Installation of ceiling fillets - installation without errors. How to install a ceiling plinth Installing a ceiling plinth on a sloping ceiling
Ceiling plinths (curbs, fillets, cornices) give the ceiling surface a complete look. They allow you to remove those irregularities that arise when joining the ceiling and wall, and also close the technological seams between the wall and the suspended ceiling system (see). Our article is about how to install a ceiling plinth, and is it possible to do such work yourself without involving specialists?
Main features of ceiling skirting boards
Despite the fact that among the population the element located under the ceiling is usually called a ceiling plinth, this is not entirely true. The correct name is fillet. However, such a name is a wonder even for sellers of finishing stores. Therefore, we will also call this device a ceiling plinth.
The most popular material for ceiling plinths is plastic - products made from it are lightweight and easy to use. This is the best option for self-installation without the involvement of specialists.
Attention: ideally, this should be a product made of foamed PVC or polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane. Polystyrene skirting boards attract buyers with their low cost, but after some time of use, they lose their shape and turn yellow.
The best choice is a fillet made of foamed PVC. At a relatively low cost, we get a pretty decent quality product with a smooth matte surface (see). This means that such a product is not afraid of exposure to ultraviolet rays and will not change its color.
Installation of ceiling skirting boards: tools and materials
Before installing the ceiling plinth, you need to purchase the necessary materials and tools:
- Hacksaw.
- Miter box (with its help we will cut the baseboard at a certain angle).
- A knife with replaceable blades.
- Rubber spatula.
- Mounting gun.
- Putty and glue.
- Masking tape.
- Acrylic sealant.
Currently, the population uses two methods of installing ceiling skirting boards:
- Gluing the baseboard after wallpapering the walls.
- Gluing the baseboard before painting the walls and wallpapering them.
Attention: we recommend installing the ceiling plinth at the final stage before wallpapering. We motivate this by the fact that it is very difficult to properly remove the formed joints using sealant or putty - the wallpaper will be damaged. Before installing the baseboard, watch the video at the end of our article.
The most difficult job is cutting the ceiling skirting boards
Joining skirting boards in corners without gaps and curvatures is not an easy task, especially when the adjacent surfaces are far from ideally even. How to install ceiling skirting boards correctly so as not to spoil the overall design of the ceiling?
To do this, we will need special corner elements (they are available ready-made for sale), but there is only one “but”: such elements have expensive fillets or cheap polystyrene analogues. But we decided not to install them, so we will learn how to make corner joints of skirting boards ourselves.
A little advice: at home, the lack of a workbench can be compensated for by attaching a miter box to a piece of board using self-tapping screws. If you have any questions, be sure to watch the video in our article.
Some tips for making corner joints:
- In those places where the corners are most noticeable when entering the room, it is necessary to use the longest pieces of skirting boards - this will minimize the number of joints.
- When cutting the ceiling plinth for the outer and inner corners, primary attention should be paid to the edges of the plinth shelves - they have different thicknesses on the top and bottom sides.
- We recommend watching: installation of ceiling plinths (video) and making a similar template. To do this, let’s take two small sections of fillets and, watching the video, try to achieve a similar result in making internal and external corners.
- Stir the plinth in the wort in a position in which it will subsequently be fixed to the wall.
Important: the lower edge of the plinth should be pressed tightly against the wall of the miter box, hold the top with your hand.
- We cut the baseboard with a saw or hacksaw blade.
Tip: you don’t need to press hard on the stove, otherwise the baseboard may crumble. A few light movements are enough - and the plinth will be cut smoothly and beautifully. Burrs can be cut with a knife or sanded.
Installation of skirting boards for the ceiling
So, the walls and ceiling are prepared for the final stage of repair - they are plastered, coated with primer, and have a smooth, clean and dry appearance. All the necessary elements of the ceiling plinths are prepared and laid out along the walls. Let's talk about how to properly install plinths on the ceiling.
For this you will need adhesive solutions. Modern manufacturers are constantly updating their range, so there is no shortage of choice of such materials.
When purchasing glue, carefully read the manufacturer's instructions and act in accordance with its instructions.
Today there are many ways to apply adhesive materials to ceiling skirting boards:
- pointwise;
- dotted lines;
- over the entire adhesive surface.
