How to saw off a ceiling plinth on a miter box. How to cut a ceiling plinth in the corners

When planning in the premises of their apartment, many people think about how difficult the work can be. However, everything is not so scary: you can install the ceiling plinth with your own hands - the main thing is to know about some of the features of the materials from which this finishing element is made.

Different materials and their features

  • Wood . The most durable material compared to the other two below, the advantages of which are hardness, impact resistance and the ability to withstand certain mechanical loads. Nevertheless, wooden skirting boards (another name is fillets) glued to the ceiling are also relatively easy to process - they can be cut (a hacksaw is used for this), varnished. The tree will give warmth to the interior. Of the minuses, one can name a higher cost than that of polystyrene. However, wooden fillets also retain their appearance longer than foam ones.
  • Styrofoam . Perhaps this material is the most fragile - it is not resistant to mechanical damage, scratches and even light blows. Of the advantages - light weight, the ability to stain in various colors and ease of processing (it can be cut with a clerical knife - however, very carefully).
  • Styrofoam . This material can be considered a type of foam, however, its strength characteristics are slightly higher (extruded polystyrene foam is denser than polystyrene). As for processing - expanded polystyrene is just as easy to cut with an ordinary sharp knife, and also has a small weight, and this is an important factor when considering the load on the walls.
  • Both foam plastic and expanded polystyrene have one significant advantage: the softness of the material allows you to press the baseboard as tightly as possible to the corners and to each other, as a result of which there are no gaps. In addition, modern polystyrene skirting boards are made in such a way that they have a small recess - especially for hidden wiring.

    Useful. able to transform the appearance of a standard apartment into an elegant stylish interior.

    Miter box - a tool for cutting skirting board corners

    There are two ways to cut corners - with a tool (miter box) and without it. We will look at both methods.

    Plastic miter box

    A miter box is a carpenter's tool, which is a small rectangular tray (you can make it yourself from wood or buy it ready-made from plastic or metal), in the walls of which there are grooves. The grooves guide the hacksaw blade at a certain angle to the axis of the tray.

    Important: the cutting angle of the edge of the plinth is always oblique and equal to 45 ° when processing elements intended for butt installation in the corners of the ceiling. An oblique cut provides a tighter fit of the fillets.

    Making a miter box with your own hands

    Unfortunately, not everyone at home has the whole arsenal of carpentry tools, but you can make a similar miter box yourself. To do this, a rectangular tray is knocked together from planks, then grooves are sawn in the walls - at an angle of 45 °.

    Homemade plywood miter box

    To measure the angle, you can use 2 downed boards and a protractor or an ordinary right-angled triangle - that's the miter box and you're done!

    Method 1 - trimming the edge of the plinth with a miter box

    It is worth noting that the ceiling corners can be both internal and external, and the difference between them lies in the methods of joining and different angles of cuts. The first ones are found at the joints of two walls and the ceiling, the second ones - when decorating ledges, columns, outer edges of niches, pilasters, etc.

    The angle of inclination of the groove in the miter box can be equal to 45°, 60°, and 90°. Professional carpenters purchase a miter box with a swivel mechanism - in this it is very convenient to turn the cutting tool when cutting the baseboard.

    Cutting "internal" corners

    Important! To cut the “inner” corner, the fillet should be placed on the bottom of the miter box with the upper part - the one that will be glued to the ceiling. In this case, the lower part of the bar should be firmly pressed against the wall of the tray.

    Step 1: the correct measurement of the length of the plinth according to its marking on the wall, drawing a “serif” with a pencil on the material for the future cut.

    Step 2: installation of material in the miter box. The correct placement of the skirting board in the tray will determine the correctness of cutting the edges of the fillets, and, accordingly, the accuracy of placing them on the ceiling.

    Step 3: after the plinth is installed and tightly fixed in the miter box (you can simply press the material firmly with one hand), a hacksaw is set into the groove at 45 °. Now the material can be cut. The edges of the second plinth, which will be installed adjacent to the first, are cut in the same way, only as if in a mirror image (the plinth is installed in the opposite direction, the edges are also cut at an angle of 45 °).

    Important: when trimming the edges of the fillets, jewelry accuracy is needed - otherwise the material will be damaged, and the appearance of the skirting boards at the joints of the walls too. If polystyrene foam baseboards are used, then the edges can be cut off with an ordinary sharp knife without a miter box. However, it should be remembered that cutting corners must be done from the front side.

