Coving Joints and How To Do Them Without Tears

[Stuart]

I am putting 100mm plaster coving around my bathroom ceiling .I have just done one seperate section that consisted of 3 straight short lengths with two straight ends and two internal corners and that was bad enough .The main section still to be done is about 8 Metres with 7 internal corners and 3 external .

I am looking for tips as to how to do this with the minimum of trouble .I was using a small plastic device called a Wonder Mitre .I got it years ago but I see Axminster have it here

one I have is plastic and tends to spread when you put any pressure on it and if you don't it slips off position . Looking at the Axminster one it looks like it might be metal so it could be more practical ..I'd prefer to make a half decent job so minimisiing the use of filler although I may be optimistic in saying that .

Any advice will be appreciated . thx Stuart

[VisionSet]

Smooth, easy, long, piston like strokes in a single cutting plane. No excessive pressure on box required. Decent sharp saw preferable! Watch where your elbow goes as you draw it back by your hip - get your hip out of the way! Get the action right on numerous scraps before the real cut. Hand held sawing takes a while to get the knack of, until then mitres will always be a bodge. I can now do them free hand with the odd pencil mark. It's all in the action!

-- Mike W

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

> The one I have is plastic and tends to spread when you put any

Buy the corners looks much better and give an expensive look to it. ;-)

I got mine from a local builders yard the corners fit over the ceiling coving,you just have to cut the coving straight and the ends slot into the corners.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Something like this.

[Stuart]

meaning .One on these two pages perhaps .?

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Most odd? it takes me to a corner coving.

Put 113011 in the search, as that is the code number for it.

[Stuart]

Saw them but they would look totally out of place in a bathroom . I'll try this mitre box .

[.]

makes perfect, once you get your head round it, it's a doddle.

[lairdy]

Strewth - what shape is your bathroom ?

I had one wrestling match with plaster coving and uneven walls, and that was enough. It's rumoured to be not too bad if your walls and ceilings are true, and you have a decent mitre saw, otherwise I'd go for the paper-coated expanded polystyrene variety.

[NoSpam]

Get a cheap mitre saw - I bought one for about £10 from a market vendor. Use support pins. Score the wall and paint with dilute PVA. Use sloping joints if you need to join lengths during a run - one inside corner and one outside corner. Dave

[Stuart]

The bathrom is that shape because (a) there is a waste pipe that runs vertically the length of the building(flats) and that is boxed in so that accounts for 2 internal and 2 external corners and apart from the usual 4 internal corners ( 2 at each end) there is another part that extends out from one wall so that creats another internal and external corner .. The room is long and narrow . I've already bought the plaster coving so that is what I'll be using .I think it looks better anyway .

Stuart

[Stuart]

>

I will be using pins while the adhesive sets but "Sloping Joints ?" What are they .?

Stuart

[shaun]

100mm mitre box from B&Q?

[Guy King]

The message from "shaun" contains these words:

Make your own mitre box from scrap?

[NoSpam]

>>>>> The one I have is plastic and tends to spread when you put any pressure on it

A vertical joint is very obvious where two pieces have to join on a run; if you cut one as an internal mitre and the other as an external mitre they fit together and it's easier to get an invisible joint. Think carefully about the cuts before committing hand to saw to coving!

Dave

[The Medway Handyman]

I find it hard to get my head around those angles. This was very helpful;

use a £15 B&Q mitre saw bit like this;

[The Wanderer]

I was watching a pro do some a few years back and he was using 'mason's corners' for the internal angles - much like the way skirting is put on, where one piece is applied straight into the corner, and the other is profiled to fit up against. Not recommending that you should try it, just commenting that it was how the pro put the stuff up.

[NoSpam]

A while ago I had to "tee" some 5" coving into an existing run; I was dreading the job but it actually wasn't too bad - although lots of trial and error needed.

Dave

[shaun]

Aye - as long as you can get the angles correct for the mitre slots...

[Stuart]

"Take care that you are cutting the angle in the right direction, it's very easy to get confused. "

They are dead right about that last bit ..lol

Stuart