How To Cut The Pvc Skirting Board

How to properly trim the corners of the skirting board

Since it is hard plastic skirting boards that are increasingly used during repairs, it is about them that will be discussed. Their installation is inevitably associated with the need to cut and form beautiful joints in the corners. The quality of all work and the appearance of the room where the repair is being made will depend on how the plinth will be joined, in general.

How to cut off a plastic skirting board: how to cut and how to cut it correctly, cutting methods

A skirting board is an essential element for decorating a room and giving it a complete and neat look. It can be made of various materials, but plastic skirting boards are especially popular now. It is easy to install, but even in this process there are some subtleties that are important to know about. How to cut a plastic skirting board correctly so that you can neatly dock it in the corners?

How to cut a plastic skirting board

The main types of floor skirting boards

The wooden skirting board is a classic. It is a natural product, as it is made from solid wood. This type is distinguished by high strength and durability. the skirting boards, installed back in the times of the USSR, still serve faithfully in some apartments and houses. Now they are made mainly of pine wood, but there are also products from walnut, oak, ash and other species. However, due to this, the cost of products increases. not everyone can afford such skirting boards.

Wooden floor plinth

Because of this, veneered skirting boards have appeared on the market. their are an order of magnitude lower. However, outwardly, they practically do not differ from products made of expensive wood. The fact is that their upper part, which plays a decorative role, is just made of a thin layer of expensive wood. Without certain knowledge and experience, it is almost impossible to distinguish veneered skirting from ordinary wood.

It is convenient to cut wooden skirting boards with a hacksaw for metal

The most popular now is the plastic skirting board, that is, made of PVC. It has partially displaced conventional wood products from the market, as it has a number of advantages:

• Looks nice and neat. it is able to imitate products made from natural wood;
• Easy to install, flexible and very easy to cut;
• Can serve as a cable channel for wiring;
• Not afraid of exposure to water, and also does not rot, mold does not start on it;
• Inexpensive compared to wood or veneer.

Plastic skirting board is made of polyvinyl chloride, which is passed through special forms under high pressure. After the mass has solidified, a neat plastic product is obtained.

Plastic skirting board

Plastic skirting boards are of several types. for example, used for carpet (they have a special shape in the form of the letter G, fix the material) or for linoleum. There are also universal products that can be installed on any type of flooring. They can be classified and depending on the hardness.

Table. Types of plastic skirting boards depending on hardness.

Flexible plastic skirting boards

Cutting the skirting board with a miter box

For the correct trimming of the plinth, a special device was invented, which was called the miter box. It is a small block with a notch for the skirting board and with gaps located at different angles. for the cutting tool.

With a miter box, you can get neat and even cuts. The plinth is fixed inside the product, then the angle and direction of cut required in a particular case are selected.

We make a miter box with our own hands

When working with a miter box, it is important to ensure that the edges of the skirting board protrude a short distance beyond the edges of the selected slot. If the trimming tool is wider than the skirting board itself, it is recommended to securely fix the product inside the miter box before trimming. Otherwise, the plinth can move inside, the cut angle will constantly change, because of which it (cut) will turn out to be incorrect and incorrect.

Making cuts for joining skirting boards using a miter box

Cutting with a rotary miter

Useful Tips

Experienced craftsmen recommend starting the installation of the skirting board from the inner corner. At the junction of the two walls, which form the inner corner, the cut on the baseboards will be 45 degrees (in a room with correct and accurate geometry). It is recommended to cut with a miter box. this is the only way to achieve a perfectly even cut.

Cutting floor and ceiling plinths with a miter box

In general, in any case, the cut edges of plastic skirting boards should be sanded. this way it will be possible to get rid of sharp edges, and it will be easier to work. And the skirting boards with cable channels are cut only after the product has been disassembled. the decorative strip designed to hide the wires and attachment points of the skirting board is cut separately.

The plinth is cut to the desired size

It is recommended that immediately before installing the plinth, cut the pieces to the required length and arrange the corners so as not to be distracted by this procedure during the assembly of the plinth. You should not neglect the use of additional elements. plugs, corners and other products for the baseboard. With their help, it will be possible to give the finished work a complete and harmonious look.

It is very easy to cut skirting boards at any angle with this device.

Methods for cutting plastic skirting boards

Cutting the skirting board is seemingly simple, but responsible. If the corners are cut incorrectly, then they will not fit correctly and all the work will go down the drain, since the product will no longer have a beautiful appearance. there will be gaps between two sections of the plinth and decorative inserts (corners, connecting elements, etc.).

Most often, an ordinary metal hacksaw, which has fine teeth, is used to cut the plinth. However, it will not work for thin skirting boards, since the product will simply tear under the influence of this tool.