    Cutting "outer" corners

    The difference between cutting the “external” corner and the “internal” one is that the skirting boards should protrude slightly from the edge of the wall - for the so-called overlap.

    We repeat steps 1, 2, 3 in the same way as cutting "internal" corners. However, it should be remembered that the upper part of the plinth (one of the edges) should have a small allowance. The second (adjacent) overlay is cut in the same way, only mirrored to the first.

    Cutting the edges of a wooden ceiling plinth is easiest (and best) with a hacksaw for metal - with fine, frequent teeth. Then the cuts will be more accurate and even. And the foam is well cut with an ordinary sharp knife (or construction) - but the blade must be well honed, otherwise the material will crumble when cutting.

A ceiling plinth is a product that looks no different from its counterpart for flooring. It is also called a fillet. This detail serves to mask the joints of the wall and ceiling. It is installed at the very end of the finishing work, since the element does not carry any functional load, but plays only a decorative role. The installation process of the product is quite simple, but many are faced with the dilemma of how to make the corner of the ceiling plinth. Depending on the selected materials and tools that are available, the corners of the fillet 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 shortcomings, it is worth noting the high cost and exposure to temperature extremes. Due to this feature, the corners of the ceiling plinth made of this material may crack if a stove is installed below. It is also important to remember that with inaccurate trimming, slight deformations are possible, which in the end can lead to significant curvature.
  • Polystyrene. Practically no different from the previous material, but they have a lower level of strength, so they break easily due to mechanical stress. Also, polystyrene products cost a little less.
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This is the cheapest material available. The low cost has left an imprint on the quality: the products are difficult to work with, they are prone to dents. To make an external or internal corner of a PVC ceiling plinth, you need to have 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 master can install plastic parts.
  • Wooden. These plinths look impressive. Unlike all other products, wooden materials are installed on self-tapping screws or nails, and not on glue.

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

Creating fillet corners

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

How to use the treatment chair

A miter box is one of the simplest carpentry tools, with which they cut various products at different angles. Usually it is a plastic, metal or wooden tray with several slots in the walls. The simple version only has slots for 45 and 90 degree angles. In more complex ones, there are more angles, and a professional tool is equipped with a rotary mechanism that 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 fixed in the tray, and then processed with a cutting tool (knife, saw, and so on), lowering it into the slots.


Trimming the ceiling plinth with a miter box

How to properly cut a ceiling plinth for an inner corner on a miter box:

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

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

On a note! First of all, it is necessary to arrange 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 the ceiling plinth for the outer corner:

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

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

Processing fillets using markup

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

  • A thin hard pencil or marker (such a tool leaves clear lines, so you don’t have to peer).
  • A small fragment of a fillet.
  • Ruler or tape measure.
  • Special construction or clerical knife for processing polystyrene, polyurethane or PVC baguettes.
  • Saw or hacksaw for processing wooden skirting boards.

Before cutting off the ceiling plinth, it is necessary to lean the plank 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, an intersection will be obtained on the ceiling surface, in which it will be necessary to dock 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 markup. After that, 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, the inside of the skirting board can interfere with the connection of the parts on the surface. To prevent this from happening, you can do this: 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. Similarly, the next bar should be processed. In this way, lengthy processing after fitting can be avoided.

Next, you need to adjust the joint, but already at the installation site of the fillet. That is, before gluing the ceiling plinth in the corners, it is necessary to check the internal joint without applying adhesive or fasteners. Then carry out the same manipulations for the slats of the outer corner. After preliminary fitting and bringing the corners to an ideal state, you can glue the products.

Now the question of how to join ceiling plinths at uneven corners should not arise.

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 I cut off the corner of the ceiling plinth if the surfaces are perfectly flat:

  1. A ruler is applied to the fillet at an angle of 45 degrees. Using a knife, an unnecessary fragment is cut off with one movement of the hand.
  2. If there is a wooden product, the plinth is first marked with a pencil, after which it is sawn off with a saw or a hacksaw.

