Fire Safety Encyclopedia

How to properly cut a corner on a skirting board. How to cut ceiling plinth and floor plinth and dock correctly. How to make a corner on a skirting board

The first skirting boards were made of plaster. But they did not last long on the building materials market (the main reason is the high cost of gypsum plinths), giving way to products made of polystyrene, wood and expanded polystyrene.

Before proceeding with a detailed analysis of the question of how to correctly cut a corner on the ceiling plinth, it is necessary to find out what are the features of each category of the presented products.

Polyfoam is the most economically profitable material for the manufacture of ceiling plinths. The main advantages of this product category are:

  • low cost;
  • looks great on the ceiling;
  • it is not difficult to choose skirting boards that harmoniously fit into the interior of almost any room;
  • well cut;
  • these skirting boards are easy to work with.

There is also a "reverse side of the coin"- Styrofoam products break easily, but many experienced experts say that this fact is not a serious problem (the skirting board is not physically affected on the ceiling).

Even if you do not know how to properly cut the corners of the ceiling plinth, you can practice on products from the presented category (cut pieces, etc.).

Expanded polystyrene, which is used as a material for the production of ceiling skirting boards, is stronger than polystyrene, but this criterion negatively affects the cost of products.

The main advantages of the presented category of skirting boards are their high strength, long service life and the ability, without strong physical efforts, to cut off the corners you need.

Wood products are more expensive and look more solid than the above products. But the presented category of ceiling plinths is difficult to machine.

In order to cut off a corner, you will not only have to work with a hacksaw (experienced experts recommend using a blade for metal), but also eliminate irregularities using a sandpaper.

The question of cutting the corners of the ceiling plinth must be decided taking into account the materials that are used for their production. For example, you can use a regular stationery knife to prepare foam products, which will be a poor helper if you are installing wooden skirting boards.

Preparing corners with a miter box

Builders, joiners and renovators are familiar with this device.

A miter box is a special wooden tool with slots, in the form of an inverted "P", which allows you to cut a board or plinth so that an angle of 45 or 90 degrees is obtained.

In addition to this device, you will need a clerical knife, a hacksaw for metal and a sandpaper if you are working with wooden skirting boards.

The preparation of the corners should be carried out without undue physical effort so as not to damage the skirting board.

  • At the bottom of the miter box, you need to lay the side that will contact the ceiling, and the lower part is pressed against the right wall.
  • The adjacent corner is prepared in the same way, but the skirting board is applied to the left wall / slot.
  • The resulting cuts are applied to the corner, if you have a large gap, trim the irregularities with a clerical knife.
  • In the case when a small gap is observed between the prepared skirting boards, remove it after fixing all the elements using a putty.

An analysis of the question of how to cut off a ceiling plinth will be incomplete if you do not focus the readers' attention on one important point. In specialized stores you can find special corner pieces that will ensure a perfect connection of the skirting boards for the ceiling.

To do this, it is enough to cut the planks at right angles and then insert them into the connecting element. But this solution to the issue cannot always be applied in practice.

Very often the connecting part looks ridiculous, stands out strongly against the general background and spoils the appearance of the room.

The main disadvantage of preparing skirting boards with a miter box is the fact that this method is only suitable for rooms where the angle between the walls is 90 degrees.

Any deviations or irregularities can prevent you from performing this work efficiently. And one more piece of advice from experts.

If you are inexperienced in preparing skirting corners, practice on scrap or unusable material before proceeding with this task.

How to make a miter box without the help of specialists

If you do not have a miter box, but you know that you can use it to prepare perfect angles, then make this device yourself.

To do this, you will need:

  • three small boards;
  • nails;
  • hammer;
  • hacksaw for metal.

Make a small U-shaped tray with cuts that form the corners necessary for your task. The main thing is not to rush, carefully check your incisions (preferably with a protractor) and make sure that your structure is stable.

If you know how to cut a corner of a ceiling plinth, but for this you need a device that allows you to cut off non-standard corners on fillets (another name for plinths), make the necessary tool with your own hands.

To do this, you need to connect two rectangular boards with the letter "G", and make cuts on one of them. On paper, using a protractor, you need to draw lines so that they form the necessary angles with one of the boards. The device is ready, it remains only to test its functionality in practice.

As a last resort, you can always find some kind of thing that will help you cut off a part of the baseboard at the right angle (book, table pushed against the wall, etc.).

An important point! When making measurements, keep in mind that for the outer corner of the ceiling plinth, you need to take a margin equal to its width (fillets, in this case, protrude outward).

How to cut a ceiling plinth without special tools

If you don't have a miter box and desires to do it, using the above recommendations, try to cut the skirting board without using a special tool.

