Cutting skirting boards using a miter box. How to cut ceiling and floor plinths and join them correctly

Ceiling plinth is a product that in appearance is no different from its counterpart floor coverings. It is also called fillet. This detail serves to mask the joints between the wall and ceiling. It is installed at the very end finishing works, since the element does not carry any functional load, but plays only a decorative role. The process of installing the product is not at all complicated, but many are faced with the dilemma of how to make a corner of the ceiling plinth. Depending on the selected materials and tools that are available, the fillet corners are cut in different ways.

The modern construction market offers the following options for these products:

Polyurethane. They are considered the highest quality and most reliable. In addition, they are moisture resistant and elastic. Among the disadvantages, it is worth noting the high cost and exposure to temperature changes. Because of this feature, the corners of the ceiling plinth are made of of this material may crack if a stove is installed underneath. It is also important to remember that inaccurate trimming may cause slight deformations, which can ultimately lead to significant curvatures.
Polystyrene. They are practically no different from the previous material, but they have a lower level of strength and therefore break easily due to mechanical stress. Also, polystyrene products cost a little less.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This is the most cheap option material. The low cost has left its mark on the quality: the products are difficult to work with and are prone to dents. To make an outer or inner corner of a PVC ceiling plinth, you need a lot of experience and special tools. But the manufacturers of these products do not stand still, and today for these purposes you can purchase special fittings - corners for ceiling plinths, thanks to which even a novice home craftsman can install plastic parts.
Wooden. These skirting boards look impressive. Unlike all other products, wooden materials installed with self-tapping screws or nails, not with glue.

The above options can be produced in various sizes, have a textured coating or be completely smooth. Usually the color of the products is white, but if desired, you can find or order any other color.

Creating fillet corners

To connect two planks, you can use decorative corners for ceiling plinths. But in the absence of such, the material will have to be processed. Next we will talk about how to correctly cut a corner on a ceiling plinth.

How to use a miter box for processing

A miter box is one of the simplest carpentry tools, which is used to trim various products for different angles. It is usually a plastic, metal or wooden tray with several slots in the walls. IN simple version There are slots for 45 and 90 degree angles only. In more complex ones, there are more angles, and professional tool equipped rotating mechanism, which allows you to direct the cutting element at any angle. The principle of operation is simple: before cutting off the corner of the plinth, the workpiece is secured in the tray, and then processed with a cutting tool (knife, saw, etc.), lowering it into the slots.

Trimming ceiling plinth using a miter box

How to slaughter correctly ceiling plinth For internal corner on the miter box:

The first step is to attach the plinth to the surface and mark the required length with a pencil.
Then the part is placed in the tray so that its current position coincides with the position on the surface.
Using a clamping mechanism, the plinth is fixed to the far wall of the tool container.
The product is taken with the left hand. Then you need to select the correct position of the cutting element (45 degree angle). In this case, the handle of the tool should be as close as possible to the left hand.
Applying light pressure on the part, begin trimming. It is important not to press the product too hard, otherwise you may deform it.
The same manipulations, only in mirror image, must be carried out with the second baseboard.

Then the cut strips must be checked for correct processing. To do this, it is enough to connect the ceiling plinth by simply attaching the strips to the surface. If a wooden product is used, it will most likely have to be further processed with a file.

Note! First of all, it is necessary to design the internal corners on the ceiling plinths, only after that proceed to the external ones. Otherwise, the length of the purchased strips may not be enough.

How to properly cut a ceiling plinth for an outer corner:

Before cutting the corners, you need to attach the fillet to the edge of the wall so that the product extends slightly beyond the boundaries of the surface, and make a mark.
Then perform the same operations as in the previous instructions.
At the end, make a fitting and, if necessary, further process the edges with a stationery knife or file.

Important! To cut the corners of skirting boards using a miter box, you need a perfectly even surface angle of 90 degrees. If there are any unevenness on the walls, due to which there will be deviations of more than 2 degrees, you will have to use other tools.

Processing fillets using markings

Most often, the result of finishing leveling is straight corners. But in some cases, the deviations are so large that even after fitting and filing the fillets, gaps remain. And then the question of how to correctly cut the ceiling plinth using a miter box will be meaningless, since in this situation it is better to cut the planks with preliminary fitting on the spot. To carry out this procedure you will need the following:

A thin hard pencil or marker (this tool leaves clear lines, so you don’t have to look closely).
A small fragment of a fillet.
Ruler or tape measure.
A special construction or stationery knife for processing polystyrene, polyurethane or PVC baguettes.
Saw or hacksaw for processing wooden baseboards.