If the wall surfaces are uneven, then the first step is to measure the degree of the angle, and then divide it into 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 in order to cut the baseboard, you will have to do 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 hardware stores and are immediately ready for use. Fillets are simply glued to the surface, and the junction is closed with a decorative element. In this case, the question of how to properly cut the plinth does not make sense. Even if the joint turned out to be uneven, this defect will be hidden by a decorative corner.

How to replace the miter box with improvised means

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

  • First way. It is necessary to prepare three wooden boards of 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 will need a square or a protractor for this), and then make cuts with a hacksaw. The result is a homemade miter box. How to cut ceiling plinths with this tool is indicated above.

  • The second way. In this case, before cutting the ceiling plinth, a simple structure should be built 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:
    • fillet is laid on a wooden corner;
    • in the marked place - a template with drawn lines is applied to the product and trimmed.

  • The third way. This method is the easiest, but it requires some experience and a steady hand. In this case, you can use any design that has a right angle, for example, a table.

On a note! Before cutting a corner, measurements should be taken at the fixation point. To mark the inner corner, they begin to measure from the junction of the walls. Before cutting out the outer corner, it is necessary to apply markings, taking into account the fact that the product will go beyond the boundaries of the surface by its thickness.

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

Installation of skirting boards

This operation will be successful if you follow a few recommendations:

  1. Installation of ceiling fillets begins precisely with the design of the corners. After completing this operation, you can proceed with the installation of the remaining parts.
  2. During fixation of 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.
  3. If a PVC skirting board was purchased, then to fix it, you can use the finishing putty, which may have remained after the finishing work.
  4. Before gluing the skirting boards to the ceiling, it is necessary to treat the surfaces with a special primer or simply with water. Then the fillets are installed in their places and wait until the surface under them dries out. 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 with a level, even if the fillets look perfectly even to the eye. It is also important to remember that this element carries an exclusively decorative load, so even the smallest oversights are unacceptable.

The aesthetic perception of the entire room directly depends on the beauty of the ceiling finish. This is especially true for the quality of gluing a baguette: if it is not difficult to do this on straight sections of walls, then when decorating corner sections, you will need to know how to cut ceiling plinths.

Varieties of ceiling plinths

Baguette classification is carried out according to the material of manufacture:

  • Gypsum. The most ancient representatives of ceiling plinths. For their casting, special matrices were used. Various solutions were used as an adhesive mounting composition. The name "fillets" is also applied to plaster baguettes. In modern construction, they are used very rarely due to the high cost and inconvenience of installation. In addition, more reliable and inexpensive imitations of gypsum fillets have appeared.
  • Polystyrene (polyurethane). The most common type of ceiling plinth. Products of this type are characterized by low cost, excellent aesthetic characteristics, ease of installation and a rich assortment in terms of external design. The width of polystyrene baguettes varies between 5-250 mm. They can be used in any type of room, complementing various interior styles.

  • Wooden. Expensive and rather bulky baguettes, with the help of which wooden houses are mainly decorated with the corresponding interior. To install wooden planks, in addition to glue, screws and nails are often used.
  • Plastic. Great for bathrooms and other wet areas. Installation is carried out on a special moisture-resistant glue or hidden screws.

When installing the above products, you need to know how to cut the ceiling plinth. This does not apply to plastic products that are equipped with special corner adapters.

What tool do you need

When installing a ceiling plinth, it must be cut to size or at the corners.

To cut the corner of the ceiling plinth, as a rule, the following tools will help:

  • Wood saw. It is applied to work with wooden products.
  • Hacksaw for metal. This tool is convenient to cut plastic, foam and polymer friezes. As a result, it is possible to obtain a fairly clean joint without burrs. When working with saws, it is convenient to use a miter box.
  • Stationery knife. With it, you can cut foam baguettes without using special tools. The main thing is that the knife is well sharpened and has a thin and even blade. If you act carefully, the cut is smooth, without any dents.

When using a saw, it is important not to apply excessive force, otherwise the baseboard will wrinkle. It is best to first practice on some unnecessary piece. This will allow you to get beautiful fragments in the future.

Ways to get a beautiful angle

The most difficult area in the design of the ceiling surface with a frieze is the corner sections. If you just cut the baseboard at the right angle, you will have ugly gaps. To achieve a snug fit of two adjacent products, it is also necessary to trim their edges. There are several ways to do this.