To do this, you need to attach the fillet to the ceiling (only the way it will be fixed) and draw a line.

A similar operation is carried out with another wall forming an angle. The intersection of the two lines will show you where to cut off a piece of the ceiling plinth. To do this, you must once again attach the plank to the ceiling and draw a line from the indicated point to the end of the plinth, in the lower corner.

If you need to prepare the material for the outer corner, use the following algorithm:

  • On the right side, a plinth is applied to the ceiling and a line is drawn along it.
  • A similar operation is carried out on the left side of the corner.
  • On the plinth, you need to make two marks: the place where the corner of the room passes and the point of intersection of your lines.
  • After connecting these points, you will receive the required cutting line.

Among the main disadvantages of the presented method, it is necessary to highlight the fact that sometimes there are significant errors, the cause of which may be: a human factor, a bad pencil or an uneven ceiling / walls.

Docking the skirting board

Having studied in detail the information provided, you can answer the question of how to cut a ceiling plinth using different methods for solving this problem. But besides this, you need to know effective ways to connect the planks.

One of the ways (which has already been mentioned) is based on the use of connecting elements.

They are available for external corners, for internal corners, as well as for connecting skirting boards in straight sections. A very convenient way to save time, and in some cases, financial resources.

Even experienced professionals will not be able to mount skirting boards for ceilings so that everything is perfectly smooth and beautiful.

In order for the quality of the work performed to be at the highest level, you must use the following recommendations:

  • on straight sections of the plinth, you need to connect so that one part slightly covers the other;
  • after applying glue at the joints, the remnants must be wiped off;
  • all gaps between different parts or between skirting boards and ceiling / walls must be sealed with a sealant (alternatively, putty with water-based paint).

If you are interested in the question of how to cut corners on a ceiling plinth, from a theoretical point of view, or you plan to make repairs in the indefinite future, then you should remember some tips:

  • when making repairs indoors, make sure that all the elements not only create an overall beautiful picture, but also "dock" with each other;
  • you should not buy wooden skirting boards if you do not know how to work with it;
  • fix the planks only after they are fully prepared (you are unlikely to be able to clean up irregularities on the glued ceiling plinth);
  • installation of ceiling strips should be carried out, starting from the corners, according to the principle: "from complex to simple";
  • when buying ceiling plinths, take the material with a margin (not only taking into account possible errors, but also to compensate for losses on uneven walls).

Practice shows that trimming the ceiling plinth, despite the complexity of this process from the position of beginners, after "passing" several corners, is perceived much easier. But doing similar work in a room with rounded corners can be a major challenge, even for professionals.

Typically, these problems are solved using a method that is based on creating "patches" where the bottom is wider than the top. This work requires perseverance, a good eye and accuracy.

After a detailed study of the question of how to cut the ceiling plinth in the corners, even a person without experience in this field of activity will be able to independently perform this task at home.

As a result, you will not only save money, but also get moral satisfaction after the repair work.

In order for the frieze to become a worthy decoration for your interior, you should seriously approach its selection and installation. But if you don't know how to properly trim your ceiling plinth, things can go awry.

Cutting a frieze using a miter box

First, let's figure out how to cut the corner of a ceiling plinth. Most of the rooms are rectangular. Based on this, two adjacent fillets must be cut at an angle of 45 °. How accurate the outer and inner corners will be will depend on the accuracy of the cut. It is not recommended to do such work by eye, since such liberties usually lead to damage to fillets. The best way is to use a high-quality factory-made miter box or build an analogue of such a device.

This is how you need to place the fillet in the miter box

Types of miter boxes

The simplest models of the miter box allow you to cut the plinth at angles of 45º and 90º. More complex designs include cutting at an angle of 60º. Most often they are made from plastic or wood, less often - from aluminum alloys. It is more pleasant to work with an electric miter saw (miter saw), but buying one is expensive. True, if you have a large front of repair work, then think about purchasing such a tool. After all, the miter saw allows you to saw any workpieces, including metal ones. In addition, you can trim at right angles or at arbitrary angles.

Of course, you can not rush to extremes and stop at the purchase of a manual, but professional tool. For example, the swivel miter box, which consists of a base with markings and a hacksaw, also allows you to cut at any angle. Of course, it is very convenient for them to cut the corners of the ceiling plinth, but this tool is also quite expensive. Fortunately, there are more economical options.

