How To Properly Cut The Inner Corner Of The Ceiling Plinth

How to properly cut the inner corner of the ceiling plinth Ceilings Ceiling plinth performs not only a decorative function, visually separating the walls from the ceiling, but can also hide the joints of various finishing materials of the ceiling and walls.

How to cut a corner of a ceiling plinth using a miter box

The miter box is a simple carpentry tool that allows you to cut the workpiece at the desired angle. Most often it is a tray made of plastic, wood or metal with vertical slots for cutting at an angle of 90 and 45. There are also more complex designs of a miter box for cutting at angles of 90, 60 and 45 degrees. For more professional work, a miter box with a rotary mechanism is used, where the hacksaw can be fixed at any angle to the workpiece.

How to cut a ceiling plinth with a miter box:

  • We apply the plinth to the ceiling, measure the required length.
  • Then we install the plinth plinth in the miter box so that the position coincides with the position of the plinth on the ceiling.
  • The plinth strip should be pressed against the far wall of the miter box.
  • We hold the plinth with your left hand.
  • We choose such a position of the hacksaw when the angle is 45 degrees and at the same time the handle of the hacksaw is as close as possible to the left hand.
  • We cut the workpiece without making excessive pressure on the saw.
  • The next step is to trim the plinth striker. We also install it to the far wall of the miter box.
  • Press and hold with your right hand.
  • We choose a position for the hacksaw when the angle is 45 degrees and the handle of the hacksaw approaches the right hand.
  • Cut off the skirting board.

Next, we join the trimmed plinths and check the cutting accuracy. For a more accurate orientation, they also say that to complete the inner corner, you must start cutting from the front of the skirting board. Wooden skirting boards will most likely need to be filed after trimming.

How to cut a ceiling plinth with a miter box outside corner:

  • In order not to be mistaken with the dimensions, it is better to start by marking the inner corner, and then cut out the outer corner. Otherwise, a situation is possible when the planks may not be enough in length.
  • It is necessary to attach the plank to the ceiling and outline the dimensions.
  • Install the plinth strip and press it against the nearest wall.
  • Hold it with your left hand and choose a position for the hacksaw at an angle of 45 degrees, when the handle approaches the left hand.
  • We cut off the workpiece.
  • Install the striker to the nearest wall, hold it with your right hand.
  • We set the hacksaw at a 45 degree angle when the handle approaches the right hand.
  • Cut off the workpiece and join the corner.

Trimming the workpiece with a miter box is only suitable if the angle between the walls is even 90 degrees. If the accuracy is poor, you will have to use other methods.

How to trim a ceiling plinth using a miter box template

Something resembling a miter box can be done by applying the required cut angles to paper, cardboard or wood. Draw two parallel mowing lines, locate the center, and then set the required angles using a protractor. The advantage of this method is that you can postpone any angle, including more than 90 degrees. Of course, before cutting the corners of the ceiling plinth, you must first check the angle between the walls with a corner and measure it with a protractor.

The technique for cutting a ceiling plinth using a painted miter box is exactly the same as using the miter box itself. We press the plinth plank to one of the parallel lines, then set the hacksaw at the desired angle, which is already outlined, and cut it off.

How to trim the corner of a ceiling plinth using ceiling markings

Marking the skirting board on the ceiling also allows you to cut the corner straight and precisely. The only drawback of this method is that it is difficult and inconvenient to keep the plinth strip suspended during the cutting process. Otherwise, you can mark the angle for cutting in this way even more accurately than in other ways. Applying the plinth to the installation site, all wall flaws and deviations in the angle size are immediately taken into account.

Cutting the corner of the skirting board:

  • The first step is to cut two workpieces at a 90 degree angle.
  • Then we first apply one plank, resting its end against the perpendicular wall. We draw a line on the ceiling, outlining the contour of the plinth.
  • We remove this bar and apply a striker, also pushing its end against the wall. We outline the line.
  • The intersection point of the marked lines will be the mark at which the skirting board needs to be cut.
  • Again, we apply each bar in turn and mark the cutting point on them.
  • We draw the line from this point to the other edge of the plinth.

We cut off the skirting boards along the outlined lines, join them and apply them to the installation site. Please note that this method is easier to cut inside corners.

Ceilings

The ceiling plinth performs not only a decorative function, visually separating the walls from the ceiling, but can also hide the joints of various finishing materials of the ceiling and walls. Not every interior design involves the use of a skirting board, but more often than not, the overall appearance of the room seems incomplete without it. There is nothing difficult in attaching this fillet element, almost all types of skirting boards are attached with glue. But the question of how to properly cut the ceiling plinth in the corners of the premises can confuse many. Indeed, even in the simplest room there are internal corners, where the plinths of the ceiling plinth must be precisely and beautifully docked. And in a more complex configuration of the room, you will also have to dock the skirting boards, performing the outer corner. In this article, we will look at various options for how to cut a ceiling plinth with and without tools at hand.

