mark it out with a pencil. If your surface is flat, you can get a regular miter box. The device is used when applying skirting boards at small angles, approximately 90-120 degrees. One strip of the product is placed under the miter box and cuts are made with the help of a knife in order to form grooves for layout. A docking stationery knife is used if the corners of the ceiling are not even.

What is Styrofoam Skirting Board

Polystyrene has long established itself as a good building material due to its ease of installation. For ceilings, it is the foam plinth that has found widespread use. Such products are now readily available, and they can be bought absolutely in any construction market. Polystyrene foam has good decorative properties. This skirting board is usually supplied in particles. To fix it, several objects are used, such as a miter box, a clerical knife. In order to measure the length, you can do with an ordinary well-sharpened pencil.

How to cut a corner for a ceiling plinth

How to cut a corner? In order to start installing skirting boards, you first need to know how to cut the corner of the skirting board. The angles are measured using goniometers and a marking pencil, by means of which it is possible to calculate from which side of the corner we need to apply the piece. If we have a flat surface, we do it with a miter box at small angles, and then, using a clerical knife, we cut out the allotted corners. If this is a plastic skirting board, you need to draw a rough diagram in order not to make a mistake in the joining of elements. Circumcision must be done carefully.

How to cut a skirting board

In order to know how to cut a plinth during installation, you must have a miter box (for flat surfaces) or a clerical knife, which is used for uneven corners. If you have a plastic product, it is best to use a special hacksaw for metal, then trimming will be much easier. Cut the skirting boards carefully, without pressing hard on a knife or saw, so as not to cut your hand instead of the corner of the skirting board. The miter box is used only for flat surfaces. The product is most often cut at small angles, at a distance of about 90 degrees. The stationery knife is a universal solution. When cutting, it is advisable to avoid places where there are cracks.

What is a miter box for a ceiling plinth

The skirting board miter box is the most important tool for finishing skirting boards in the ceiling. It is characterized by the presence of cutting tips on both sides at different angles from 45 to 90 degrees, which are located, as a rule, on the left and right sides. With these tips, the skirting board is clamped on both sides and sawn off with a cutting tool. In order to attach parts of the skirting board, you need to draw the necessary corners with a pencil for joining. The marked product is inserted into the miter box so that it stands firmly on its surface. The plinth is held with one hand, and with the other, from the other corner, you need to cut the material.

How to glue a ceiling plinth

In order to know how to glue a ceiling plinth, you need to follow a few rules:

  1. always start from the corners of the room, they are the lightest, and then you can proceed to the rest of the room (it is necessary to glue the corners so that no gaps form);
  2. with a plastic plinth for leplins, a finishing putty is used.

The attachment points are moistened with soil or plain water. After the putty has dried, it is recommended to seal the cracks in the surface. To seal them up, sealants of various contents are used, but it is best to take an acrylic-based substance. For a small room, one package is enough. Installation with a sealant is similar to a putty.

Any renovation work is always completed with finishing. In rare cases, the interior of the room does without a ceiling plinth, its presence helps to hide the joints of the finishing materials used for wall and ceiling surfaces, in addition, do not forget about the decorative function of this element. It is not difficult to arrange the perimeter of the room by simply fixing it in a straight line. It is much more difficult to cut it correctly in the corners without spoiling the material and spending a minimum of time and money.

Peculiarities

The ceiling plinth, like any other element of the interior, has its own characteristics, therefore, before purchasing it in a hardware store, you need to understand the materials from which this element is made and what difficulties you will have to face during work.

Previously, the ceiling plinth had a different name - fillet. Translated from German means "notch" or "groove". The material for the manufacture of this decorative element was gypsum, which was poured into a prepared mold. The cured gypsum element was fixed to the ceiling surface with mortar. Today, gypsum ceiling plinth is very rare, its cost is high, and it is much more difficult to install it in comparison with modern counterparts.

