Methods for cutting the ceiling plinth for joining in the inner and outer corners using a miter box, template or by marking the wall. Tool selection rules and useful tips. One of the most difficult steps in installing skirting boards is cutting them correctly. Only by correctly joining the individual elements at the outer and inner corners will you get the desired result. Fillets will look aesthetically pleasing and neat if you cut them off at the right angle and seal the cracks. To accomplish this task, a special tool (miter box) is used. And if it is not, then other devices will help.
Selection of tools for cutting ceiling skirting boards
To properly and accurately cut the skirting board, you need to use a suitable cutting tool. It is chosen depending on the material from which the fillets are made:
- Styrofoam … It is characterized by low strength and is relatively inexpensive, and therefore foam models are becoming more and more popular. Their strength does not particularly affect the performance, since usually the ceiling plinth is not subjected to mechanical stress. A regular stationery knife is suitable for cutting.
- Extruded polystyrene foam … A cheap material with a density several times higher than that of foam. Because of this, cutting it is a little more difficult, and therefore a sharp and thin knife is used for this purpose.
- Wood … Such skirting boards are more difficult to process, although they have many advantages (environmental friendliness, durability). They are more expensive, especially if they are made of hardwood. Before cutting a wood skirting board, stock up on a hacksaw.
In addition to the tool for direct cutting of the baguette, you will need a miter box. This is a special device made of wood, plastic or metal in the form of a box with notches on the sides. A hacksaw or knife can be inserted into it at the desired angle. Thus, the cutting angle is as accurate as possible.
It can be purchased at a hardware store or made by hand according to the following instructions:
- We knock three boards 50 * 15 cm with a long edge in the shape of a three-sided, rectangular box. Please note that an angle of 90 degrees must be observed between the side rails and the transverse plank.
- Using a protractor, mark an angle of 45 degrees on the bars. Instead of a protractor, you can use a school square. In it, one angle is 90 degrees, and the other two are 45 degrees each.
- Before cutting the corners, mark the vertical direction with a simple pencil.
To work with this home-made device was convenient and safe, the boards must be well sanded before bonding.
Cutting technology for ceiling plinths
For a prompt and high-quality work, you need to choose a tool in accordance with the material of the baseboard and choose a cutting method. If you have a miter box, then there will be no particular difficulties in the process. If it is not there, then two options are possible: cut according to a template and measurements on the ceiling, or make this tool yourself.
Features of cutting ceiling plinths in a miter box
It is necessary to work with this device extremely carefully so as not to blunt the tool and not leave cuts in unnecessary places. In the process, we adhere to the following instructions:
- We fix the baguette in the miter box in the same way as it is planned to place it on the wall. The side that will be pressed against the ceiling on the miter box must be in contact with the sidewall.
- We insert a cutting tool (hacksaw or knife) into the desired gap and cut the fillet.
- We process the joint of the ceiling plinth and apply it to the wall to check the correctness. The foam molding can be tweaked with a sharp knife if the roughness of the end is about 2 mm. Wooden skirting boards can be simply sanded with sandpaper. For ease of use, it can be glued to a wooden block.
When cutting and trimming polystyrene and polyurethane products, remember that these materials crumble and squeeze, therefore the tools must be sharp enough, and strong mechanical stress on them is undesirable.
Technique for cutting ceiling plinths according to a template
This method can be used if your corners are even and you want to trim the baguette exactly 45 degrees. To do this, before cutting the ceiling plinth in the corners, you need to draw a miter box on thick paper. Draw two parallel lines and mark the angles at the desired degrees using a protractor.
We place the fillet in this case in the same way as on a traditional miter box. Please note that you need to cut the skirting board while holding the tool in a strictly vertical position.
Rules for cutting ceiling plinths by marking
This method is used for cutting skirting boards in cases where there is neither a miter box nor parts from which it can be made.
To do this, you need to make markings on the wall in this order:
- We put the baguette in the corner to the place of fastening.
- Along its one edge, draw a baseline on the ceiling for the level of attachment.
- We apply the fillet in the same way to the perpendicularly drawn line on the ceiling and again draw a straight line along one side. We should have two segments that intersect at one point.
- We again apply two skirting boards in turn and mark this point on them.
- We repeat the same procedure now on the wall to mark the place of cutting from below on the products.
- We connect two points with a line. It can run at an angle of 38-45 degrees, as walls and corners in living rooms are often uneven.
- Cut off the baguette along the drawn line.
When cutting in this manner, it is important to accurately trace all lines and mark points. An error of even a few millimeters will cause a gap to form. This method is suitable for cutting and joining both the inner and outer corners of the ceiling plinth.
Method for cutting a ceiling plinth without a miter box
To neatly dock fillets in the inner corners, you can do without a miter box.
We carry out the work in the following order:
- We apply the end part of the baguette to the sheet of paper and outline the contour of the convex side. It is more convenient to use a small piece of plinth (if any).
- Cut out the resulting template.
- We transfer the contour to the surface of the baguette with a simple pencil.
- Cut along the drawn curve.
- For fitting, one plinth is applied tightly with the end part to the wall, and then the second.
- If there are small gaps, then they can be processed with a clerical knife or subsequently sealed with a sealant.
Tips for cutting ceiling plinths
When working with a miter box, you need to consider two points:
- The inner corner of the ceiling plinth is formed from two elements: the first one we put on the right in the miter box and cut from right to left, the second we start from the left and cut from left to right.
- We start the first part of the outer corner from the left and cut from right to left, the second we start from the right and cut from left to right.
In addition, you need to know the following nuances before cutting the skirting board:
- Before you start cutting a baguette with a miter box, try cutting a test strip to avoid mistakes.
- You can correctly make measurements by measuring the length of the inner corners of the plank on the inner side, and the outer ones from the point of the inner corner to the width of the fillet deep into the room.
- If the baguette is installed under a stretch ceiling, then it should be attached only to the wall. The adhesive should never get onto the vinyl sheet.
- The final fixing of the skirting board should be carried out only after the exact fit of the plank.
- If the corners and walls in the room are even, then the fitting can be done on the floor.
- When installing baguettes, it may be necessary to adjust them several times, therefore, stock up on tools and patience.
- Instead of a template and a miter box, you can cut in the corner between the wall and the floor, or by moving the table against the wall. In this case, the end cutting angle should be marked on the wall, ceiling and baguette.
- If you are interested in the question of how to cut a ceiling plinth without a miter box, and you do not have time to use templates, then you can purchase special corner inserts in advance. They will hide the gaps, but will protrude and stand out on the surface.
- If you have a skirting board made of precious wood, then you need to cut and install it very carefully, since a large amount of putty for sealing the joints will be too noticeable, and painting over the baguette is an inappropriate decision, because this way you will hide the natural texture of the solid wood.
- Styrofoam products do not have to fit close to each other due to the soft texture, but wooden and plastic models should be well matched.
- If the trapezoidal niches on the wall need to be bypassed from above with a plinth, then we join the piers at an angle other than a straight line. In this case, cut the plinth at an angle equal to half the joint. For example, if the walls are joined at an angle of 120 degrees, then we cut the fillet at an angle of 60 degrees.
How to cut a ceiling plinth - watch the video:
We got acquainted with the question of how to cut the corners of the ceiling plinth with a miter box, using a template or using the marking method. Of course, you can try cropping by eye, but then the result will be appropriate. By adhering to the instructions we have proposed, you will quickly and correctly cut the fillet at the desired angle.