First, you need to figure out how to cut the ceiling plinth, the answer to it depends on the material from which the fillet is made. At the moment, we sell ceiling skirting boards made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), expanded polystyrene (foam), polyurethane and wood.

PVC ceiling skirting boards are the cheapest. They are easily dents and creases that cannot be repaired, so the product must be thrown away. Also their disadvantage is electrostaticity, the ability to attract dust. You can cut them with a sharp construction knife or a hacksaw.

Styrofoam ceiling skirting boards are also cheap. This material is very fragile, it crumbles easily during processing, therefore, it is necessary to cut the expanded polystyrene with a sharp knife or a hacksaw on metal, without making too strong pressing forces.

Ceiling skirting boards made of extruded polystyrene foam are slightly more expensive than polystyrene foam, they are denser and more difficult to cut. However, they crumble less, making them easier and more comfortable to work with. They are cut with a construction knife and a hacksaw for metal.

Polyurethane ceiling skirting boards are the most expensive at the moment. They are durable, elastic and moisture resistant, easily cut with a construction knife and do not crumble. The disadvantage of polyurethane skirting boards is their dependence on temperature changes. For example, over a gas stove, a polyurethane skirting board will permanently deform and begin to crackle slightly. If you try to process or cut such a plinth, it may bend or deform in other ways.

Wooden ceiling skirting boards are dense, heavy pieces that can only be cut with a hacksaw, preferably with fine, dense teeth. You can also use a cloth for metal.

Before proceeding to the enumeration of the ways of how to properly cut the ceiling plinth, I would like to note that there is a possibility not to cut the plinth with great precision. Available for sale special corner pieces, into which the edges of the skirting board are inserted. In this case, it is enough to cut the plinth strip at an angle of 90, and the corner element will hide all the flaws. But this method is not always used, since the dimensions of the corner elements are slightly larger than the skirting boards themselves, therefore the corners in the room will stand out against the general background. Sometimes it can look bulky. However, if the design of the room allows the use of corner pieces for ceiling skirting boards, it makes sense to use them. Further instructions will come in handy for those who nevertheless decided to accurately cut the skirting boards at a given angle.

DIY impromptu miter box

Making a miter box with your own hands is also not difficult.

Method 1. You will need three wooden planks or boards, which must be put together in a U-shaped box. Then the required angles are marked on the walls of the box, and a cut is made with a hacksaw. As a result, you should get a wooden miter box in which grooves are cut.

Method 2. A combination of an impromptu miter box and a template with marked lines. For the convenience of cutting, it is necessary to build something in which it will be convenient to hold the plinth strip, since it is difficult to keep it suspended. It is enough to put together a corner from two wooden planks or boards. On paper, you need to draw a mowing line with angles for cutting at 45 degrees or at any other. Then we apply the baseboard blank to the corner, press it with our hand, as described in the technology for using the miter box, move the piece of paper with the template under the edge where we are going to cut it, and cut it off. In the process of cutting, we focus on the line drawn on the paper.

Method 3. As an impromptu miter box, you can use anything, anything. That we form an angle. For example, a table pushed against a wall.

It is not necessary to fix the plinths of the ceiling plinths before you cut the striker and try on their location. Only after the two strikers are perfectly aligned in the corner, you can start attaching them to the ceiling. Minor flaws can be finished with a file or a nail file in the case of wooden and polyurethane skirting boards. To fit the foam products, you will have to wield a sharp knife.

If suddenly, even after adjusting the skirting boards, a small gap remains between them, do not despair, it can be repaired with putty. Cutting the ceiling plinth yourself is not difficult. But in order not to spoil many products, it is better to pre-practice on small blanks.

How to cut an inner corner on a skirting board

To cut a corner on the fillet, you must attach it to the required corner and take a measurement. Then the plinth is placed in the lower part (on which the glue is applied) on the miter box, and its upper part must be completely pressed against the wall of the tray. In order to cut the skirting board, you must use either a metal saw or a sharp construction knife.

It is very important that there is no pressure on the building material during cutting, as it may break. The same manipulation is done with the second plinth, after which both fillets are glued to the intended place, and the angle is corrected with a knife and plaster.

How to cut corners on a skirting board

Usually, in order to cut the outer or inner corner of the fillet, the following building accessories are used:

  1. Miter box;
  2. A saw for metal or a construction knife.

The miter box is a kind of tray in which there are slots at the required angle. Typically, for plastic skirting, slots are used at an angle of 45 or 90.