Ceiling elements are now available in several types of materials in numerous configurations. They are cheaper than gypsum ones, but they look no worse. The cheapest copies are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This material is subject to deformation with insignificant mechanical stress, the formation of irreparable dents or creases leads to a complete replacement of the element. In addition, all manufactured PVC skirting boards are electrostatic, dust accumulates very quickly on them.

Ceiling plinths made of polyurethane and polystyrene are among the most demanded products. They gained their popularity due to their reasonable price, wide range of profile patterns, a variety of sizes (their width varies within 5–250 mm), as well as resistance to moisture. Polyurethane ceiling elements can be found in the design of many rooms, they look great in any interior. But, there are also disadvantages, the material does not tolerate temperature changes, is prone to cracking, especially if installed over a kitchen stove.

The classic version of the ceiling plinth is a wood product. Wooden elements, unlike the listed types, are not installed on glue; self-tapping screws are used to fix them. Plinths made of this material are used to decorate wooden houses or premises, the style of which is dictated by the use of wooden elements.

Required tools

Installing a skirting board means trimming the excess length and adjusting it in the corners. In order to do a pruning, you need tools. The choice of this or that type of tool depends on the material from which the skirting board is made.

When working with wood and plastic, use an electric miter saw. Cutting with this tool is accurate, fast and effortless, you just need to set the desired parameters and correctly lay the skirting board. It will not be difficult to choose the appropriate tool, since manufacturers produce this tool in a wide price range.

But, with wood and plastic, you can cope with another well-known carpentry tool - a miter box paired with a hacksaw. This tool is in the form of a tray, made of either wood, plastic or metal. In the two parallel sidewalls of the miter box, there are slots for the saw, for easy cutting of the plinth at the desired angle. In a simple tool modification, the ceiling element can be cut at an angle of 45 or 90 degrees, and in a more complex version, the plinth can be cut at an angle of 60 degrees.

A miter box and a hacksaw are cheaper than a miter saw, but they also have their drawback - this is the risk of damage to the material, especially if the quality of the purchased material is poor. In addition, the miter box is more suitable for rooms with smooth walls and corners.

For a smoother cut without the risk of damage to the material and without delamination of the structure, a jigsaw is suitable. It is easy to operate this tool, with its help you can set any direction and make the most accurate cuts. For materials lighter in weight and with a less strong structure, you can use an ordinary construction knife, the main thing is to pick up a specimen with a sharp blade.

How to cut?

There are two main questions facing the installation of a ceiling plinth. How to properly cut a skirting board without gaps and with perfect fit in the corners, and what tools should you use to end up with a beautifully positioned ceiling element? In order to understand these issues, it is necessary to study all the methods and tools used in trimming the skirting board. Almost all methods and tools can be used to adjust skirting boards in both internal and external corners.

Outside corner

For the outer corner, the skirting board is trimmed at an angle of 45 degrees. First you need to check the evenness of the outer corner. If the wall surfaces are in contact with each other at exactly 90 degrees, you can use a miter box to trim the skirting board. In order to properly trim the outer corner planks, both sides of the skirting board must be positioned correctly.

First, you need to outline the length of both halves, and only then trim them at an angle of 45 degrees. In order not to change the position of the saw and not to get confused with the location of the halves of the plinth, it is necessary to correctly position them in the miter box. The left half is laid face up, with the part adjacent to the ceiling being closer to the center, and the other side adjacent to the wall pressed against the slotted sidewall. With the right half, everything is different: it must be laid face down in the miter box, and the location of the adjacent parts to the ceiling and wall will be the same here.

The bar placed in the miter box for a smooth cut must be pressed against the sidewall, placing it as close as possible to the slot. Holding the workpiece with your left hand, you need to carefully make a cut and set it aside. The second half of the skirting board should be cut in the same way, remembering to turn it face down.

In the absence of a miter box, you can make a draft of it on paper or cardboard. First, we draw a rectangle, inside which we draw two more parallel lines on the longer sides. On each side, inside the lines, using a protractor, set the desired angle in different directions. Preparation and subsequent cutting of workpieces occurs in the same way as using the tool itself.