After the plinth is glued, it is necessary to seal the joints.
If you don’t have a mounting gun, then a rubber spatula will do just fine, but it will take much more time to seal the cracks.
We talked about how to properly install ceiling plinths. Follow our recommendations - and you will succeed.
The final stage of installation (renovation) of the ceiling is installation of ceiling plinth. This installation is not particularly difficult and can be done with your own hands without the involvement of craftsmen. All you need to do is be careful and attentive. And of course, you need to familiarize yourself with certain recommendations for the stages of work with this decorative element.
Skirting boards (common names - fillet, frieze, molding, baguette) are made from various materials: polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, wood, gypsum, aluminum, plastic. This review is devoted to a detailed examination of the methodology for installing ceiling plinths made of polyurethane foam (expanded polystyrene foam) with your own hands, materials and tools that will be needed during the work process.
Preparing for installation of ceiling plinth
Surfing the Internet, on many blogs with construction topics you can find two methods for installing skirting boards - before wallpapering and after. Let's figure it out. If there is no wallpaper on the walls before installing the fillet, or you are going to change it, then you should not glue the baseboard on top of the wallpaper. The only correct method is high-quality preparation of the junction of the wall and the ceiling and the subsequent installation of the baseboard (before wallpapering). If the wallpaper is already pasted, installation is carried out on top of the wallpaper. In the future, before dismantling the wallpaper, do not forget to cut the joint of the canvas with the fillets with a paint knife. This will make your work easier and keep the already glued plinth intact.
Preparing the junction of the wall and the ceiling (the place where the plinth will be installed) includes the following steps:
- Flatness check. It is necessary to attach a level (or a flat block) to the wall and check whether there are gaps between the wall and the level. Places with large unevenness are eliminated using putty or gypsum plaster. This is necessary for a better fit of the fillet. If the ceiling has not yet been painted, we do the same leveling procedure with it.
- Cleaning Keep all areas around the perimeter and corners clear of debris and putty (plaster) residues.
- Primer prepared surface.
In order to purchase the required amount of plinth (the standard fillet length is two meters), you need to measure all the walls around the perimeter of the room. We divide the resulting length by two (fillet length) and obtain the required quantity. If desired, we take a few fillets with a reserve, so that in case of an error the reserve is at hand.
First of all, let’s decide on the tools needed for DIY installation. We will need:
- A hacksaw or stationery knife with replaceable blades.
- A miter box with which you can easily cut the baseboard at a certain angle.
- Rubber spatula.
- Mounting gun.
- Masking tape.
- Acrylic sealant, putty or glue.
The most difficult job is. For this operation you will need a saw with small teeth or a stationery knife and a miter box. The plinth must be placed in the miter box as it will be installed on the wall. It is important not to confuse the top and bottom. Trimming should be done with light movements, excluding strong pressure on the blade or saw.
Trimming skirting boards in corners
More difficult, if the corners of the walls are not straight. In this case, marking and cutting must be done at the installation site without a miter box. Small gaps and inaccuracies will be hidden in the future using acrylic sealant.
By doing circumference finishing, the product should be cut into small pieces a few centimeters wide, and then the joints should be adjusted. The joints are sealed with acrylic sealant or putty. When painting, these joints will be almost invisible.
Applying glue (acrylic sealant) to the fillet
It is necessary to start gluing fillets from the most visible place to avoid unnecessary joints from trimming. Can be used as glue special glue, so putty or acrylic sealant. The last option is the most convenient in terms of installation.
Sealing cracks at joints
After complete installation ceiling plinth, problem areas are additionally hidden with putty or sealant. You can use a rubber spatula for this. It is also very convenient to fill voids with sealant using your finger or a specially made device.
Painting glued fillets
Once the glue or sealant has dried, you can begin painting the fillets.. After the first coat of paint has dried, be sure to apply a second coat for better quality. It is recommended to paint with a spray bottle, but if you don’t have one, use a regular brush.
Video on this topic
Having considered all the recommendations and read the video material on installing ceiling plinths, we can safely say that this work can be done by many. If you decide to decorate the ceiling with fillets yourself, strictly follow all the instructions to get the best result.