Before cutting the ceiling plinth, you need to lean the strip against the corner and draw a line along the outer edge of the product on the ceiling surface. Then attach the same fillet fragment to the opposite wall and draw the same line.

As a result, on ceiling surface you will get an intersection at which you will need to join the cut products. The resulting mark is alternately transferred to the parts that will be joined.

Then you need to take a ruler and connect the edge of the fillet with the markings. After which the product is placed on the table and cut along the line.

This method is quite simple, but it comes with some risks. As a result inner part skirting boards may interfere with the connection of parts on the surface. To prevent this from happening, you can do the following: before cutting the ceiling plinth in the corners, it must be placed on the table in the same position in which it will be glued to the wall. Then cut the outer corner or inner corner at a 45 degree angle. The next plank should be processed in the same way. In this way, lengthy processing after fitting can be avoided.

Next, you need to adjust the joint, but already at the place where the fillet is installed. That is, before gluing the ceiling plinth in the corners, you need to check internal docking without applying adhesive or fasteners. Then carry out the same manipulations for the outer corner strips. After preliminary fitting and bringing the angles to perfect condition, you can glue products.

Now the question is how to join the ceiling plinths on uneven corners, should not occur.

Trimming with a square

Now let's look at how to cut a ceiling plinth using a standard set of tools. For this you will need:

ruler or tape measure;
square;
construction, stationery knife or hacksaw.

How can you cut off a corner of a ceiling plinth if the surfaces are perfectly flat:

A ruler is applied to the fillet at an angle of 45 degrees. Using a knife, cut off the unnecessary fragment with one movement of the hand.
Subject to availability wooden product, markings are first applied to the plinth with a pencil, and then sawed off with a saw or hacksaw.

If the surfaces of the walls have unevenness, then the first thing you need to do is measure the degree of the angle, and then divide it by two. Let's say the angle is 80 degrees, which means that each product needs to be cut at an angle of 40 degrees.

If adjacent walls do not form a right angle, then to cut the baseboard you will have to make some calculations

Decoration with decorative corners

The easiest way to join ceiling plinths in the corners is to use special products. They are sold in construction stores and are immediately ready for use. The fillets are simply glued to the surface, and the joint is covered with a decorative element. IN in this case the question of how to properly cut a baseboard does not make sense. Even if the joint turns out to be uneven, this defect will be hidden by a decorative corner.

How to replace a miter box with improvised means

How to make the corners of a ceiling plinth using improvised means? There are several ways:

First way. It is necessary to prepare three wooden boards the same thickness and width. Using nails or self-tapping screws, connect them into a U-shaped structure. Mark the 45 and 90 degree angles (you'll need a square or protractor for this) and then make the cuts using a wood saw. The result will be a homemade miter box. How to trim ceiling skirting boards using this tool is indicated above.

Second way. In this case, before cutting out the ceiling plinth, you should build simple design to hold the fillet. To do this, you need to take two boards and put together a corner from them. Then take paper and draw lines on it going at different angles. Now let's look at how to cut corners using the resulting tool:
- the fillet is laid on a wooden corner;
- in the marked place - a template with drawn lines is applied to the product and trimming is carried out.

Third way. This method is the simplest, but it requires some experience and a steady hand. In this case, you can use any structure that has a right angle, for example, a table.

Note! Before cutting the corner, measurements should be taken at the fixation site. To mark the inner corner, start measuring from the joint of the walls. Before cutting the outer corner, it is necessary to apply markings taking into account that the product will extend beyond the boundaries of the surface by its thickness.

The video demonstrates the process of making a miter box at home:

Installation of skirting boards

This operation will be successful if you follow several recommendations:

Installation ceiling fillets It starts with the design of the corners. After completing this operation, you can begin installing the remaining parts.
When fixing the products, it is necessary to press their edges so that there are no gaps left. In this case, excess glue should be removed immediately so that it does not have time to dry.
If you purchased a PVC skirting board, then to fix it you can use finishing putty, which may have remained after finishing work.
Before gluing the skirting boards to the ceiling, it is necessary to treat the surfaces with a special primer or just water. Then the fillets are put in place and wait until the surface underneath them dries. At the end, the seams and cracks are sealed with sealant or other material with a similar composition. It is better to use sealants containing acrylic.

