How to glue a ceiling plinth: step by step instructions

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

You will need a minimum of tools and literally a couple of hours of time.

1. Understand the basics

Ceiling plinth, molding, fillet, cornice - all these are different names for a decorative element that is installed at the junction of the walls and ceiling around the perimeter of the room. It gives the design of the room a finished look and allows you to hide flaws in the junction of two surfaces.

What are

Skirting boards are made of polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, polyurethane, as well as gypsum and wood. The most common ones are from expanded polystyrene. They are quite durable, lightweight, cute and have an affordable price. The budget option is more fragile foam baguettes.

Polyurethane curtain rods are very strong due to their high density, but for this reason they are rather heavy and, moreover, expensive. Plaster and wooden skirting boards are made to order - a rarity.

How to calculate the quantity

The standard length of a baguette is 2 meters, so it is quite easy to calculate the required amount. You just need to find out the perimeter of the room, adding the length of all the walls, and dividing it by two.

For example, for a room of 3, 5 × 5 meters, you will need (3, 5 + 3, 5 + 5 + 5) / 2 = 8, 5 pieces. Let's round up to 9 and add another one just in case. As a result, you need to buy 10 skirting boards.

At what stage to glue

Baguettes are installed after leveling the walls and ceiling, but before they are finished. Usually, the decor is glued before painting the ceiling and painted with it, after which wallpaper is pasted or the walls are painted. We recommend that you do just that.

The installation option after finishing the ceiling and walls is also sometimes found, but is less correct. The only advantage that this approach gives is the ability to easily get a joint between the skirting board and the wallpaper. There are more cons. Firstly, when changing the wallpaper, you will most likely have to re-glue the baguette as well. Secondly, if the walls are uneven, then it will not work to cover up the cracks under the skirting board with putty over the wallpaper.

What to glue on

There are several options. It is worth choosing depending on the material of the baguettes. For expanded polystyrene and polystyrene foam, a finishing putty with the addition of PVA (1 part glue for 4 parts of the mixture), liquid nails or glue-putty is suitable.

For heavy polyurethane skirting boards, it is better to use special adhesives for stucco and decoration. Wooden options are attached to nails, gypsum - to a solution of gypsum and alabaster.

How to deal with stretch ceilings

Skirting boards can also be installed with stretch ceilings. The only difference is that the adhesive in this case is applied only to the lower edge, which is adjacent to the wall. The upper part is dry close to the canvas, but not attached to it. When painting, in order not to stain the ceiling, it is enough to insert a sheet of paper between it and the baguette and move it along the way.

2. Collect everything you need

• Plinth;
• putty;
• PVA glue;
• clerical knife or hacksaw for metal;
• laser or water level;
• pencil;
• rule;
• sponge;
• putty knife;
• miter box - optional;
• brush.

3. Make sure surfaces are ready

Before gluing the skirting boards, the walls and ceiling must be leveled. They must be dedusted and preferably primed at the junctions to the baguette.

4. Make the markup

The fillets are easy to move when gluing, then their joints will not coincide, and the frame itself will be uneven. To prevent this from happening, the skirting boards must be placed at the same level. And for this, in turn, you need to attach one of the parts to its place and mark its lower edge with a pencil. Next, along this line, draw a line around the perimeter of all walls.

If the ceiling is even, it is enough to measure the distance from the mark to the ceiling, make several more of the same points and connect them with a pencil and a rule.

When the ceilings are not perfectly flat, you first need to draw a line in one of the corners at an arbitrary height. Then, using a water or laser level, transfer the mark to the remaining corners and connect. As a result, you will get a reference line set strictly on the horizon, from which you should measure the distance to the bottom of the baguette.

5. Estimate the layout of parts

The skirting boards are 2 meters long, so you can't do without joints. They will be less striking if you start the installation from the most noticeable place - the wall, which is visible when you enter the room.

You should also avoid short pieces of baguette whenever possible. Instead, you can shorten the adjoining parts to make an additional skirting board with a length of one meter or more.

All this needs to be thought out before filing the fillets. Measure the length of each wall and estimate how many parts and how long are needed to cover it.

6. Cut the skirting boards at an angle

For the joint, the adjoining skirting boards must be cut at an angle of 45 °. This can be done in different ways. The simplest is in a special template called a miter box. You can do without additional devices and cut fillets by trying them on to each other.

How to trim a baguette in a miter box

Install the skirting board in the miter box, press its edges against the walls of the template and cut at the desired angle in the required direction: one of the baguettes from right to left, the second from left to right. It is better to work with a stationery knife with a new blade or a hacksaw with a fine tooth in the case of hard cornices.

When trimming the ceiling molding, it is applied to the wall of the miter box closest to you. Dalnaya is intended for floor skirting boards, and if you navigate along it, the details will not converge.

Place the pieces together and check how precise the seam is. If necessary, trim with a sharp knife or cut again.

How to trim a baguette without a miter box

Place the left skirting board in the corner, then slide the right skirting board against it. On the first piece, use a pencil to mark the distance it overlaps with the second piece.

Now swap them: place the right baguette in the corner and, moving the left baguette to it, make a similar mark.

Then it remains only to cut off both fillets from the mark to the opposite edge. As a result, the elements should fit perfectly together.

The advantage of this method is that it is suitable for surfaces with all angles. Whereas the miter box allows you to cut skirting boards only for walls with perfectly straight corners.

7. Begin installation

It is most convenient to do this from the corners, and then set all the straight lines.

Apply putty or glue to both edges of the baguette from the back and gently attach to the wall and ceiling, aligning with the marking line. If using glue, press down the part for the time specified in the instructions. This is not necessary for the putty.

In the case of a stretch ceiling, the adhesive is applied only to the lower edge of the fillet, which is adjacent to the wall.

Attach the second skirting board in the same way. Align the 45 ° cut first, then align with the mark and press. Remove the rest of the mixture with a spatula. Fill the resulting gaps with putty and smooth with a damp sponge or cloth.

If the wall is less than 4 meters long and two whole baguettes do not fit, glue one of them first. Cut the second one at an angle, attach it to the surface and only then mark the joint with the first element. Cut off the excess.

8. Install the rest of the elements

When all the baguettes in the corners are glued, you can start gluing the intermediate parts. Since it is much easier to fit an element with straight ends than with trimmed at 45 °, this is the most convenient way to do this.

Straight sections are glued using the same technology. The only difference is that putty or glue must be applied not only to the edges on the back of the cornice, but also to the joint of the straight ends. Also cover the cracks with putty: after drying and painting, they will not be visible.