This method is good in that you can postpone the angle not strictly 45 or 90 degrees, but a little more or less, because the surfaces of the walls in the corners are not always directed towards each other at an angle of 90 degrees, there are errors. Therefore, for a more accurate cut on the miter box depicted on paper, you can draw any angle using a protractor. The degree of the angle is first checked using a protractor, the resulting value is divided by 2. The resulting number will be the exact degree for the correct undercut.

If desired, you can build a miter box with your own hands. The easiest way is to make a tool out of wood, you just need to take three planks and put together them in the shape of the letter P. Then make marks on the side parts at different degrees, use a hacksaw to make slots. You can also make a miter box from two planks, having previously made slots in them, or use a drawing with the desired angles on paper to accurately determine the slope.

You can even use a table as an improvised tool. The main thing is that he has angles along which he could navigate.

In order to properly cut the outer corners, you can do without any auxiliary tools and drawings on paper, you just need to design the future corner on the spot.

The outer corner skirting board always protrudes into the room by an amount equal to its width, therefore, to determine the exact cut, it is necessary to make marks on the right and left half of the skirting board. You need to set aside the width on the side adjacent to the wall. Then, from the resulting point, draw a line to the upper corner of the half. The resulting triangle needs to be cut out and the halves joined in place for preview.

Interior

The same methods and tools can be used to join the halves of the skirting board in the inner corner. The location of the halves in the miter box when cutting for the inner corner is identical to the location of the parts used for joining the outer corner. But, you do not need to turn the right half of the plinth for a cut, but only change the slope of the cut (use a different cut). In any case, on the left side of the skirting board, the line will be inclined to the left of the corner point located on the side adjacent to the wall, and on the right side of the skirting board, the line will be inclined to the right of the similarly located point.

For perfectly flat corner surfaces, you can use a regular square instead of a miter box. To do this, you need to press half of the plinth to the inner corner of the ruler and cut off the unnecessary part at an angle of 45 degrees. It is not difficult to do this, since the side of the ruler and part of the plinth form a total of 90 degrees, the notch line divides this angle in half, which means that part of the plinth will be cut at an angle of 45 degrees.

For wooden and plastic skirting boards, making an incision in place will not work, you can only apply a marking on the surface of the skirting board, and then cut the cut along the mark using a hacksaw or saw.

In order to properly cut and then join the halves of the skirting board for the inner corner, you need to measure in place with a simple pencil. The right workpiece must be applied to the corner from the corresponding side until it stops. Draw a line on the ceiling surface along the half and remove the workpiece to the side. We do the same with the other half.

At the intersection of the two lines, a point has formed with which you need to make marks on each half of the skirting board. To put a point, you need to attach a half to the docking place. From the resulting point, you need to draw a line to the bottom corner of the half, as a result, you get a small triangle, which you need to cut off.

The halves cut in this way must be adjusted to each other; with inaccurately cut edges, the cuts can be leveled with a knife if the material of manufacture is foam.

To eliminate minor blemishes on the cut of wooden or polyurethane skirting boards, you will have to use a file. Only after complete coincidence of the cuts can you start fixing the halves.

Sometimes you can't get the perfect fit, but there is always a way out. To eliminate cracks, you can use a putty. The choice of filler depends on the material of the skirting board. In order to eliminate inaccuracies in trimming the skirting boards, you need to practice using small pieces of the skirting board or cut the planks slightly longer than the intended size. Such a margin will make it possible to make a new undercut in case it was made with the wrong slope or the material at the cut was deformed.

The installation of the skirting board is the finishing touch of the renovation. And if the installation of the product on straight sections of the joints of the walls and ceiling is easy enough, then facing the corners often causes problems. Many people, not knowing the technology for cutting the plinth, spoil more than a dozen planks in the hope of joining them in difficult places. We will tell you how to properly refine the outer and inner corners so that they look neat and give the interior a complete look.