Installing ceiling plinths is a fairly simple procedure that even a novice master can handle. The main thing is to follow the above recommendations and regularly check the correct installation using a level, even if the fillets look perfectly even by eye. It is also important to remember that this element is purely decorative, so even the smallest mistakes are unacceptable.

In this article we will figure out how to properly cut the corners of a ceiling plinth if you have special tool- miter box. Of course this useful device Not everyone has it, and buying it for a one-time repair is a dubious undertaking.

If so, let’s try to figure out how to cut the corners of the plinth without a miter box.

Our goal is to achieve equally ideal angles

Materials for ceiling plinths

First, let's study the materials from which our test subject is made.

To understand how and with what to cut, it is advisable to know the density and other features of the material.

Foam plastic. The cheapest and most fragile material; however, mechanical strength a product that adorns the ceiling is not really needed.
Extruded polystyrene foam somewhat denser and a little harder to process. But just a little: if necessary, it is cut with an ordinary knife.
Wood is the most difficult material to process. To cut it you will have to use only a hacksaw.

Advice: it’s better with fine and frequent teeth. This will make the cut much smoother. A cloth for metal will also work.

Corner cutting methods

At what angle should I cut the ceiling plinth? If we are trying to decorate a right angle with a ceiling plinth (in all apartment buildings and most private houses you will not find other angles) - 45 degrees.

Right angle divided into two equal sectors.

How to cut ceiling plinth at an angle?

Cutting ceiling plinth with a miter box

Most often, a simple carpentry tool is used for cutting at an angle - a miter box.. It is a structure made of aluminum, plastic or wooden tray with grooves guiding the hacksaw blade at certain angles to the axis of this tray.

How to cut corners with this tool?

We fix the plinth in the tray in the same position in which it will be installed on the ceiling. Align it along the side that will press against the ceiling.
With your free hand, cut along the guide groove. For wood, as already mentioned, a hacksaw is used. A hacksaw can be used to cut both polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam.
In addition, foam or polystyrene foam plinth can be cut with a knife; however, it must be very sharp. Otherwise, the material will crumble under the blade.
The wooden plinth may need to be adjusted with a file before attaching it to the wall. For fitting skirting boards made of more soft materials used again sharp knife.

How to cut ceiling plinths in the corners? We need a simple tool - a miter box

How to cut ceiling plinth in corners? We will need a simple tool - a miter box.

Cutting the corners itself is very simple; Avoid too much effort, however. Polystyrene foam crumbles easily. And it’s easy to split a wooden plinth with too much enthusiasm.

Cutting without a miter box

How to cut corners if you don't have a miter box at your disposal?

Method 1

One of the simplest solutions is to make an analogue of the miter box yourself.

We put together a simple tray from three planks.
We cut it at an angle of 45 degrees. The angle can be marked with a protractor or a student's square.

The miter box is very easy to make yourself. If you have to adjust a lot of corners, this work will pay off.

Method 2

You can get by with a tray without a slot. Make an angle template out of paper or cardboard (this is especially important if the angle is not exactly 90 degrees) and draw a line on it to guide you.

Nail the planks together at right angles (in this case it’s easy to get by with two rather than three).

How to cut corners in this case?

Place it in the improvised tray exactly in the position in which it will be attached to the ceiling.
Align the tray along the edge of the template.
Cut the baseboard using the line drawn on the template. Hold the knife or hacksaw strictly vertically.

Method 3

We will need an impromptu tray in this case as well, but it can be absolutely anything. Can simply use a table moved towards the wall or a corner between the wall and the floor.

How to cut corners with such a strange tool?

Mark future corners on the ceiling, wall and on the baseboard itself. These are the ends of an imaginary line that will cut both baseboard boards.
Place the plinth in the tray exactly as it will be attached to or in another room, and cut it, focusing on the marked marks. Again, keep the knife or hacksaw blade strictly vertical.

How to trim skirting boards in corners minimum set tools? Easily. All you need is a pencil, a knife and an eye.