Without finishing the ceiling with plinth, any wallpaper, even the most expensive, will lose its intended effect, and the wall will look unfinished. If the design elements are not secured carefully, then the entire design of the room will be ruined - this is immediately noticeable. Therefore, you need to know how to cut a ceiling plinth correctly.
Few are aware that there is not only hard skirting boards of various sizes, relief and section shapes, but also flexible, which cannot be avoided when designing columns or rounded ceiling shapes, especially if a multi-level one is being created.
Types of ceiling plinths
This interior design element can be made of different materials, such as polystyrene foam, plaster and polyurethane.
Ceiling plinths made of natural gypsum are heavy and even pose a certain danger - Once upon a time, gypsum was probably the only material for making ceiling stucco. With all its advantages, when it hardens, it becomes quite heavy, but at the same time, fragile, and can easily break if dropped even from a small height. In addition, a poorly secured gypsum ceiling plinth becomes simply dangerous for the residents of the house. Therefore, recently it has been used extremely rarely and is installed only by qualified craftsmen using special gypsum-based glue.
- At first glance, skirting boards made from expanded polystyrene cannot even be distinguished from gypsum elements. And the advantages are obvious: the material from which they are made is lightweight, which greatly simplifies installation and makes these decorative elements absolutely safe. Expanded polystyrene is easy to glue and holds securely on the ceiling. The variety of relief patterns, widths and thicknesses of decorative skirting boards allows you to choose them to suit any interior.
Foam plastic is not a sufficiently plastic material, so installation of such skirting boards can only be carried out on a perfectly flat surface of the wall and ceiling. If the plane is uneven, the plinth may stick at first, but over time it will lag behind the surface and sag. Therefore, in this case it is better to use a flexible polyurethane skirting board.
When purchasing such material, you need to carefully select the glue according to its components, since some components contained in the adhesive mass can melt the foam.
- Flexible skirting boards are perfect for decorating shaped surfaces, and also, due to their elasticity, fit well on surfaces with slight curvature.
The flexible plinth is lightweight and quite easy to install. It looks very neat on the walls and ceiling. It is also very difficult to distinguish it from natural gypsum stucco.
This material is produced in various variations, it can have a relief pattern or be absolutely smooth, so it can be chosen to decorate a room made in any design style.
Polyurethane adheres well to glue, but is more difficult to cut. To cut the required angle, you need a very sharp construction knife or a good hacksaw. Polyurethane-based adhesives, for example, “liquid nails,” are well suited for gluing skirting boards made of this material.
Calculation of the required amount of material
Having chosen the type of plinth required for decorative purposes, you need to calculate the required amount of material so that during installation it does not turn out that there is not enough of it or that too much has been purchased.
To accurately calculate, you need to know the length of the perimeter of the room. If the shape of the room has projections or niches, then each distance from the outer to the inner corner is measured separately and then added to the total. The result obtained is divided by the length of the plinth strip - this can be done in the store when choosing a material, since the strips can be of different lengths - 1.5 or 2 meters. It would be best to purchase one additional strip, in case of damage or other unforeseen circumstances.
Required materials and tools
In addition to the baseboards themselves, for their installation you need to have certain tools and auxiliary materials: So, for the work you will need:
- Miter box - this tool will help you accurately adjust the corners to the desired size and with smooth inner edges.
Without a special device - a miter box, it will not be easy to carry out high-quality installation - Construction knife and hacksaw.
- Tape measure, ruler, right angle squares and angle 45 degrees, you may also need a protractor.
- A simple pencil for marking.
- Spatulas - rubber and narrow metal.
- Construction gun for feeding adhesive mass from tubes.
- Container for mixing putty mass.
- Finishing putty.
- White acrylic based sealant.
- Assembly adhesive.
- Water-based emulsion paint.
Prices for ceiling skirting boards
Ceiling skirting boards
Marking at the installation location
To ensure that the installation itself does not present any difficulties, and that the baseboard fits neatly, it is necessary to carefully mark the ceiling and walls.
- To do this, you need to take one of the plinth strips and attach it to the wall and ceiling, press it well in both planes, and then mark it with a pencil, without pressing it too hard.