Varieties of ceiling plinths and scope

Before moving on to the issue of cutting a product, let's consider its varieties. Indeed, it depends on the choice of this finishing element whether the room will receive the desired visual volume and whether it will become more comfortable and pleasing to the eye.

It is not so difficult to choose the ideal option for finishing the ceiling joint, which will harmoniously combine with the decoration of the room, because the range of products is very wide today. On sale there are ceiling plinths (fillets) made of different materials: plastic, foam, polyurethane, expanded polystyrene, wood and gypsum. Moreover, all strips can have a different color, texture, profile configuration, and dimensions. Consider the features of the use of fillets, depending on what material they are made of.

Knowing which type of skirting board is better to use in a place that needs finishing, it will be easier for you to navigate when choosing a product and pay maximum attention to creating your own unique interior design.

  1. Plastic products, in addition to the decorative function, can be used as a groove for fixing PVC wall panels. Such fillets are not glued to the surface, but are attached to a pre-assembled frame by means of brackets or self-tapping screws.
  2. It is advisable to use foam planks for finishing plasterboard suspended ceilings. They can also be installed on the concrete base itself, previously plastered. This is the most budget-friendly option for a ceiling plinth, as the product has a rough surface that is prone to contamination. Therefore, it is advisable to apply a layer of paint on such fillets after installation.
  3. Polyurethane decorative elements are used for the final finishing of false ceilings made of PVC panels. The fillet is fixed using a special glue for PVC products.
  4. Styrofoam ceiling skirting board is a versatile finishing element, as it can be used for finishing primed surfaces as well as ceilings faced with plastic panels. The plinth can be fastened with special glue or plaster putty.
  5. Plaster products are often used to give the interior a certain pomp, typical, for example, of royal houses. Installation of such skirting boards is carried out on gypsum materials, that is, putty or alabaster.
  6. A fillet made of wood is a classic option for decorating ceiling-wall joints. This is the most expensive skirting board option, but also the most durable.

Gallery of types of ceiling plinth

Tools for the job

The first question asked by people who are going to install the plinth with their own hands is how to cut it? The tool is selected depending on the material from which the fillet is made. For example, PVC products have a hollow structure. Therefore, in order to make the cut edges as smooth as possible when cutting them, you need to use a hacksaw with fine teeth. Otherwise, cracks and chips may form on the finish.

The best option is to use a saw for metal - its teeth are small, and the width of their set is suitable. However, the use of a hacksaw is limited to products with a rigid structure, that is, it is not suitable for thin-walled fillets. The fact is that the teeth can severely damage the surface of the skirting board.

You can also use a hand jigsaw to cut fillets. When cutting products with such a tool, the corners are as even as possible. But this device has several disadvantages. Due to the small length of the cutting blade, the use of a miter box (a special tool for cutting skirting boards) becomes very problematic. In addition, cutting is slow.

Helpful advice: If the fillet has thin walls, then use a clerical knife to cut it, namely its construction modification with a reinforced blade.

What is a miter box?

High-quality trimming of the product is possible only with strict adherence to geometric shapes. When installing the skirting board, the fulfillment of this condition is extremely important, because in order to obtain a neat connecting seam between decorative elements, an even cut is necessary. If this procedure is carried out "by eye", then the gapless connection of the two skirting boards will not be possible, because the ends will not correspond to each other.

The highest quality cut can be made using a special carpentry tool called a miter box. Its design can be different, but the principle of operation always remains the same. There are devices with manual adjustment of the cutting angle, but often builders use a standard variation of the tool, which is a wooden or plastic tray with vertical grooves in the walls for inserting the saw. Thanks to the miter box, you can easily perform vertical trimming of skirting boards at an angle of 45 and 90 degrees.

In addition to cutting tools and carpentry tools, when installing the fillet, you may need: a pencil, a protractor, a self-tapping screw, assembly glue and sealant.