To measure the baseboard strip between two corners, follow simple rule: for an internal corner, the length is measured directly from it, for external corner- from a point that is distant from it deep into the room by the width of the baseboard.
Attach the plinth strip to the ceiling and wall no earlier than adjusting the adjacent corner of the next strip. It is much more convenient to try on sections on the floor, rather than on a stepladder under the ceiling.
Be prepared for the fact that the cuts will have to be adjusted several times. Be patient.
Don't be afraid to leave small gaps in the corners: they will be easily filled with putty. The exception is for noble types of wood: against the background of the texture, even putty chosen to match the tone will be noticeable.

Even if you cut the plinth according to the risks on the weight, the remaining cracks can be hidden with putty

Please note: in general, all the hassle of adjusting skirting boards can be easily avoided. For corners, inserts are often sold that are connected to a plinth cut perpendicular to the axis.

Conclusion

If it is still not entirely clear to you how to cut the corners of a ceiling plinth, then videos of cutting and installation are easy to find on the Internet. A visual demonstration of all stages, it seems, will dispel all ambiguities. Good luck with the renovation!

When decorating the junction of walls and ceilings with skirting boards, the most difficult part of the work is fitting it in the corners. Therefore, we decided to tell you how to cut the ceiling plinth correctly so that the joint is smooth and beautiful.

For this work you will need a regular miter box, hacksaw blade, corresponding to the baseboard material, and a simple pencil. Skirting boards made of foam plastic or polyurethane can be easily cut with a construction knife with replaceable blades.

How to cut skirting boards using a miter box

The miter box is a triangular box made of wood, metal or plastic, in two vertical edges of which through slots are made, located at an angle of 90 and 45 degrees (see). Using a miter box, you can easily trim the ceiling plinth to join straight sections and create the correct right angles.

Internal corners

In a standard rectangular room, all corners are internal. The gluing of the plinth begins with them, so that you can not pay attention to adjusting the length.

Advice. Before cutting off the ceiling plinth, decide which side it will be adjacent to the wall and which side will be adjacent to the ceiling. This depends on the relief of the product and its profile. If the plinth is not symmetrical, then its wider shelf is attached to the wall.

To cut the left corner, install the plinth in the miter box so that its long part is to your left, and the part that you will cut is in the miter box itself, with a slight approach to the right slot at 45 degrees (see).
Press the part of the plinth that will be glued to the ceiling to the bottom of the miter box, and press the part that is against the wall to the side wall closest to you.
Holding the baseboard firmly in this position, cut a corner through the slot with a hacksaw or construction knife.

Place the second plinth into the miter box on the right and move it to the left slot at 45 degrees.
Repeat the steps above.

After cutting the corners of both baseboards, press them into the corner without glue to make sure that the cuts match. If this is not the case, then trim them with a construction knife. After this, the skirting boards can be glued.

Advice. Experienced finishers advise beginners to first fit and glue the baseboards in all corners, and then glue straight sections between them.

External corners

External corners are found in rooms with internal projections or niches (see). If you don’t know how to properly cut ceiling skirting boards in this case, then we hasten to reassure you. This is done in exactly the same way as in the previous case, with the only difference being that the left plinth is cut through the left, and not the right, slot of the miter box. That is, from a different angle.

As a result, the part of the plinth that will be adjacent to the ceiling will be longer.

We do the same with the right plinth: we put it into the miter box on the right, pressing it to the bottom and side wall, and cut it through the right slot.

Attention! When gluing the plinth to the outer corner, make sure that the edge of its lower part exactly coincides with the edge of the wall corner. If you have any questions, be sure to check it out detailed video at the end of the article.

How to cut skirting boards if the corners are not right

The corners in our apartments are very rarely exactly 90 degrees. And in the houses modern construction with bay windows and curved walls, they can be sharp, blunt, or rounded. In this case, the miter box will not solve the question of how to properly cut the ceiling plinths. What to do?

Adjusting uneven corners

Place the plinth against the left wall, close to the ceiling - the way it should be glued. And use a simple pencil to draw along the top edge of the baseboard, drawing a line on the ceiling.
Repeat this procedure, placing the baseboard against the corner on the other side.

Now take two plinths, and, alternately placing them on the corner on both sides, transfer the mark formed by the intersection of the lines to them.
Connect the mark to the opposite corner of the baseboard.
Place the baseboard on a flat, hard surface, pressing it against it with the side that will be attached to the wall. And cut the corner with a construction knife along the drawn line, holding it strictly vertically.