Plastic skirting board cutting angle grinder

Sometimes the plinth is cut with metal scissors. But the method also has its drawbacks, because the product can be crumpled under the pressure of the blades. Less commonly, but still used is an angle grinder. However, the line cut after it can be sloppy, as the tool often "tears" soft plastic. Especially often this method turns out to be unsuccessful for beginners in the world of repair, who still do not know how to fully control the work. So the angle grinder can be attributed to rather specific methods.

Metal scissors

The most important thing in the procedure for cutting skirting boards is observing the required geometry. The procedure is never performed "by eye", here the accuracy of measurements and accuracy are important. Therefore, there are other methods for cutting skirting boards.

The absence of fittings suggests the use of other methods of connecting skirting boards. This is an option with and without clipping templates.

Using a ruler and pencil without a miter box

Sometimes precise work has to be done with primitive tools. It is possible to very accurately mark the cutting line on the ceiling plinth, using only a pencil and a ruler.

The operation is performed in four steps:

• Attach the skirting board to the ceiling and rest its end against the opposite wall. Draw a line with a pencil along the edge of the plinth on the ceiling.
• Repeat this action along another wall.
• Pencil mowing lines on the ceiling will intersect and form a cross.
• A line is drawn along the ruler, connecting the marked cross with the joining point of the walls and ceiling. This line is the trimming line for the skirting board.

How to file an outer corner

When filing the outer corner, the chamfers at the abutting ends of the skirting board are sawn at an angle of 45 ° and must look inward.

Methods for cutting plastic skirting boards

Cutting plastic and foam skirting boards is no problem. The main task is to apply the cut line correctly. This is done differently for the inside and outside corners.

Varieties of plastic skirting boards

Plastic skirting boards have replaced the wooden ones used in previous years. They have a number of advantages. They are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a material that is widely used in industry and construction. Outwardly, they imitate any wood species. Easy to process, easy to install. They are immune to mold, mildew, dampness, easy to clean. They are much cheaper than wooden.

Plastic skirting boards come in different shapes and colors. Skirting boards from different manufacturers differ among themselves. For each specific product, you need to apply the appropriate processing technology.

There are types of plastic skirting boards focused on a specific floor covering. carpet, linoleum or parquet.

Ceiling skirting boards are usually made of dense foam.

How and how to cut a plastic skirting board

The skirting board is the element that gives the finish to the finish. The joining of walls to the ceiling and floor must be done very carefully and beautifully. Choose the right skirting boards, match them with the walls, floor and ceiling, mount corners. you need to know how.

How to cut a skirting board with a miter box

A miter box is a gutter-like device with which joiners and carpenters carefully saw off a piece of board at a given angle. Structurally, it consists of two parallel walls fixed to the bottom. A pair of cuts were made on the walls. If you insert a saw into the corresponding pair, then it forms an angle with the axis of the device. The set of angles corresponds to the most frequently used in work. 90 °, 45 °, 30 °, 60 °. If necessary, you can add more.

If the room has standard corners of 90 °, then the cuts should be made at an angle of 45 °. With the help of a miter box, this is done very quickly and accurately.

Related article:

How to cut a corner on a ceiling plinth with a miter box and without a miter box, the basic rules for using a miter box, how to cut a ceiling plinth from polystyrene, PVC, how to make a miter box with your own hands, expert advice and recommendations. in our publication.

How to cut a plastic baseboard: tools and fixtures

At the final stage of arranging the floor, the places where the topcoat adheres to the walls of the room are usually covered with baseboards. Recently, the most popular are plastic products. They are not only aesthetic and varied, but also very functional. The question of how to cut a plastic skirting board arises from any home craftsman who has encountered this procedure for the first time. Tools and devices for carrying out such work are quite simple and quite affordable.

Tools and fixtures

When arranging the finishing framing of the floor, any home craftsman reasonably has three main questions:

• How to cut a plastic skirting board?
• How to do it carefully and at the required angle?
• How and what to fix the cut pieces to the wall?

You can cut long products into separate parts of the required length using:

• Angle grinder (with installed thin cutting disc);
• Electric jigsaw;
• Hand saws (for metal or with fine hardened teeth).

The final choice of what to cut a plastic skirting board depends on the tools already available, personal preference and experience.

To securely fix the fillets to the walls of the room, you will need:

• A hammer drill (with a drill of the required diameter) or an electric drill (with a percussive mode of operation);
• A set of dowels and screws;
• Screwdriver or screwdriver (to save time and effort).

To accurately saw off pieces at the right angle, you will have to purchase a miter box (of course, if it is not on the farm). You can’t live without it.