The swivel miter box allows you to quickly cut the skirting board at any angle

Trimming steps

Armed with an ordinary miter box, a knife or a hacksaw for metal, we proceed to fulfill our mission. So how do you cut a corner of a skirting board using a miter box? Pruning steps:

  1. Place the baguette with the side that should be in contact with the ceiling surface on the bottom of the miter box.
  2. Press the bottom of the frieze against the side of the tool.
  3. Saw off the fillet with a hacksaw along the slot in the miter box at an angle of 45º.
  4. Do the same for the adjacent skirting board using another slot designed to form the same corner.
  5. Attach both friezes to the place of their further attachment. If there is a slight inconsistency due to uneven surfaces, cut off excess material with a sharp knife.

Please note: trimming skirting boards for inside and outside corners is an identical process, the only difference is that different pairs of slots are used.

Use different grooves to cut inside and outside corners

Caution: when cutting the frieze, do not press too much on it, otherwise chips may appear on the product.

Making homemade tools

It is not difficult to make a miter box with your own hands; for this you need three wooden planks. Of them, you should knock down a U-shaped structure, on the walls of which corners are outlined, after which the box is cut. You now have a wooden miter box with cut grooves.

Alternative options for trimming fillets

Do not be discouraged if you do not have the necessary carpentry tools and materials for its manufacture. The ceiling plinth can be cut without a miter box. You can:

  • draw markings on the wall;
  • depict a miter box template on paper, cardboard, plywood;
  • use a miter saw;
  • trust the eye.

Attention: so that you do not have to cut the baguette at all, use the special inner and outer corners for fillets. The fittings are glued to the corners of the room, after which friezes are inserted into it from both sides.

Marking

You can cut the ceiling plinth using the markings. Let's start with the inner corners.

You will need a baseboard and pencil. Lean the frieze against the corner of the wall. After that, a straight line must be drawn along the baguette on the ceiling. The first stage has been completed.

We draw a line over the adjacent skirting board adjacent to the first. It should also be trimmed at a 90 ° angle. However, you can take the same fillet that was used during the first line.

The boundary of the passage of the upper part of the adjacent baguette

At the intersection of the lines, we put a point. It should be alternately transferred to two friezes, from which the inner corner will be formed. Draw an even line with a pencil from a point to the nearest corner of the opposite side of the fillet.

Using a construction knife, cut off the excess frieze along the line. Do the same for the second baguette. We connect the cut fillets, if necessary, we carry out their correction. The final stage is the installation of the skirting board.

To make an inner corner, alternately apply fillets to the desired sides, drawing lines both above and below the curbs. Transfer both points of intersection of adjacent friezes to the plinth and connect. Thanks to them, you will learn how to cut the ceiling plinth in the corner, because the resulting line will be the cutting line. Carefully remove excess and connect the friezes. If the angle fits well, you can start installing the baguettes.

You will get two points of intersection of the frieze lines

Cropping with a template

You can draw a semblance of a miter box on a piece of paper, cardboard, etc. Draw two parallel lines horizontally on the selected material. Use a protractor to set aside the corners. Use the template in the same way as the miter box. Differences: there is nothing to press the lower edge of the baguette, there is no need to fall into the grooves due to their absence. It is recommended to use such a miter box when the corner of the room is not straight.

Drawn template for replacing the factory tool

When can you use the eye

Due to the non-standardness of some corners, for example, excessive roundness, they can be formed from four or more parts of the baguette. Then the fit will most likely have to be done by eye, constantly checking how well the cut elements fit together. It is necessary to carefully combine each subsequent part with a cut of the previous one.

You are free to choose any baguette cutting tool you want. But experts still recommend using a miter box, especially if all the corners in the room are straight. Even the simplest model of this carpentry device is much more convenient than a drawn template. For finishing non-standard corners, you should consider other trimming options or purchase a swivel miter box.

How to cut a ceiling plinth

- this is the corner design. It is necessary to dock the planks in such places very carefully, otherwise the appearance of the decor will be hopelessly spoiled. Of course, quite aesthetic special corner pieces can be used.

However, naturally docked planks usually look more harmonious. And in this case, you will not have to spend money on additional parts. Therefore, later in the article, we will consider how to cut the corner of the ceiling plinth correctly and how to process the seam.

Trim ceiling plinth

Ceiling skirting boards are made from a variety of materials - foam, plastic, wood. To trim them, the tools available in every home can be used. Styrofoam strips are cut with scissors or a knife. The wooden plinth is cut with a hacksaw for wood. How to cut a plastic skirting board is also not a question. You can cut it with an ordinary hacksaw for metal.

Cutting a wooden skirting board is done with a regular hacksaw

What is a miter box?

For the neat and most accurate trimming of ceiling skirting boards, a special tool is usually used - a miter box. It is a tray made of three boards. In its walls there are slots located at a certain angle to the axis (45, 60 and 90g, etc.). They are designed to guide the saw blade when cutting. You can purchase a miter box for a ceiling plinth at a hardware store.