External corners are performed similarly.

There is another way to join skirting boards in the corners, without cutting the ends. To do this, you need to buy special corners that are simply glued into the corner, and the baseboards themselves are attached to them on both sides with a factory cut.

Joining skirting boards at rounded corners

Most difficult question: how to properly cut a ceiling plinth if the corner is rounded?

You will have to tinker to correctly cut several pieces of 3-5 cm long from the baseboard, depending on the radius of curvature. Then each piece will need to be cut on both sides so that its lower part becomes wider than the upper.

Attention! This should be done to design the inner radius. For the outside it’s the opposite: the upper part should be wider.

Each such piece is glued into place only after the next one is adjusted to it.

Conclusion

We tried to cover the task assigned to us in as much detail as possible. But we still advise you to also watch how to properly cut the ceiling plinth - the video on this page will help you figure it out in more detail.

Our advice: before starting work, practice on unnecessary trimmings of the plinth so as not to spoil the good material.

Any renovation work always complete finishing. In rare cases, the interior of a room does not need a ceiling plinth; its presence helps to hide the joints of the wall and ceiling surfaces used finishing materials In addition, we should not forget about the decorative function that this element has. It is not difficult to design the perimeter of the room by simply securing it in a straight line. It is much more difficult to cut it correctly in the corners without spoiling the material and spending a minimum of time and money.

Peculiarities

Ceiling plinth, like any other interior element, has its own characteristics, so before purchasing it at a hardware store, you need to understand the materials from which this element is made and what difficulties you will encounter during the work.

Previously, the ceiling plinth had a different name - fillet. Translated from German it means “notch” or “groove”. The material used to make this decorative element was plaster, poured into a prepared mold. Frozen gypsum element fixed to the ceiling surface using mortar. Today, gypsum ceiling plinth is very rare, its cost is high, and it is much more difficult to install compared to modern analogues.

Today, ceiling elements are produced from several types of materials in numerous configurations. They cost less than plaster ones, but look no worse. The cheapest specimens are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This material with a slight mechanical impact subject to deformation, the formation of irreparable dents or creases leads to a complete replacement of the element. In addition, all manufactured PVC skirting boards are electrostatic and dust accumulates on them very quickly.

Ceiling plinths made of polyurethane and polystyrene are among the most popular products. They have gained their popularity due to their reasonable price, wide range of profile designs, variety of sizes (their width varies from 5–250 mm), and resistance to moisture. Polyurethane ceiling elements can be found in the design of many rooms; they look great in any interior. But there are also disadvantages: the material does not tolerate temperature changes well and is susceptible to cracking, especially if installed above a stove.

The classic version of the ceiling plinth is a wooden product. Wooden elements Unlike the listed types, they are not installed with glue; self-tapping screws are used to fix them. They decorate with skirting boards made from this material. wooden houses or rooms whose style dictates the use of wooden elements.

Required Tools

Installing a ceiling plinth involves cutting off excess length and adjusting it in the corners. In order to make pruning, you need tools. The choice of one or another type of tool depends on the material from which the plinth is made.

When working with wood and plastic, use an electric miter saw. Circumcision using this tool occurs accurately, quickly and without special effort, you just need to set the necessary parameters and lay the plinth correctly. Selecting the appropriate tool will not be difficult, since manufacturers produce this tool in a wide price range.

But wood and plastic can be handled with another well-known carpentry tool - a miter box paired with a hacksaw. This tool has the shape of a tray and is made of either wood, plastic, or metal. In two parallel sides of the miter box there are slots for a saw, for convenient cutting of the plinth at the desired angle. In a simple modification of the tool, you can cut the ceiling element at an angle of 45 or 90 degrees, and in a more complex version, you can cut the baseboard at an angle of 60 degrees.

A miter box and a hacksaw are cheaper than a miter saw, but they also have their drawback - the risk of damaging the material, especially if the quality of the purchased material leaves much to be desired. In addition, the miter box is more suitable for a room with smooth walls and corners.

For a more even cut without the risk of damaging the material and without delaminating the structure, a jigsaw is suitable. This tool is easy to operate; it can be used to set any direction and make the most accurate cuts. For materials that are lighter in weight and have a less durable structure, you can use a regular construction knife; the main thing is to choose one with a sharp blade.

How to cut?