Advantages of plastic products

Compared to their counterparts made of wood or MDF, plastic skirting boards have a number of advantages. Their undoubted advantages include:

• Durability and strength.
• Moisture resistance. They are suitable for installation in rooms with high humidity (bathrooms, showers and toilets).
• They do not need to be painted or other protective coating applied.
• The construction market offers a huge selection of colors: from a variety of monochromatic to imitating the structure of expensive wood species. Easy to choose fillets for any interior solution of the room.
• Easy handling and wall mounting.
• Convenience with subsequent care. The only limitation: it is unacceptable to use abrasive cleaning agents, which can scratch the upper decorative layer.
• Affordable price.
• Safety for human and animal health. All modern polymer materials for this purpose are manufactured in strict accordance with sanitary standards and requirements.

Varieties

There are several types of plastic skirting boards for floors, depending on the material of the topcoat:

• Special T-shaped profile for framing carpeted floors. To decorate such products, strips are used, cut from the floor covering itself, which are fixed with double-sided tape.

• L-shaped products specially designed to fix linoleum to walls.

• Versatile, suitable for floors of a wide variety of materials (from tiles to laminate or parquet boards).

In terms of functional features, such products are:

• With a cable channel equipped inside the fillet (one or more) for laying wires for various purposes (telephone, antenna, computer or electrical).

• With molded rubber strips around the edges for a snug fit on rough and uneven walls.

In terms of geometric dimensions, the choice is also wide enough. The width of the fillet, which is usually chosen, is commensurate with the height of the ceiling of the room, and can be from 40 to 150 mm. The standard length is 2 or 2.5 m. The thickness of the profile in the lower part, depending on the design, is in the range of 10 ÷ 38 mm.

Miter box: varieties and methods of use

A miter box for cutting plastic skirting boards is a special device designed to accurately cut at a certain angle. The simplest products are made from wood or plastic. In geometric shape, they represent a segment of an inverted U-shaped profile. The side walls have narrow cuts for the hacksaw blade. Until recently, the most common attachments were three-cut attachments that cut the end of the plinth at 45 ° and 90 °. However, the layout of modern apartments is very diverse and it is often necessary to equip different corners of the premises. Therefore, manufacturers produce products with a large number of slots designed for installing a hacksaw blade at various angles.

The price depends on the size and material of the fixture. So a plastic device from Stanley with a length of 310 mm, a width of 130 mm, a side height of 78 mm and the ability to cut at angles of 90 °, 45 ° and 22.5 ° now costs 750-800 rubles.

The application algorithm is quite simple:

• Using a marker and a ruler, we mark the cutting line of the cut.
• Press the profile tightly against the vertical wall of the device so that the marking clearly coincides with the installation site of the saw.
• Saw off carefully.

You can cut the plastic skirting board with a hacksaw for metal. This tool has its merits: small cutting teeth and a small spread. However, the low longitudinal stiffness of a narrow hacksaw blade can adversely affect the quality of the processed surface. It is better to use special butt saws for this (with a wider and stiffer blade). Hardened prongs handle plastic easily.

complex designs are a base with clamping clamps (for fixing the workpiece). The kit already includes a saw mounted on special guides. The cutting angle can be adjusted within wide limits. The base materials are metal or high-impact plastic. But such devices are already more expensive. So, the popular rotary models from Gross or KWB with a double-sided saw (the size and sharpening of teeth for various materials), depending on the size, already cost 2,200-4700 rubles.

It is very simple to use such devices:

• We set the required angle;
• We press the fillet to the bed with the help of clamps, so that the marking is strictly under the saw blade;
• Making a cut.

And even if you decide to make repairs in only one room, then you should think about renting such a device and not think about how to cut a plastic baseboard. Ease of use, speed and quality of processing will pay off the money spent in full.

How and what to fix

The simplest, least labor-intensive and rather reliable method of fastening is the use of universal quick-drying adhesives such as "liquid nails". The disadvantages of this method include:

• When dismantled (if necessary), the product will most likely be damaged, so initially it becomes a "disposable".
• The inner surface of the fillet must have a sufficiently wide flat strip to be able to apply the required amount of adhesive.

If the delivery set of the plastic skirting board for the floor includes fasteners: metal (or polymer brackets) or special long profiles, then first they are fixed to the wall using dowels and self-tapping screws. Further installation is quite simple. The product is neatly snapped onto the already fixed fixtures. The advantages of this method include: the possibility of multiple dismantling (this is especially convenient when changing the wallpaper: the lower edge of the wall decoration can be brought behind the plinth).