Cutting planks at an angle of 45g is done in a miter box

Cutting the skirting board in the miter box

Trimming in the miter box is done as follows:

  1. The right strip is placed in the tray from left to right with the wrong side to the bottom (with the part that will subsequently adjoin the ceiling). The part of the abutment to the wall should be leaning against the side board of the tray (closest to you);
  2. The bar is pressed tightly against the tool and is cut through the slot.

How to make a corner of a ceiling plinth

Important: When trimming, remember that when decorating the inner corner, the edge of the skirting board adjacent to the wall should be longer than the edge adjacent to the ceiling. When finishing the exterior, the opposite is true.
  1. A second ceiling strip is inserted into the tray from right to left and cut off;
  2. The finished planks are attached to the corner and the joint is adjusted with a knife;

Planks are attached to the corner and an adjustment is made

  1. How to join the corners of the skirting board? You can do this from a stepladder right on the wall. But this is not very convenient, therefore, experts advise to combine and glue polyurethane and foam elements with each other on the floor with special glue for joints.

The corner is best glued before installing the skirting board on the walls.

How to cut a skirting board:

What if there is no miter box?

Thus, we figured out how to cut down the ceiling plinth (the video above may help someone figure it out better) using a miter box. But what if this tool is not at hand? In fact, you can adjust the slats exactly without using it. There are two main ways to solve this problem: marking directly on the wall and making an imitation of a miter box.

In the first case, the procedure is as follows:

  1. The left strip is tightly pressed against the ceiling;
  2. With a pencil, line 1 is drawn directly on the ceiling along its upper edge;

How to properly cut a ceiling plinth without a miter box. We draw the first line

  1. Next, the right ceiling element is attached to the ceiling and line 2 is drawn;
  2. A mark is placed at the intersection of the edge of the right plank with line 1;

The second line is drawn and a mark is put on the plinth

  1. Next, the left element is again attached to the ceiling;
  2. A mark is also placed at the intersection of its upper edge with line 2;
  3. Now on each strip you need to connect the marks with the end of the lower edge of the plinth;

Then, along the resulting line, the actual cutting of the plinth at an angle is performed.

Without the use of a tray, mounting the planks in the corner can be quite neat

In order to cut an even corner, you can also use an imitation of a miter box:

  1. Draw two strictly parallel lines on a smooth plywood sheet;
  2. We put a point on one of them and, using a protractor, we connect it to the second line at an angle of exactly 45g (draw to the left);
  3. At a distance of 10 centimeters to the left of the first point, we put the second;
  4. We connect it with the second line at an angle of 45g (draw to the right).

How to cut the corner of a ceiling plinth using an imitation miter box

The impromptu miter box is ready. Now it remains to attach the right ceiling element (wrong side) to the right with the lower edge to the line closest to you and cut it off. The same is with the left bar (only you need to apply it on the left).

Advice: You can cut the polystyrene strips with a knife. However, sharpen it properly. Otherwise, the material at the ends will simply crumble.

How to cut a ceiling plinth (video) without a miter box:

How to connect the planks if the corner is uneven

In city apartments, and especially in old ones, the walls are rarely even. Therefore, the angles between them are often not right at all. How to properly saw down the ceiling plinth in this case?

In fact, it is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. You just need to measure the angle. To do this, you can use a special tool malku or just make a template out of paper and use a protractor.

An uneven angle can be measured using a small goniometer

Divide the resulting angle by two, draw the corresponding "miter box" on the plywood and cut the strips. Next, you just need to connect them with glue.

How to finish finishing the corners

We have figured out how to cut the corner of the ceiling plinth. Now let's see how to finish the joints. How to cover the joint in the corner? In the event that a small gap remains here, the filling can be done with ordinary putty to match the color of the skirting board. The joints can also be sealed with silicone sealant.

The gap between the planks in the inner corner can be filled with putty

Important: Only the inner corner can be sealed with putty or sealant. The outer should be fitted as closely as possible. It will be simply impossible to remove even a small gap in the future imperceptibly here. Especially when the skirting board is wide.

Corner pieces for skirting boards

Cutting ceiling strips when using corner pieces (special connectors) is also usually done in a miter box. How to cut the planks in this case? It's very simple - the cut is done at right angles. If there is no tray, you can use a regular protractor or square. Corner elements (photo):

When using corner elements, the strips are cut at right angles.

How to properly trim your floor plinth

Floor skirting boards can be made from, or MDF. Just as in the case of the ceiling plinth, they need to be cut, depending on the material, with an ordinary hacksaw (wooden) or a hacksaw for metal (plastic).