Two main questions face the installation of ceiling plinths. How to properly cut a plinth without gaps and with perfect fit in the corners, and what tools should you use to end up with a beautifully positioned ceiling element? In order to understand these issues, it is necessary to study all the methods and tools used in trimming skirting boards. Almost all methods and tools can be used to adjust the baseboard in both internal and external corners.

External corner

For the outer corner, the plinth strip is cut at an angle of 45 degrees. First you need to check the evenness of the outer corner. If the surfaces of the walls touch each other exactly at an angle of 90 degrees, then you can use a miter box to trim the baseboard. In order to correctly trim the outer corner strips, it is necessary to correctly position both parts of the plinth.

First you need to outline the length of both halves, and only then cut them at an angle of 45 degrees. In order not to change the position of the saw and not to get confused with the location of the plinth halves, it is necessary to correctly position them in the miter box. The left half is laid face up, with the part adjacent to the ceiling being closer to the center, and the other side adjacent to the wall should be pressed against the side with the slots. With the right half, everything is different: it needs to be placed face down in the miter box, and the location of the adjacent parts to the ceiling and wall will be similar here.

The bar placed in the miter box for an even cut must be pressed against the side, placing it as close as possible to the slot. Holding the workpiece with your left hand, carefully make a cut and put it aside. The second half of the plinth should be cut in the same way, not forgetting to turn it face down.

If you don’t have a miter box, you can make a design of it on paper or cardboard. First, we draw a rectangle, inside which we draw two more parallel lines along the longer sides. On each side inside the lines, using a protractor, we plot the desired angle in different directions. Preparation and subsequent cutting of workpieces occurs in exactly the same way as using the tool itself.

This method is good because you can set the angle not strictly 45 or 90 degrees, but a little more or less, because the surfaces of the walls in the corners are not always directed towards each other at an angle of 90 degrees, there are errors. Therefore, for a more accurate cut, you can draw any angle on the miter box depicted on paper using a protractor. The degree of the angle is first checked using a protractor, the resulting value is divided by 2. The resulting number will be the exact degree for the correct cut.

If desired, you can build a miter box with your own hands. The easiest way to make a tool is from wood; you just need to take three planks and knock them together in the shape of the letter P. Then make marks on the side parts at different degrees, and use a hacksaw to make slits. You can make a miter box from two planks, having previously made slits in them, or use it for precise definition tilt drawing with the desired angles on paper.

You can even use a table as a handy tool. The main thing is that it has angles by which to navigate.

In order to correctly cut external corners, you can do without any auxiliary tools or drawings on paper, you just need to design the future corner on the spot.

The plinth of the outer corner always protrudes into the room by an amount equal to its width, therefore, to determine the exact cut, it is necessary to make marks on the right and left halves of the plinth. You need to set aside the width on the side adjacent to the wall. Then, from the resulting point, draw a line to the upper corner of the half. The resulting triangle needs to be cut out and the halves joined in place for preview.

Interior

To join the halves of the plinth in the inner corner, you can use the same methods and tools. The arrangement of the halves in the miter box when cutting for the internal corner is identical to the arrangement of the parts used to join the external corner. But, you don’t have to turn over the right half of the plinth to make the cut, but just change the slope of the cut (use a different slot). In any case, on the left side of the plinth the line will be inclined to the left from corner point, located on the side adjacent to the wall, and on the right side of the plinth the line will be inclined to the right from a similarly located point.

When ideal flat surfaces instead of a miter box, you can use a regular square. To do this, you need to press half of the plinth to the inner corner of the ruler and cut off the unnecessary part at an angle of 45 degrees. This is not difficult to do, since the side of the ruler and part of the plinth form a total of 90 degrees, the cut line divides given angle in half, which means that part of the baseboard will be cut at an angle of 45 degrees.

For wooden and plastic skirting boards It will not be possible to make a cut on the spot; you can only apply markings to the surface of the plinth, and then make the cut according to the mark using a hacksaw or saw.

In order to correctly trim and then join the halves of the plinth for the inner corner, you need to take measurements on site using a simple pencil. The right workpiece must be applied to the corner from the corresponding side until it stops. Draw a line on the ceiling surface along the half and move the workpiece to the side. We do the same with the other half.