How to properly cut a corner on a ceiling plinth

Anyone who is independently engaged in the repair of their home, sooner or later may face the problem of how to properly cut a corner on the ceiling plinth. Thanks to the use of this technique, the interior of the room takes on a beautiful and finished look.

Ceiling plinth or fillet comes from:

  • Expanded polystyrene;
  • Polyurethane;
  • Polyvinyl chloride;
  • Wood.
How To Properly Cut The Inner Corner Of The Ceiling Plinth

The highest quality is considered to be a polyurethane fillet. It is moisture resistant, durable and elastic. However, its disadvantage is temperature drops. After a polyurethane skirting board, the second best quality is polystyrene foam, but when acting on them mechanically act with caution, as they can easily break.

The most economical option is considered to be a polyvinyl chloride baseboard. However, they are electrostatic and cannot be repaired for defects that may arise during operation or transportation.

Designers advise using a narrow fillet for low ceilings, and wide for high ones.

Alternatively, when using a ceiling plinth, you can separately purchase corners that will be located in the corners of the room. However, very often the designer’s intention involves gluing the skirting board without using special fittings. In this case, two skirting boards are joined, cutting corners into them.

However, the real problem for a beginner, and sometimes even for an experienced builder, can be the process of cutting out a ceiling corner. Indeed, if inaccuracies were made in the work, then the two fillets may not dock.

How to cut an outside corner on a skirting board

In order to cut the outer corner, the fillet must be placed with the lower part, which will be glued, to the bottom of the miter box, and the upper part must be pressed tightly against the wall of the tray. For cutting, it is also necessary to use the 45 degree slot, but in a different direction.

Here are some tips to help you easily cut the fillet corners correctly.

How to cut ceiling plinth in corners

The quality of the ceiling finish greatly affects the appearance of the room. Therefore, they try to do everything perfectly, or very close to it. The finishing touch to the design is the ceiling plinth. They give the finish a complete and holistic look. The strips themselves are mounted on flat surfaces simply: on special white glue, but problems arise with the design of the corners. Without knowing how to make the corner of the skirting board correctly, a lot of material is spoiled. We will tell you about how and what to cut it in the corners.

Using a miter box

If the corners and walls in the room are even, you can use a special miter box carpentry tool. This is a groove in the form of an inverted letter P, in which the mowing line is outlined for cutting at an angle of 90 and 45. The part in which you want to cut is laid inside, the saw is inserted into the guides. The part is held in place, cut at the desired angle.

This is what the miter box looks like. Can be plastic, wood or metal

In the case of skirting boards, not everything is so simple: they must simultaneously adhere to two surfaces, therefore they need to be pressed against one or the other wall of the miter box. When working with ceilings, they are pressed against the side closest to you.

The sequence of actions when finishing the outer corner, you need to make a gash at an angle of 45 degrees. Place the miter box in front of you. Trying on how the plinth will be located, determining which part of it will be attached to the ceiling. In order not to get confused and cut off the ceiling plinth correctly, put the strip that will be located on the right on the right, the one on the left on the left.

How to cut a corner on a ceiling plinth: install it correctly in a miter box

Press the part that is on the ceiling to the bottom of the miter box. The other side is closer to you and raised. Lean it on the wall of the device so that it does not stagger when cutting. That is, the front of the skirting board turns out to be turned away from you. Make the cutting direction as shown below. By folding the two cut pieces together, you get a projecting outer or outer corner.

How to make the outer corner of a skirting board using a chair

First put the cut off parts in place on a dry one, without applying glue. If the geometry of the corner is not so perfect, you can tweak it a little with a knife. It is easier to cover small errors with a special putty.

The situation is very similar with the inner corner of the skirting board. First, you try on which side will be on the ceiling, press this part to the bottom of the miter box, lean the second part on the wall closest to you and make cuts as shown below.

How to make an inner corner of a ceiling plinth using a miter box

And again, first try on without applying glue, if necessary, slightly adjust. Then apply a thin bead of glue to both surfaces that will adhere to the wall or ceiling.

Your own version of how to use the miter box correctly is shown in.

With decorative corners

There is one more, simpler way. For skirting boards made of polyurethane or polystyrene, use ready-made, factory decorative corners. They are installed in a corner, strips are glued to them closely. It is very easy to cut them if necessary: ​​by a few millimeters with an ordinary clerical knife.

Examples of finished fillet corners

How to get the correct angle

Most of the problems when working with skirting boards arise in the design of corners. Since the surface of the products is complex, it will not be possible to simply cut off at the desired angle: it is also necessary to cut so that they dock and preferably without large gaps. There are actually several ways to make the corner of your skirting board perfect (or almost).