- When applying the plank to the ceiling, irregularities may appear and the plank will not lie flat on the plane. In this case, you can try to move the plank a little to the side, and place the joint between it and the next plank on an uneven place.
- It is better to check the evenness of the ceiling and the gluing areas in advance and try to eliminate the flaws with putty. Installing the skirting board on a flat surface will be quick and easy.
- It is very important to make the correct marks on the internal and external corners, as they are the most difficult parts when installing skirting boards.
Cutting ceiling skirting boards
In order for the two planks at the corners to perfectly coincide and form an even angle without cracks or gaps, you need to slowly cut off the edge of the plinth under. A miter box will help in this process.
This is a special tool that has slots at different angles. The plinth is placed between the two sides of the miter box, and the excess fragment is cut off through the required slots at an angle of 45 degrees. The same is done with the other strip of the baseboard to connect them at the protruding corner. Be sure to carefully check the correct direction cutting– I often make mistakes here, which leads to unnecessary waste of material.
- When well-fitted corners are combined, a correct right angle is formed. But you need to know that this is not an easy task, and it’s rare that you get perfect evenness the first time. Therefore, before you start cutting, you need to measure everything well and make markings.
- If you have to cut a plank in half or one-third, you don’t need to throw away the resulting piece - it can be used for mounting on another wall.
- The miter box will help to cut the plinth strip not only for mounting the corner, but also evenly, if necessary, since it has guide slots for this purpose, located at right angles.
- To ensure that the corner is positioned correctly, the plinth strip is laid to the bottom and wall of the chair with the side on which the glue will be applied.
- When the two planks are ready, you need to try to align them in a corner; if there is a small gap of 1.5 ÷ 2 mm, then there is nothing particularly terrible about it - this can be repaired later with putty.
With perpendicular walls there should be no problems - you get a neat angle - If suddenly, when combining the planks, a right angle does not work out, then there is no need to try to align the resulting angles. It is better to cut off the damaged piece at a right angle, and again install the plinth in the miter box, and again cut through the gap located at an angle of 45 degrees.
- If the walls in the room are not perpendicular, then the baseboard will have to be adjusted to the existing angle size without resorting to a miter box. Usually for this purpose additional marking is carried out and a template is made. It is for such purposes that a protractor may be needed.
Video: adjusting the corners of the ceiling plinth
Gluing ceiling skirting boards
Skirting strips (otherwise called fillets) are glued to wallpaper, plastered or painted surfaces in different ways.
1. If the installation of the plinth is carried out on, then it must be prepared - leveled as much as possible and covered with soil. Only when the primer has completely dried can you begin installing the plinth.
“Liquid nails” are well suited for gluing ceiling plinths to unfinished walls and ceilings. - Liquid nails-type glue is applied pointwise to the plank using a construction gun, on two sides that will be glued to the ceiling and wall.
- Next, the glue should set, i.e. baseboard with glue is necessary lie down for about a minute, and only after that it is applied and pressed against the wall and ceiling. It is best to apply pressure using a clean cloth.
- If excess leu appears on the sides, it must be carefully removed immediately, being careful not to smear it over the surfaces.
- When the installation of the skirting boards is completed, you should carefully cover all the gaps and cracks. If large enough gaps have formed between the baseboard and the ceiling or wall, they can be sealed with a sealant after the glue has dried.
- To ensure that the sealed areas are smooth and do not stand out on the baseboard, the sealant can be smoothed with your finger by dipping it in water. A rubber glove should be worn on your hand.
- Gaps at the corner joints are carefully sealed with putty. The work is carried out with a narrow spatula, the excess is wiped off with a soft sponge or removed with a spatula, so as not to damage the surface of the baguette.
- Often diluted gypsum finishing putty is used as glue to attach polystyrene foam ceiling plinths. It copes well with this function, but only if the walls and ceiling are not painted or covered with wallpaper - the putty will only lie securely on primed surfaces. The advantage of this approach is that all possible cracks are immediately filled with putty.
Prices for glue for ceiling skirting boards
Adhesive for ceiling skirting boards
Video: master class on gluing ceiling plinths
2. When installing skirting boards on wallpaper, the surface does not require special preparation, but in this case polymer-based adhesives are used for gluing. Glue is also applied to the bottom surface of the fillet, left to set, and then the baseboard is pressed against the surface of the ceiling and wall.