At the intersection of the two lines, a point has been formed, with which you need to make marks on each half of the plinth. To make a point, you need to attach the half to the joining place. From the resulting point you need to draw a line to the lower corner of the half, the result will be a small triangle, which needs to be cut off.

The halves cut in this way need to be adjusted to each other; if the edges are not cut accurately, the cuts can be aligned with a knife if the material used is polystyrene foam.

To eliminate small flaws in the cut of wooden or polyurethane skirting boards, you will have to use a file. Only after the cuts completely coincide can you begin to fix the halves.

Sometimes it is not possible to achieve a perfect fit, but there is always a way out. To eliminate cracks, you can use putty. The choice of putty depends on the material of the baseboard. In order to eliminate inaccuracies in cutting plinths, you need to practice using small pieces of plinth or cut the strips slightly longer than the intended size. Such a margin will make it possible to make a new cut if it was made with the wrong slope or the material at the cut site was deformed.

Ceiling plinths are very often used for decorating rooms. They give the ceiling a complete look and allow you to convey a particular style in the interior. In addition, they serve to mask the joints between the walls and the ceiling, where the two join various materials. Although such elements are not always present in the premises, they make the interior more complete. In the following material we will describe in detail how to cut the corner of a ceiling plinth, since in such places the joining of individual elements often poses a problem for inexperienced builders.

If the room has simple form, then only the internal corners will need to be cut. But in rooms of a more complex configuration, with columns, partitions and niches, there will also be external corners. To decorative elements looked beautiful, pruning must be done correctly and carefully, otherwise appearance the ceiling will be damaged.

To cut the ceiling plinth in the corners as best as possible, you can use high-quality and sharp tools or other means. The type of tool that will be used to cut skirting boards depends on the type of material they are made from. Thus, ceiling plinths are made from PVC, polystyrene foam, polyurethane and wood.

The cheapest option is PVC skirting boards. They are soft, so it is easy to leave dents and creases on them that cannot be corrected in any way. In addition, this material has the property of attracting dust. A hacksaw or sharp knife is suitable for cutting such skirting boards.

Another fairly cheap type of material is polystyrene foam skirting boards. They crumble easily, so to cut the corners of the ceiling plinth you should only use a sharp knife or a hacksaw. Movements should be soft, without pressure.

Cutting plinths to decorate the ceiling

Another type of ceiling plinths is made from extruded polystyrene foam. They are much denser than ordinary foam plastic products (therefore they do not crumble), they cost a little more, but they are also somewhat more difficult to cut. For work, you can use the same knife or hacksaw for metal.

The most expensive skirting boards are made from polyurethane. These are elastic, strong and moisture-resistant products that are very easy to cut with a construction knife. True, they cannot be used in all rooms, since polyurethane is sensitive to high temperatures– it becomes deformed, begins to crack or crack.

To work with wooden skirting boards Only a hacksaw with fine teeth, you can use a metal tool.

However, many novice craftsmen are interested not so much in what, but in how to correctly cut the ceiling plinth in the corners. This process requires careful calculations and accuracy from the performer. In some cases, if the interior of the room allows, you don’t have to think about how to cut a corner on the ceiling plinth, but use ready-made corner elements. They can be purchased at construction stores. In this case, the plinth is simply cut straight and inserted into the corner element. All irregularities and flaws will be hidden.

Using a miter box to cut baseboards

In carpentry, a special device made of wood, metal or plastic is often used - a miter box. There are special slots made in it that allow you to straight cut at 90º, 45º, and in more complex devices – also at 60º. There are also professional miter boxes equipped with a rotating mechanism. In them cutting tool can be installed and fixed at any angle to the workpiece. Before you make a ceiling plinth in the corners, you need to understand the details.

To cut the inner corner of a ceiling plinth using a miter box, you must:

First, you need to attach the baseboard blank to the ceiling surface and mark the length.
Now the piece of plinth is placed in the miter box in the same position as it should be placed on the ceiling.
The plinth is pressed tightly against the back wall of the miter box.
Hold the workpiece with one hand so that it does not move during cutting.
The hacksaw is installed at an angle of 45º to the workpiece.
Cut the plinth, controlling the degree of pressure of the hacksaw so as not to damage the product.
Then they move on to cutting the counter piece of plinth. It is also applied to the far wall of the miter box.
The workpiece is pressed and held by hand so that it does not move.
The hacksaw is installed at an angle of 45º to the workpiece so that the cutting direction is opposite to the first element of the plinth.
Cut off the corner of the plinth.