What and how to cut

Working with skirting boards made from different materials means using different cutting tools. When working with a wooden skirting board, it is more convenient to work with a saw on wood. All others, including plastic ones, made of polystyrene and other polymers, are better cut with a blade for metal. The result is a smoother cut, less burr. Saws are usually used when working with a miter box.

Corner design looks attractive

When working with polystyrene skirting boards, they cut them with a good stationery knife without special devices. Its blade is quite thin and even, the cut is smooth, not wrinkled. If you work with a saw with polyurethane or polystyrene, do not press hard: you can wrinkle.

In general, in order to get used to the tool and material a little, take a piece and practice on it: cut, saw, trim. So there will be fewer problems when working.

What is it made of and what is it called

The very first skirting boards on the ceiling were made of plaster. They were cast in special molds and then installed on the ceiling with mortar. Such figured decorations were called fillets. Today you can rarely see them: they are expensive, and outwardly they are almost indistinguishable from the cheaper options. And the name is almost lost.

The most popular ceiling skirting boards are made of polyurethane or polystyrene. They are inexpensive, look great, easy to install, have a wide range of profiles and patterns. The width can be from 5 mm to 250 mm. They are used in almost any room, decorated in any style. An exception is wooden houses with a suitable interior. Wood products are most often used here; the style dictates its own terms.

There is also a similar plastic finish. It is mainly installed in bathrooms. But even in damp rooms, you can safely mount polyurethane strips, they are not afraid of dampness.

You need to cut the ceiling plinth in the corners of any material in one of the ways described below. The only exception is plastic skirting boards: you can arrange such a corner only using ready-made corners.

Inner corner

  • We make the correct measurements.
  • We install the plinth strip in the miter box so that this position exactly coincides with the placement on the ceiling.
  • The plinth should be firmly pressed against the opposite wall of the miter box. Hold and press with your free hand.
  • We put a hacksaw at an angle of 45 in a special hole and cut off the part.
  • The adjacent part must be cut in the same way, only in a mirror image, as shown in.

The first way with a miter box

The miter box usually looks like a tray with vertical holes for a hacksaw. It can be made of wood, metal or plastic. This tool represents the oldest and simplest carpenter’s tool, designed for cutting wooden parts at an angle of 90 and 45. There are types of such a device for professional work, with a swivel mechanism, in which the cutting tool can be rotated and fixed in any position.

How to cut a ceiling plinth correctly

Ceiling corners are divided into internal and external, the method of joining them is slightly different.

Outside corner

  • Measure the length of the plinth from the nearest wall to the outer corner, leave the fishing line on the wrong side with a pencil, indicating the desired length. It should be noted that the edge (its upper part) should protrude slightly outward.
  • The plinth is moved to the miter box and cut off.
  • The adjacent strip must also be measured with a margin and cut off in a mirror image to the first part.

Trying on the ceiling plinth: the joining of the parts should be perfectly even. If the result is not achieved and there are irregularities at the joints, you can trim the edges with an ordinary knife to a perfect fit.

Checking the smooth docking

All the nuances are well described:

Method two without additional tools

For the inner corner, you can use the simplest way of perfect joining by marking on the ceiling. Another example of how to cut a corner nice and even.

  1. A fillet is applied to the ceiling, tightly pressing its even edge into a corner.
  2. Draw a line along the long side of the baseboard on the ceiling.
  1. The same action is done with the adjacent part on the other side.
  1. Mark the point of intersection of the lines.

The end result is an even 45 ° angle if you draw the line from the point of intersection to the edge of the part. Note that the above marking method works only with perfectly flat corners.

How to cut the corner of a ceiling plinth straight

A beautiful and neat edging of the ceiling hides the joints between the coatings and is an additional element of the room’s decor. But in order for the ceiling plinth to look really beautiful, you need to be able to properly join its corner joints.
How to cut the corners of the ceiling plinth evenly can be found in our article.
Related article: how to properly glue the ceiling plinth with glue and putty.

Other methods

With a good eye and accuracy of hand action, you can use a homemade template that resembles an imitation of a miter box. To do this, take a thin board or thick plywood and draw a layout in the form of a horizontal rectangle. Using a protractor, mark 45 on the right and left sides of the rectangle. Draw mowing lines connecting opposite edges. You can now cut the ceiling plinth using this layout. The actions are simple and similar to the description above in the first option. Only the ceiling parts should not be inserted, but superimposed on the drawing and combined with the hacksaw layout of the layout.

Special accessories for docking