Now you know how to saw down the ceiling plinth. Next, let's see how the floor trimming and trimming is done. How to use the miter box in this case? When trimming the floor plinth, the procedure is approximately the same as when trimming the ceiling. For the inner corner:

  1. We take the first strip and put it in the tray from right to left so that it lies in it just like on the floor. We lean it against the far wall of the instrument as against a wall;

The strip is inserted into the tray and pressed firmly

  1. We trim the unnecessary piece from the left end at an angle through hole 1 (picture below);
  2. Insert the second strip from left to right in exactly the same position and cut from the right end through hole 2.

How to trim a skirting board in a corner if it is external:

  1. Insert the first strip into the tray in the same way as for the inner corner (from right to left);
  2. We cut it from the left end through hole 2;
  3. Insert the second plank from left to right and cut its right end through slot 1.

How to cut a ceiling plinth for outside and inside corners

Advice: The end at an angle of 45g should be done not only in order to cut the elements in the corners, but also for making joints on the wall itself. In this case, the connections will not be as noticeable.

Thus, we have examined in the most detailed way how to cut a plinth in the corners. This procedure is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. When you start trimming in a miter box or by imitating it, you will see for yourself.

Ceiling plinth is a product that looks no different from its counterpart for flooring. It is also called fillet. This detail serves to mask the joints of the wall and ceiling. It is installed at the very end of the finishing work, since the element does not carry any functional load, but plays only a decorative role. The process of installing the product is not difficult at all, but many are faced with the dilemma of how to make the corner of the ceiling plinth. Depending on the materials chosen and the tools available, fillet corners are trimmed in different ways.

The modern construction market offers the following options for these products:

  • Polyurethane. They are considered the highest quality and most reliable. In addition, they are moisture resistant and elastic. Among the disadvantages, it is worth noting the high cost and exposure to temperature extremes. Due to this feature, the corners of the skirting board made of this material can crack if a stove is installed underneath. It is also important to remember that with inaccurate pruning, slight deformations are possible, which ultimately can lead to significant curvatures.
  • Polystyrene. Practically no different from the previous material, but they have a lower level of strength, therefore they easily break due to mechanical stress. Also, polystyrene products cost a little less.
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This is the cheapest material option. The low cost has left an imprint on the quality: the products are difficult to work with, they are prone to dents. To make the outer or inner corner of a PVC skirting board requires a lot of experience and special tools. But the manufacturers of these products do not stand still, and today for these purposes it is possible to purchase special fittings - corners for ceiling plinths, thanks to which even a novice home craftsman can carry out the installation of plastic parts.
  • Wooden. These skirting boards look impressive. Unlike all other products, wood materials are installed on screws or nails, and not on glue.

The above options can be produced in various sizes, have a relief coating or be completely smooth. Usually the color of the products is white, but if you wish, you can find or order any other.

Creating fillet corners

To connect two planks, you can use decorative corners for skirting boards. But in the absence of those, the material will have to be processed. The following will tell you how to properly cut a corner on the ceiling plinth.

How to use a miter box for processing

The miter box is one of the simplest carpentry tools used to trim various products at different angles. Usually it is a plastic, metal or wooden tray with several slots in the walls. In the simple version, there are slots for 45 and 90 degrees only. In more complex ones, there are more angles, and a professional tool is equipped with a rotary mechanism that allows you to direct the cutting element at any angle. The principle of operation is simple: before cutting off the corner of the plinth, the workpiece is fixed in a tray, and then processed with a cutting tool (knife, saw, etc.), lowering it into the slots.


Cutting the skirting board with a miter box

How to properly cut the ceiling plinth for the inner corner on the miter box:

  1. The first step is to attach the plinth to the surface and mark the required length with a pencil.
  2. Then the part is installed in the tray so that its current position coincides with the position on the surface.
  3. Using a clamping mechanism, the plinth is fixed on the far wall of the tool container.
  4. The product is taken with the left hand. Then it is necessary to select the correct position of the cutting element (angle 45 degrees). In this case, the handle of the tool should be as close as possible to the left hand.
  5. Applying light pressure on the part, begin trimming. It is important not to press too hard on the product, otherwise you may deform it.
  6. The same manipulations, only in a mirror image, must be carried out with the second plinth.

Then the trimmed strips must be checked for correct processing. To do this, it is enough to connect the ceiling plinth by simply attaching the planks to the surface. If a wooden product is used, then most likely it will have to be additionally processed with a file.