After trimming the ceiling plinths in the corners, they proceed to joining the resulting elements. If the cutting was done accurately, they will fit tightly together.

Let's look at how to cut the outer corner of a ceiling plinth using a miter box:

It is best to start marking and measuring the ceiling plinth from the inner corner, and only after completing it, start cutting the outer corner. Otherwise, the plank may be short and not enough to fill the entire length of the ceiling.
The plinth is applied to the ceiling and its length is marked.
Then the workpiece is placed in a miter box and pressed against the front wall.
The hacksaw is placed at an angle of 45º and, holding the workpiece with your hand, the corner is sawed off.
Similarly, it is necessary to cut off the opposite part of the outer corner.
The workpiece is pressed to the front of the miter box.
The hacksaw is placed at an angle of 45º to the baseboard and the workpiece is sawed off.

Upon completion of the work, the pieces of plinth are joined together, checking that everything is done correctly and evenly.

Marking on the ceiling to make a corner on the plinth

There are different ways How to correctly make a corner on a ceiling plinth. Some are easier to do, others are more difficult. One of these methods is to mark the baseboard on the ceiling. True, cutting skirting boards by weight is not very convenient, but exactly this method not inferior to everyone else. Before cutting the plinth for the ceiling, it is applied to the surface, while all the imperfections and unevenness of the walls, as well as the size of the corners, are immediately taken into account.

Let's take a closer look at how to correctly make corners on ceiling plinths using this technique:

First, the two mating plinth strips must be cut at an angle of 90º;
One of the blanks is pressed against the wall, and its end is pressed against the opposite wall. Then the outline of the workpiece is drawn on the ceiling.
At the next stage, take the second plank and press its end against the wall in the same way. Draw a line.
At the intersection of the resulting lines, a point is placed at which further trimming of the skirting boards will be carried out.
Then each of the planks is applied to the ceiling in turn and the cutting point is transferred to the workpiece.
From this point, a diagonal cutting line is drawn into the corner of the plinth.

It is worth noting that this method More often used for internal corners.

Applying a miter box template

To cut the plinth in the corner of the ceiling as evenly as possible, instead of a regular miter box, you can use paper, cardboard or wooden template. Two parallel lines are drawn on it, then the central point is found and any necessary angle is laid off from it using a protractor. Before cutting the corner of the ceiling plinth without a miter box, it is worth double-checking the size of the internal or external angles between the walls of the room, using the same protractor.

The principle of cutting corners using a template is similar to using a standard miter box. In this case, the workpiece must be pressed against a parallel line and, setting the hacksaw at the desired angle, saw off the workpiece.

How to make a miter box yourself

Often, the only way to evenly cut the corner of a ceiling plinth is to use special devices so that the tool does not move to the side during the cutting process. In this case, you can make a miter box yourself.

Option 1. A box in the shape of the letter P is made from three boards. The required corners are marked on the walls of the box and slots are cut in the appropriate places. The result is a complete device.

Option 2. Sometimes it is quite difficult to make the corners on the skirting boards on the ceiling as even as possible, especially if you have to hold the workpiece in weight. In this case, you can use homemade device. Take two boards and knock them down into a corner shape. Then lines with the required angles are drawn on a sheet of paper or cardboard and the template is applied to the corner. Then press the plinth, place the template under the cutting area and saw off the corner along the lines.

Option 3. If you are still in doubt about how to properly cut the corner of the plinth, almost any household item whose shape allows you to form a corner can help with this. This could be a chair or a table, simply placed close to the wall.

To understand how to properly cut a ceiling plinth, you should also familiarize yourself with the rule for measuring workpieces. So, to make an internal angle, the length begins to be measured directly from the beginning of the angle. But to determine the external corner, it is worth considering that it will protrude into the space of the room by the width of the product.

There is no need to rush and fix the workpieces before the mating plinths in the corner have been completed. In order not to redo the work, you must first make sure that the joining surfaces fit tightly to each other and to the ceiling. Small defects can be corrected with a file, thin nail file or knife, depending on the material of the product.

If cutting the skirting boards in the corners did not work out perfectly, small cracks can simply be filled with putty. In general, the process of cutting skirting boards at the corners is not at all difficult. However, for practice, you can take several small pieces of baseboard and practice on them.