Recommendations/thoughts on coving size?

[Mathew Newton]

We are planning on putting some coving up in our lounge, and possibly hall, primarily for aesthetic reasons but also as a convenient means to run some cabling (Ethernet, TV, surround speakers, and some switched lighting sockets in parts).

It seems that most plain coving styles are available in 100mm and

127mm. We bought a piece in both sizes and offered them up and immediately opted for the 100mm size but I can't help feeling this may have been a bit of knee-jerk reaction to the larger 127mm looking bigger than it really is.

The lounge, in this 2007 'new build', has dimensions 4.6m x 4.2m x

2.5m so not the smallest of rooms but certainly not the biggest either, and not a Victorian ceiling by any stretch.

Any recommendations? I appreciate it may be down to personal taste but I don't want to make the 'wrong' decision that I'll later regret so I'm hoping someone in the know will say something like '127mm is the standard, and you'd only usually use 100mm in a small flat'...

Mathew

[David Robinson]

Mains is supposed to be kept 50mm away from other (e.g. comms) according to the on-site guide (so that a single misplaced nail can't connect mains to something else in a fairly disastrous way IIRC).

And yes, in practice, running all that stuff in parallel over many metres _could_ cause a problem with interference. Speaker cable won't be screened.

On the subject of size, we chose the smaller because we thought it looked more stylish, less cumbersome. 3.5 * 3.5 * 2.4 room. We also chose the polystyrene rather than plaster because it's so easier to put up (lighter, no nails) - but that probably won't apply with all those cables resting on it, unless you've already dug them in and fixed them there.

All the things you mention sound like they should be going under the floor or around the skirting is possible, rather than at ceiling height, but I assume you know your own house and needs better than I do!

Cheers, David.

[TheScullster]

"Mathew Newton" wrote

Hi Mathew

On the subject of coving size, our dining room is only 3.8 x 3.4m x 2.33m and this will just about take the 127mm cove. We like coving but have opted for the smaller 100mm profile in the hallway, this being 1.4m x 3.1m x 2.33m.

As you say this is all very subjective, but consider the other posters' comments on cable segragation before proceeding to avoid abortive work.

HTH

Phil

[John Rumm]

I would have said the 100mm was more common. It seems to suit lower ceilings better IME. In my previous place with 8' ish or under ceilings the 100mm seemed right. In this one with its 10'+ ceilings the 127mm seems more in scale (although a more elaborate Victorian cove would be even more in keeping here!)

[js.b1]

MK for one do coving with at least 2 compartments, I suspect similar could be arrange with most coving styles.

There is a 150mm horizontal ceiling zone, cabling grouping applies, segregation and perhaps not obviously polystyrene coving and PVC (or LSOH) cabling do not mix whereas polyurethane or plaster coving is fine (does not leach plasticisers from the cable sheath).

[Tim Watts]

I've got 100mm in all rooms (that have coving) - it looks "fine" (as opposed to lumpy) but is is OK for 2.4m high rooms of any size. Some may find a larger coving more appealing, but it's OK IMO.

[Mathew Newton]

Thanks everyone for the comments - they've been very useful.

I had considered the cable grouping issue, and was planning on strategic tacking of the cables to the wall/ceiling so as to maintain seperation between mains and LV. Subject to further measurements of the coving rear profile I think I can make the seperation 50mm.

I have considered other options for routing but coving seems the only viable solution so far without some serious invasive work. The walls are block with dob-and-dab plasterboard and there's a doorway, french doors and a fireplace, within the perimeter. Surface mount cabling, with the coving for cover, seemed to me to be the best way of doing it?

The coving I intend to use will be either Surecove's polyurethane offering or Gyproc Lite which, whilst being polystyrene I think, is paper covered.

I shalln't be leaving the drawing board before I'm certain my plan is good and proper so any further comments/suggestions would be most appreciated.

Looking at the coving in B&Q today - 4 or 5 different makes - it seems that even with the typical 100mm/127mm offerings they still vary somewhat in overall size/appearance so I'm still undecided which size (if any) to go for!

Mathew

[Mathew Newton]

I forgot to mention that the floor is solid, however I've not looked inside the ceiling yet although I'm pretty sure the joists run perpendicular to the best way to the other side of the room. The upstairs floor, being a newish build (2007), is probably chipboard sheets glued down just for extra difficulty.

Mathew

[Peter Johnson]

20+ years ago the builder of my house put in 127mm coving tin the living and dining rooms, the former 18ft long. The builder who extended the dining room to 22ft for me recently put in 100mm coving. I'm not sure that I would have noticed had I not spent three years selling coving, amongst other things, a few years ago. Even having both rooms in view it's difficult to tell. I doubt that any visitors would notice.

[GMM]

No use for running many cables behind, but I have done a couple of rooms in a 1960's (ie low ceilings) house using the 65mm Duroplymer coving from Wickes and would definitely recommend it - easy to cut with a fine blade, light enough to stick up easily and, being smaller than usual, covers the wall/ceiling gap with intruding on the room (16 x 12 and 10 x 12 in old money).

Just my tuppence worth....

[Mathew Newton]

That's reassuring to hear, thanks!

I think I may be leaning more towards the 100mm as having measured properly the ceiling height is actually 2.4m so we're really not talking that tall and I can't imagine it looking too small but, if anything might too large could be a potential.

I may end up dropping the running of lighting cable, and stick to TV, Ethernet and speaker. The last thing I want to do is a bodge, and certainly not something that approaches being dangerous and/or non- compliant.

The problem we have is that it was something of a small luxury to be able to switch (and dim) the table lamps in our last lounge from the doorway (and one place more importantly) - a real convenience that we used every day. I'm sure we could live without it here, but if I can find a way I'd like the functionality back...

Mathew

[Owain]

Wireless switches. GET Smart does dimming. I know it's not cheap, but you can take it with you if you move (or just want to move the lamps around).

[Mathew Newton]

Yeah I'd considered that approach and have recently been playing with some of Home Easy's kit following a fire-sale at B&Q. We've now got some on/off remote sockets in the conservatory which we can control from within the lounge to good effect. However dimming on these particular models is a bit clunky when you've got more than one socket to control as whilst they can be controlled as a group their dimmer cycling method can easily get out of sync leading to differences in levels betweens lamps.

All of your comments have been a welcome reality check and having resigned myself to dropping the switched lighting idea and just running data/LV behind the coving I think there may still be some opportunity to still have some switched 5A sockets wired within the walls subject to the dot-and-dab locations at socket height.

Thanks all,

Mathew