On a note! First of all, it is necessary to arrange the inner corners on the ceiling plinths, only then proceed to the outer ones. Otherwise, the length of the purchased strips may not be enough.


How to properly cut the ceiling plinth for the outer corner:

  1. Before cutting the corners, you need to attach the fillet to the edge of the wall so that the product extends slightly beyond the boundaries of the surface, and make a mark.
  2. Then do the same operations as in the previous instructions.
  3. At the end, make a fitting and, if necessary, additionally process the edges with a clerical knife or file.

Important! To cut the corners of the skirting boards with a miter box, a perfectly even angle of surfaces of 90 degrees is required. If there are any irregularities on the walls, due to which there will be deviations of more than 2 degrees, you will have to use other tools.

Fillet processing using markup

Most often, the final alignment results in even corners. But in some cases, the deviations are so large that even after trying on and filing the fillets, gaps remain. And then the question of how to properly cut the ceiling plinth using a miter box will be meaningless, since in this situation it is better to cut the planks with preliminary fitting in place. To carry out this procedure, you will need the following:

  • A thin, hard pencil or marker (this tool leaves clear lines so you don't have to peer).
  • A small piece of fillet.
  • Ruler or tape measure.
  • A special construction or office knife for processing polystyrene, polyuretone or PVC baguettes.
  • Saw or hacksaw for working with wooden skirting boards.

Before cutting off the ceiling plinth, you must lean the plank against the corner and draw a line along the outer edge of the product on the ceiling surface. Then attach the same fillet fragment to the opposite wall and draw the same line.

As a result, an intersection will appear on the ceiling surface, in which the cut products will need to be joined. The resulting mark is alternately transferred to the parts that will be joined.


Then you need to take a ruler and connect the edge of the fillet with the markings. Then the product is placed on the table and cut along the line.

This method is quite simple, but it comes with some risks. As a result, the inner part of the skirting board can interfere with the joining of parts on the surface. To prevent this from happening, you can do the following: before cutting the ceiling plinth in the corners, it must be placed on the table in the same position in which it will be glued to the wall. Then cut the outside corner or the inside corner at a 45 degree angle. The next bar should be processed in the same way. Thus, lengthy processing after fitting can be avoided.

Next, you need to adjust the joint, but already at the fillet installation site. That is, before gluing the ceiling plinth in the corners, it is necessary to check the internal joint without applying adhesive or fasteners. Then carry out the same manipulations for the outer corner planks. After preliminary fitting and bringing the corners to an ideal state, you can glue the products.

Now the question of how to join ceiling skirting boards on uneven corners should not arise.

Trimming with a square

Now let's look at how to cut a ceiling plinth using a standard set of tools. For this you will need:

  • ruler or tape measure;
  • square;
  • construction, office knife or hacksaw.

How can you cut the corner of a ceiling plinth if the surfaces are perfectly flat:

  1. A ruler is applied to the fillet at an angle of 45 degrees. Using a knife, cut off an unnecessary fragment with one movement of the hand.
  2. If there is a wooden product, markings are first applied to the plinth with a pencil, after which they are sawed off with a saw or hacksaw.

If the surfaces of the walls have irregularities, then the first step is to measure the degree of the angle, and then divide it by two. Let's say the angle is 80 degrees, which means that each piece needs to be cut at an angle of 40 degrees.


If adjacent walls do not form a right angle, then some calculations will have to be done to trim the skirting board.

Decoration by means of decorative corners

The easiest way to join ceiling skirting boards in the corners is to use special products. They are sold in hardware stores and are immediately ready to use. Fillets are simply glued to the surface, and the joint is closed with a decorative element. In this case, the question of how to properly cut the skirting board does not make sense. Even if the joint is uneven, this defect will be hidden by the decorative corner.

How to replace the miter box with improvised means

How to make the corners of the ceiling plinth using available tools? There are several ways:

  • The first way. Prepare three wooden boards of the same thickness and width. Using nails or self-tapping screws, connect them into a U-shaped structure. Mark the angles of 45 and 90 degrees (you will need a square or protractor for this), and then make cuts with a hacksaw on wood. The result is a homemade miter box. How to trim ceiling skirting boards with this tool is shown above.

  • Second way. In this case, a simple structure should be built to hold the fillet before cutting out the ceiling plinth. To do this, you need to take two boards and put together a corner from them. Then take paper and draw lines on it going at different angles. Now let's look at how to cut corners using the resulting tool:
    • the fillet is laid on a wooden corner;
    • in the marked place - a template with drawn lines is applied to the product and trimmed.

  • Third way. This method is the simplest, but it takes some experience and a steady hand. In this case, you can use any structure with a right angle, for example, a table.