Corner trimming technology

Fillets for outer corners are cut in the opposite direction

You can cut the skirting board with and without a miter box. Let's consider each of the ways. Cutting a corner with a good quality is very easy with a special tool. First, the required fillet length is measured. Then the first plinth is laid in the miter box, and the cutting tool is inserted into the vertical holes. The location of the hacksaw is selected based on the angle at which the product needs to be cut. Next, the cut is made. At the second stage, the second plank is trimmed, which will dock with the first. In this case, the hacksaw should be inserted into opposite grooves at the same angle.

Important: When combining two planks, a right angle should be formed between them. Only in this case, you can proceed to the next stage - fixing the product.

Cutting corners without the use of carpentry tools is carried out using the markings at the installation site. The greatest inconvenience in this case is to keep the decorative element under the ceiling. First, measurements are taken here: the strips cut at a right angle are in turn applied to the place of their installation and outlined with a pencil. The result is a connection point for the elements. Then a cut line is drawn on the strips from the joint point to the corner and the products are cut off, followed by checking the accuracy of the connection.

Cutting instruction

To join the trim element at the inner corner, you need to undercut the left and right planks. Consider a cutting method using a miter box. The procedure is as follows:

For ease of cutting, insert the right plinth into the tray from the left side, turning it over

  1. First, we mark the corner in order to eliminate the situation with a shortage of the length of the prepared product.
  2. We take the left bar in the left hand and install it in the miter box at the side of the device farthest from us. In this case, we place the fillet at an angle at which it will be installed to the ceiling.
  3. Next, we insert the saw into the near right and far left vertical holes of the miter box (at an angle of 45 degrees to the bar). We make a cut.
  4. We set the right bar by analogy with the left one. In this case, the product must be turned over so that its ceiling edge lies on the base of the miter box.
  5. This time we insert the hacksaw into the near left and far right grooves. We carry out the cut.
  6. We take both planks, join them on the floor and check the accuracy of their fit to each other.

As for the outer corners, they are rarely found indoors, but, unlike the inner ones, their flaws are more noticeable. In this case, an extremely accurate docking is required. If the internal angle is 90 degrees, then the external angle is 270 degrees. Therefore, fillets are cut in the opposite direction here.

To finish the outer corner, the left plinth of the plinth is cut in the same way as the right for the inner corner, and the right one is similar to the left

Stages of work:

  1. We measure the sides of the corner.
  2. We take the left plank in the left hand and set it in the miter box.
  3. We insert the hacksaw into the near left and far right grooves at an angle of 45 degrees to the plinth and cut the product.
  4. We start the striker by turning it over. We put the saw in the near right and far left holes. We make a cut.
  5. We check the accuracy of the joint of two planks on the floor. If everything is in order, then you can proceed to fixing the decorative element.

Video: How to cut the skirting board correctly

How to cut fillets correctly

If your home has rounded corners, then finishing them will take more time and labor. Installation of a plinth in this case requires certain skills. Such corners can be refined in two ways:

  1. We cut the fillet into pieces 5 cm wide. Depending on the length of the arc, a different number of pieces may be required, but it is advisable to use at least four. Straight ends should be only at the extreme parts, which will dock with the skirting board itself.
  2. Now we glue the outermost pieces to the previously installed straight fillets.
  3. We adjust the rest of the pieces, trimming them as needed. We glue all parts end-to-end.
  4. We close the gaps with a sealant or putty. We tint and mask the joints, giving the finish a complete look.

Helpful Hint: Number each piece to avoid confusing the order in which they are placed.

The installation of the plinth on the columns and pillars located in the room is carried out in the same way.

The use of a flexible fillet allows you to reduce the number of corner parts to the maximum, because in some situations one plank is enough to finish the corner. These skirting boards are often made of polyurethane, so they can be bent at any angle. By the way, the product is often used for cladding complex ceiling structures with rounded elements.

Video: Washed down corners from fillets

The presence of fittings in the interior is not always appropriate. A more aesthetic approach to joining a ceiling plinth is to form joint joints. Accurate cutting of the product is the key to the beautiful appearance of the entire finish.