Polymer-based adhesive such as “Titanium” or “Dragon” Sealing cracks and gaps is done in the same way as in the case of gluing decorative elements onto a plastered or putty primed surface.
3. Recently, suspended ceilings are appearing more and more often in apartments. Many people refuse plinths, not knowing how to solve the problem of attaching them to this type of ceiling. But this problem can also be solved, and the ceiling of the room will become the crown of interior design.
- In this case, skirting boards that are as light in weight as possible should be selected, having a wide vertical platform, which is glued to the wall, since the top edge will not be fixed to it.
- To ensure that the baseboard is more securely attached to the wall, it is better to glue it before decorating the walls with wallpaper. To glue fillets in this case, you need to adhere to the technology that is used for attaching to a plastered surface.
- Next, the cracks and gaps are sealed, and after they dry, the baseboard can be painted or puttied, making an imitation of a plaster version.
- If you plan to apply paint to glued baseboards, then you should not use sealant to seal defects; in this case, you only need to use putty. But there is no need to particularly weigh down the elements with additional materials, since it will only be attached to the wall.
Video: one of the interesting ways to attach a plinth to a suspended ceiling
By deciding to decorate the ceiling with plinth yourself, you can save a lot. Such work, performed by an invited master, will cost no less than the cost of the material itself. If you carefully take all measurements and markings and approach the work with great care, then the installation will definitely be a success.
Buy traction rods. They come in a variety of heights and styles, so shop around and choose the design you like best. Typically, the angle at which the baseboard is placed in relation to the walls varies from 38º to 52º, so measure it before you start cutting.
Make a guide ruler for your cutting machine. Because The baseboard will be installed on the wall at an angle, each joint (this is where two parts of the baseboard meet) will form a compound angle. The baseboard should be cut at an angle of 45º and beveled so that the two adjacent parts fit snugly. Achieving this with two separate cuts is very difficult, so here you will learn how to cut both corners with one cut. To do this, you need a guide - this is a piece of plywood glued to the table of your machine that helps place the baseboard in exactly the same place for each piece.
Make oblique cuts where necessary. If one of the walls of the room is longer than the lengths of your existing skirting board, you need to connect the two lengths with an oblique joint. Measure the point where the connection will be, place the first part on the machine upside down at an angle, as described earlier. Adjust the machine blade to a 45º angle and cut the baseboard. Place the second part on the machine and cut in the same position of the blade, while making sure that the part you need remains on the other side of the blade.
Trim the outside corner joints. When two walls form an outside corner (creating a 270º angle in the interior of the room), the connection is very simple. Place the first piece of baseboard in the machine against the guide you made and cut it at a 45º angle. Cut the adjacent section with the saw in the same position, this time keeping the piece of baseboard you intend to use on the other side of the blade.
Trim internal corner joints. Internal corner joints are a little more complicated than external ones. The first piece of plinth should be cut into a square, which means that its edge will fit snugly against the wall. The second piece will be cut at a 45º angle as before, but then trimmed to fit closely to the profile of the first piece.
- Cut the first piece of baseboard into a square. Place on the machine and make a cut with the blade position at 0 degrees.
- Cut the second piece at a 45º angle, just like you did for the outside corner.
- Using a dark pencil, mark the edge of the cut (the second piece) along the front of the baseboard piece.
- Use a handsaw to trim the joint of the cut edge. Do this exactly along the drawn outline, removing as much wood as you want behind the front edge. Because after installation, only the outer part of the plinth will be visible; the cutting may be rough, but along the contour.
All photos from the article
If you look up in any room, you can see an interior detail that frames it around its entire perimeter, masking the connection between the ceiling and walls. Thanks to this, the appearance of the room is significantly improved and it looks cohesive. The decorative detail is called a ceiling plinth, which can be made of different materials, including polystyrene foam or PVC. Today you will learn how to attach a ceiling plinth to the ceiling and what materials will be required for this.
Preparation
The easiest way to remove an obvious connection between the wall and the ceiling is to install a ceiling plinth or fillet (its second name) in this place. The store usually offers products approximately 2 m long.