How to cut a corner with a miter box


How to cut off the corner of the ceiling plinth, if the outer corner is formed:

  1. Before cutting the corners of the ceiling plinth with a miter box, it is washed down at an angle of 45 degrees.
  2. The miter box is set in a comfortable position. This will make it possible to determine the exact location of the plinth: first of all, this concerns the edge of the product that will be adjacent to the ceiling. To avoid confusion, it is most convenient to place the right-hand bar on the right, and the left-hand bar on the left.
  3. The surface is pressed against the lower surface of the miter box. In this case, the second part rises, being the closest. It must be attached to the wall of the miter box in such a way as to avoid its staggering during operation. With this arrangement, the front side of the product is turned in the opposite direction.
  4. The cut must be made at an angle of 45 degrees from you. If everything is done correctly, when folding the two halves, a beautiful outer corner is obtained.

After the correct sawing of the ceiling plinth in the corners is completed, both pieces must first be applied to the ceiling “dry” in order to check the coincidence of the corner geometry. If necessary, adjustments are trimmed with a knife. Small gaps are easier to cover with putty, which, after drying, must be processed with sanding paper. As for the inner corner, it is much easier to arrange it.


The procedure for how to cut a ceiling plinth in the corners of the internal type is in many ways similar to that described above. The first step is to determine the side that will be adjacent to the ceiling. It is laid on the bottom of the miter box. The reverse side leans against the near wall. After sawing off the plinth on the ceiling is completed, the resulting fragments must be applied dry to the corner, checking the quality of the join. Adjustments are made if necessary. After that, the installation of one and the second plinth on the assembly composition is carried out. Small gaps in the corner can be filled with a special putty.

Other pruning methods

As a rule, evenness of walls and ceilings is rarely observed in ordinary rooms. With minor deviations, they can be trimmed during the fitting process. If the deviation of the angle from the standard 90 degrees is large, you need to know how to cut the ceiling plinth without a miter box.


There is only one way out in such a situation - to carry out the procedure of how to cut corners on the baseboards on the ceiling in place:

  • To carry out the procedure, how to properly cut the plinth to the ceiling, you need to arm yourself with a finely sharpened pencil (you can use it to make clear marks that are not visible from afar), a baguette fragment, a ruler and a good clerical knife (if a plastic or wooden plinth is mounted, then with a saw).
  • Having attached the frieze to the corner, make a mark with a pencil along the outer edge. Do the same with the reverse side of the corner. As a result, the lines should form a cross on the ceiling. The point of intersection of the marks will be the place where the edges of the ceiling frieze converge. To transfer the diagram of how to properly cut the ceiling plinth at the corners, the frieze is applied and rested with the end part against the corner.
  • Next, using a ruler, you need to connect the edges of the frieze and markings. A simple operation, how to cut a ceiling plinth on a hard surface, will not give a positive result: there will still not be a complete connection along the cut of the corner of two separate baguettes. In this case, it is necessary to carry out additional cutting in place. This option is suitable for not very wide friezes (up to 5 cm).
  • To cut the corner more accurately, you need to put the plinth on the end. When cutting, the knife should move obliquely at an angle of 45 degrees (so that the edge is sharpened). After that, local adjustment, if needed, is on a very small scale.
  • A similar procedure, how to properly cut the plinth on the ceiling, is also carried out in relation to the second plank. It must be applied to the place of future installation, resting the end of the adjacent side of the corner. Next, mark the point with a cross, mark and cut off at the bottom. If adjustment is required, then it is carried out even before spreading with glue.

Similar actions are carried out on the outer corner. It is most convenient to cut one corner first, and adjust the second one along it.

Use of decorative corners

This refers to special corner adapters, which are usually completed with polyurethane and polystyrene friezes. Decorative corners are glued to the very corner, and baguettes adjoin them on both sides. Fitting in this case is either not required at all, or is carried out with a simple clerical knife.


Docking on straight sections

The corner sections are considered the most difficult areas when decorating the ceiling perimeter with a frieze. Having passed the first corner, they usually begin to move in both directions at once, gluing the bar after the bar in turn. If the frieze with direct docking fits all, there are no problems: cutting both edges with a miter box at an angle of 90 degrees, they are connected with mounting glue. The main thing is to achieve maximum invisibility of the joint.