On a note! Before cutting the corner, measurements should be taken at the fixation point. To mark the inner corner, they begin to measure from the junction of the walls. Before cutting the outer corner, it is necessary to apply a marking, taking into account the fact that the product will go beyond the boundaries of the surface by its thickness.

The process of making a miter box at home demonstrates the video:

Installation of skirting boards

This operation will be successful if you follow several recommendations:

  1. Installation of ceiling fillets begins precisely with the design of the corners. After completing this operation, you can proceed with the installation of the remaining parts.
  2. When fixing products, it is necessary to press their edges so that there are no gaps. In this case, the excess glue should be removed immediately so that it does not dry out.
  3. If a PVC skirting board was purchased, then to fix it, you can use a finishing putty, which may have remained after finishing work.
  4. Before gluing the skirting boards to the ceiling, you need to treat the surfaces with a special primer or just water. Then the fillets are set in place and wait until the surface under them dries out. At the end, the seams and crevices are sealed with a sealant or other material with a similar composition. It is better to use acrylic-based sealants.

Installation of skirting boards is a fairly simple procedure that even a novice master can handle. The main thing is to follow the above recommendations and regularly check the correct installation using a level, even if the fillets look perfectly even to the eye. It is also important to remember that this element carries an exclusively decorative load, so even the smallest oversights are unacceptable.

There are more than enough tips on how to cut a plinth at 45 degrees on the net now, the only bad thing is that most of them are given by people who have never done it. Further, from the point of view of a practice, I will tell you how to cut skirting boards at the corners with your own hands in 3 options, and you will learn about both traditional methods and folk universal recipes.

The science of how to properly trim ceiling plinths in corners is not as difficult as it might seem.

A few words about tools and materials

Floor skirting boards are now made of wood or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), in other words, plastic. Ceiling fillets have a slightly larger list:

The range of ceiling skirting boards is much wider than that of the floor direction.

  1. Polyurethane - these skirting boards have good elasticity and can bend around radial and other curved surfaces, but in any case they need to be cut at clear angles;
  2. Foam plinths are the simplest budget option, the price of foam plinths is low and they are cut very easily;
  3. PVC - the principle is the same as for floor skirting boards, but the range is much wider;
  4. Wooden - similar to the floor ones, only here there are still wide models;
  5. Gypsum - with the advent of polyurethane and polystyrene, gypsum ceiling fillets receded into the background, firstly, they are heavy, and secondly, fragile. But in fairness, it is worth mentioning them.

Since it is impossible to properly cut the ceiling plinth and its floor counterpart without a good tool, we will dwell on this issue in a little more detail.

The best, almost perfect tool for trimming all kinds of skirting boards and more is the swing miter saw. The high-speed disc makes smooth and precise cuts, and the bed in these units can be rotated at any angle. The only problem is the serious cost of this tool.

The miter saw is almost the perfect tool for trimming skirting boards and more.

It is believed that one of the best hand tools for accurately cutting small pieces of wood is the backsaw. In principle, this is true, but to be honest, a really high-quality saw, even with the current assortment, is not easy to find. If you still decide to buy a similar tool, then take a saw with a fine tooth.

In theory, foam and polyurethane can be cut with any sharp and sturdy knife. But at the same time, you need to have a firm hand and at least a little experience in cutting foam. Plus, cutting wide fillets with a knife is very problematic.

Without experience, making a clear cut with a knife is very problematic.

Personally, in the absence of trimming, I only use a hacksaw for metal. It is suitable for cutting absolutely any material, from styrofoam to wood. By the way, they often ask the question of how to cut a plastic skirting board for the floor, and so - take a hacksaw for metal and you definitely won't be mistaken.

For trimming skirting boards, a metal hacksaw is considered one of the best tools.

Three working ways to trim skirting boards

For floor and ceiling skirting boards, the trimming instructions are almost the same. But if on the floor the curved corner can be covered with something, then on the ceiling this is already a problem, so we will pay more attention to how to cut the ceiling plinths.

Method number 1. Classic miter box

The classic miter box is a U-shaped bed with slots in the opposite sides. A part of a suitable size is inserted into this stock and sawed off with a hacksaw through the slots in the sides. The idea is not new, the tool is already several hundred years old, but despite its simplicity, not everyone knows how to properly cut the corner of the ceiling plinth using such a miter box.

Not everyone knows how to cut a ceiling plinth in a corner using a classic miter box.

Tip: when trimming, the ceiling plinths are applied to the side of the miter box that is closer to you, and the floor plinths, on the contrary, must be applied to the side of the tool farthest from you. This is not a dogma, but it is much easier to work this way.