They are made from:
- polyurethane;
- wood;
- gypsum;
- polystyrene foam
Any type is attached in the same way; the installation process differs only in some nuances.
| Deciding on the material |
|
| Calculation of its quantity |
|
| Selection according to decor |
|
Tip: if there are bends in the ceiling, it is better to pay attention to polyurethane products.
Glue
There are three options for what to attach the ceiling plinth to - polymer and acrylic composition, as well as finishing putty.
The choice depends, first of all, on the further use of the premises, for:
- For kitchens, it is better to use the polymer version. It is not afraid of moisture and is durable after hardening, and chemical solvents are used to prepare the composition. So be prepared to wait 1-2 weeks until the smell disappears completely;
- for children - acrylic, as it is safer because it is made on a water basis and there will be no toxic odor in the room.
Most often, “Moment” or “Titan” are used in houses and apartments, which have proven their reliability over the course of their existence. Manufacturers offer different modifications, but the instructions on the packaging help you avoid getting confused.
Tip: when working in damp areas, use compounds that can harden in a matter of seconds.
In addition to glue, fasten wooden baguettes with screws and nails.
Preparations for installation
Proper preparation for work is the key to its quality execution:
- Remove the plinth from the packaging and place it where you will install it. Give it 24 hours to adapt to the conditions; you don’t need to immediately stick it on after purchasing it in the store;
- Buy or rent - it will help you correctly cut the ends of the fillets at 45˚, which is very important;
Advice: first cut off the corner of the fillet and only then adjust the product according to the footage.
Under no circumstances do it the other way around, otherwise you will end up with a gap in the ceiling.
You can replace cutting and fitting with decorative corners.
- Prepare the ceiling surface by making it clean and dry. Make sure there are no greasy stains on the plastic or wood base. Fill up the cracks and potholes on it, trim the walls in the place where the molding will be installed. Thanks to putty, the junction of the baseboard with the ceiling and wall will be invisible.
Pasting
You have two options:
- install a baguette after wallpapering the walls, then after each replacement you will have to change the molding;
- install the plinth after preparing the ceiling and walls. This is more difficult, but you won’t have to start all over again after changing the wallpaper; in addition, the gaps between the wall and the fillet will not be visible due to the unevenness of the first. There is also no need to be afraid that the wallpaper will get dirty during installation. We recommend the second option.
The general conditions are simple:
- Glue the fillets in the corners:
- Start installing baguettes around the perimeter of the room.
Note!
All further work will depend on the correct manufacturing of the corner.
The smoother it is, the faster and better the installation process will be.
The photo shows one of the ways to fix a PVC ceiling plinth
Advice: if you have a suspended ceiling, choose foam moldings, as they are lighter, and mount them only to the wall.
For gluing, do not use putty or sealant, only special glue.
Application of finishing putty:
- Wet the areas on the wall and ceiling with water or primer to prevent the putty from drying out quickly;
- Dilute the material and use a spatula to apply it in a thin layer on the back side of the baguette without voids;
- Position the baseboard against the ceiling and wall and then press down. Remove excess putty with a spatula and remove it from the molding with a damp rag;
- Apply the solution to the connection points of the baguettes and seal them.
Using acrylic glue:
- For a room less than 20 m2 you will need 2 packages;
- Apply primer to the surface of the ceiling and walls to improve adhesion;
- Take a glue gun or putty knife and apply a thin line of glue to the back of the molding. In the case of a suspended ceiling, the glue should only be on the sides of the wall;
- Place the baseboard in place, wait a moment and press it firmly. Usually the glue hardens quickly.
Tip: Wear gloves or freshly washed hands to avoid leaving marks on the molding.
- Remove excess mixture with a dry cloth. To create an angle, take one that repeats the profile of the cut one and connect them. The gluing technology must be followed until the framing of the room is completed.
Conclusion
You already understand how to fix a PVC ceiling plinth. It is best to do this before finishing the wall panels and start the process from the corners. If a suspended ceiling is used in the room, the technology changes somewhat.
The video in this article will provide an opportunity to expand your knowledge on this topic. If you have any questions while reading the publication and after it, please ask them in the comments, we will be happy to answer them.