The presence of a cable channel with a decorative outer strip allows you to simply screw such a fillet to the wall through pre-drilled holes.

What it is

Such decorative elements are made, from the same material as the panels themselves. from polyvinyl chloride, if simpler. PVC. Therefore, they are called PVC skirting boards. In shape, such fillets are very similar to the standard L-shaped fastening profile. It differs from a simple mounting profile only in the presence of decorative design.

And from standard fillets made of polystyrene or polyurethane, plastic skirting boards differ in the presence of a fastening element in the form of a groove into which the edge of the panel is inserted.

When the ceiling is mounted, it is this additional element that serves to tightly fix all its parts. However, it is not worth fixing the panels only on them. it will not be strong enough.

An interesting place for using such products is the junction of the panel and other material. This happens when PVC strips are attached to the first wall, and the second is finished with a different material. In this case, the fillet will help out a lot. On the first side, a bar will be inserted into it, and the second side will fit snugly against another type of coating.

The only difference is that it itself will be located not horizontally, but vertically. There will be no more differences in installation or anything else.

Dimensions

If the usual foam or polyurethane fillets are 2 meters in size, then the dimensions of the PVC baseboard are slightly different. its standard length is 3 meters. This must be taken into account when calculating the number of required parts.

Its width is rarely large. Therefore, using such elements in rooms with high ceilings is not a good idea. Ideal for use in a bathroom or kitchen.

What to mount

As a rule, PVC skirting boards are fastened with screws, self-tapping screws or nails. It depends on whether it is possible to hammer a nail into the wall on which the product will be mounted. But, even in this case, screws that are screwed into pre-installed dowels are more convenient.

It is optimal to fix such products to the bearing profile or to the ceiling lathing.

But the fastening method differs not only by the fasteners themselves, but also by the way where these fasteners will be screwed.

If the walls are flat enough, then you can screw the PVC ceiling skirting board directly to the walls, into the pre-hammered dowels. Or nail it down.

But the walls, as a rule, are not ideal, therefore it is better to mount the product to the crate or to the bearing profile. To do this, you need self-tapping screws with a wide enough head.

When mounted to a supporting profile, the screw is screwed into the fastening groove, and after mounting the panel will not be visible.

After this installation, small gaps may remain between the wall and the part. They are lubricated with a sealant or putty, depending on the room in which such a fillet is used.

Another way of installation is to simply fix it by “sliding” the fastening groove onto the edges of the panels. After installation, you can grease the resulting cracks with a conventional sealant. In this case, for reliability, you can stick it to the wall with the same sealant.

Before installing the plastic skirting board, it is a good idea to calculate the number of screws or screws you will need. For such calculations, there is a standard rule: for every 50 centimeters, you need to tighten one screw. Based on the length of the part, the required amount of fasteners is calculated.

What to cut

The choice of how to cut PVC skirting board is not great. You can use a very sharp clerical knife, but a metal hacksaw is best. Using a hacksaw with fine teeth will allow you to more accurately cut off the plastic ceiling plinth and the cut will be smoother. In addition, there will be no danger of injury when cutting off. With a knife. easily.

Some manage to cut them with ordinary scissors. You can, of course, try, although as a result the cut will turn out to be uneven, no matter how hard you try.

For smooth sawing, it will not be superfluous to have a miter box on hand. Its use will facilitate sawing at different angles, and the accuracy of the cut.

What is a plastic ceiling plinth and when is it used?

It would seem, why, with an abundance of various types of decor made of polyurethane and polystyrene, also use a plastic baseboard? However, there was also a place for such a decor.

Its main area of ​​application is the design of plastic ceilings. This is what it is intended for in the first place. Such ceilings are very popular when decorating rooms with high humidity. But when assembling them, either a small gap between the wall and the ceiling covering, or just a not too neat joint, inevitably remains. This is where you need a plastic fillet. This element will hide all defects, and in some cases can serve as a fastener.

Features:

This type of decor has its own inherent only to them, advantages, disadvantages and features of use.

The disadvantages are as follows:

• During installation, all the unevenness of the walls will become visible, due to the fact that, unlike other types of similar decor, this one is very difficult to bend
• The width of such decorative elements is very small. For example, foam. much wider
• The process of installing the ceiling, using only these parts to fix it, will be quite complicated. the last part is very difficult to fit into place. This does not apply to split types of fillets.

But, there are advantages over the usual types of such decor:

• Easy to clean plastic
• Unlike Styrofoam, it does not turn yellow over time
• With a plastic ceiling, it will form a more complete picture than other types of finishes
• It cannot be repainted

The rest of the features are not that important. Unless they are installed mainly on screws, screws or nails. The glue may not hold.