It is easier to work with skirting boards, since the miter box lies on a horizontal plane, it is easier for you to orient yourself in the position of the skirting board. People most often make mistakes when trimming the ceiling fillet, it is simply incorrectly put into the tool. There is a simple but important rule here.

Important: the side of the ceiling fillet, which touches the wall, should be directed to the upper edge of the side of the miter box, and the part of the plinth that borders on the ceiling is placed on the bottom of the miter box.

The corner, as you know, has 2 sides, so, in order to make less mistakes, train yourself to put the bar that will be mounted on the right side of the corner into the miter box on the right, and the bar that is attached to the left, put it into the miter box on the left. Details about the intricacies of using a classic miter box are described in the video in this article.

In addition to the classic U-shaped miter box, there are two more types of similar designs - a professional and a rotary tool. As for the professional version, only masters use it. The device is quite bulky, but it turns at any angle and has a hacksaw that can be fixed in the desired position.

Professional miter box with the ability to fix the hacksaw and parts.

The swivel device can be safely called a "pocket" miter box. The only advantage here is the ability to clearly fix the angle of rotation of the bar. On the one hand, it is easy to work with it - set the corner, put it on the plinth and cut it off. But on the other hand, you need to get used to such a tool, if you do not have experience with a hacksaw, then you should not take a rotary miter box.

Tip: when choosing a classic U-shaped miter box, firstly, do not take Chinese products. And secondly, try to buy models with the possibility of rigid fixation of the part inside, one of these models is shown in the photo below.

A miter box with the ability to fix a part inside is much more convenient to work with.

Method number 2. Cutting by template

Most often, both ceiling and floor skirting boards need to be cut at 45º. If there is no specialized tool nearby, then an impromptu miter box can be drawn on a notebook leaf. From the school geometry course, we know that the diagonal of any square in relation to the base has an angle of 45º.

Next, you need to draw a square and draw 2 diagonals in it - these will be the required 45º. You just have to correctly attach the plinth to the leaf and mark it. True, in order to cut off the plinth exactly without guides, you need a good eye and a right hand.

Method number 3. Applied universal

A 45º trim is a common option, but what if you need a different angle and only have a hacksaw and a pencil? It turns out that there is a very simple way out of this situation. Plus, this method is universal, it is suitable for both external and internal corners.

Moreover, I can assure you that those angles that visually seem to be straight, in fact, have deviations by a couple of degrees. As a result, you buy a good tool, cut it off at 45º, and when joining, the gap between the skirting boards "comes out". This problem disappears here. And then, using an example, consider how to cut the ceiling plinth in the inner corner.

Illustrations Recommendations

Stage 1.

Take the fillet, apply it on one side of the corner and draw 2 lines with it, along the wall and along the ceiling.

Advice: to make the lines inconspicuous, they can be drawn not with a pencil, but, for example, with a nail or the edge of a knife.


Stage 2... Do the same on the adjacent side of the corner.

Stage 3... If you draw a diagonal from the intersection of the lines on the ceiling to the inner corner, then you will get the desired cutting line.

Stage 4... Then take the tool and cut it according to the finished markup. If you are comfortable with a hacksaw, the skirting boards should fit perfectly.

... As I already mentioned, the outer corner can be trimmed using exactly the same technology.

Important nuances

If you tried as best you could, but a small gap at the junction still "got out" do not be discouraged. In wooden fillets, such a gap is easily covered with furniture wax. To cover the gap on the baseboards made of polyurethane, foam, plastic or gypsum, a putty is perfect. Naturally, the color of the composition should match the color of the skirting board.

All cracks in the area of ​​the ceiling fillets are sealed with putty.

Wide ceiling fillets are certainly beautiful, but they can only be mounted on perfectly flat walls. If the plane of the wall in relation to the ceiling is a wave, then it is better to buy narrow polyurethane fillets, they are elastic and will smooth out this shortcoming.

Most of the questions arise about how to cut the wallpaper for the ceiling plinth. There is nothing complicated here: the wallpaper is glued with a slight overlap on the baseboards and when the wall is completely glued, take a large spatula, apply it to the corner and cut off the excess with a knife along the blade.

But keep in mind - neither the knife nor the spatula can be torn off the wall until you have passed the entire plane. That is, they put a spatula from the corner, cut off the wallpaper along the length of the blade, and then, without lifting the blade from the wall, move and cut it until you reach the next corner.

Output

All three methods described by me work, the choice depends on which tool you have and what your professional skills are. If after watching the video you still have questions, welcome to the comments, than I can, I will help.

If you are not confident in your abilities, there are connecting elements for both floor and ceiling skirting boards that allow you to do without trimming.

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