A slight difficulty arises when the installation work approaches the next corner and the frieze needs to be cut to length. This should be done with a certain margin for cutting the corner. Experienced craftsmen recommend leaving a margin of at least 10-15 cm, taking into account possible errors during registration (sometimes it doesn’t work the first time). After the corner of the frieze is cut and checked, the bar is applied dry to the area remaining from the corner with a straight cut towards the nearest baguette. Having noted with a simple pencil the length is necessary, the excess is cut off at an angle of 90 degrees, and the manufactured and fitted segment is glued.


The installation of baguettes and skirting boards gives the repair a finished and neat look, but only if the trimming is done correctly and all joints converge perfectly evenly. For cropping, different tools and methods are used to facilitate the work, but it is also important to take into account the many nuances that we will talk about today.

Types of ceiling and floor plinths, choice of tools

Installation of baguettes and skirting boards is no less important stage of repair than any other. And trimming the corners here is the hardest part. It is important to choose the right tool for the job and the most appropriate cutting method.

Ceiling plinth

A ceiling baguette, also known as a molding, fillet, border or just a plinth, is most often used to finish the joint between the wall and the ceiling. Although sometimes they cover the inner corners, make decorative frames or panels, decorate niches and architectural elements. There are several of the most popular materials for the manufacture of ceiling moldings:

Plastic (polyvinyl chloride). Wide and rigid moldings are more convenient to cut with a hacksaw. If you need a more gentle tool, use a jigsaw.

Styrofoam (polystyrene foam). Very light and porous material, which is best cut with a sharp construction or clerical knife.

Wooden baguettes. For cutting, helical-toothed saws, specially designed for baguettes, are suitable. You can also use manual or electric jigsaws.

Floor plinth

A modern floor plinth can hardly be called a plank that closes the gap. This is a constructive component that complements the design and emphasizes the overall design. Skirting boards are made from several materials:

Wooden can be made from solid wood or veneer. For trimming use flat or circular saws, jigsaws.

Plastic skirting boards- "dangerous" competitors to the traditional tree. Easily installed and cut with a conventional hacksaw for metal.

Aluminum skirting boards- the last word in interior design. They are usually cut with an electric saw or a hand saw for metal.

Only on wooden skirting boards will you have to do the corner trimming. The rest are cut evenly and connected using special corners.

Corner types

Corner joining and plinth trimming differs depending on the type of corner, they are distinguished: internal, external and non-standard.

Interior angle, in other words, the angle of the room is less than 180°, typically 90°. When trimming an inside corner, the bottom of the ceiling plinth always protrudes above the top. First of all, it is still necessary to measure the angle between the walls, if it is standard and equal to 90 °, then the planks are cut at an angle of 45 °. The baguette, which is glued on the right side, should be cut on the left, and the left plank on the right.

The outer or outer angle is less common, it is more than 180 °, usually about 270 °. In working with such angles, everything is exactly the opposite. The edge of the plinth, which will be pressed against the ceiling, should be larger than the bottom.

Irregular corners. These most often mean angles with a degree greater or less than the standard of 90 ° and 270 °, as well as various kinds of rounding. Pruning in this case is carried out "by eye" or with markings in place. Sections with roundings are assembled from several small elements, each of which is adjusted in turn.

Methods for cutting skirting boards

If the corners are standard, it is most convenient to cut the baseboards with a miter box or a stencil. In other cases, they resort to the method of marking in place.

Cutting a baguette with a miter box

A miter box is a carpentry tool that is designed specifically for cutting a baguette. It can be made from plastic, wood or metal. The shape resembles a tray with slots (grooves) on the walls. The miter box helps to correctly determine the angle of inclination and evenly cut the bar at 45, 60 or 90 degrees. Some models may have more graduation guides.

When working with a miter box, it is important to correctly place the baguette:

  1. The baguette in the end section has the shape of an irregular triangle, so the side that will be glued to the ceiling is pressed against the bottom of the miter box, and the wall side against the wall of the instrument.
  2. The cut is made through opposite grooves. If you need to cut the baguette under the inner corner, then it is cut at an acute angle, and if the outer one is at a blunt one.
  3. Ceiling plinths are always laid against the nearest wall. The left side is placed on the left side, and the right side, respectively, on the right side.
  4. Floor plinths are applied to the far wall of the miter box, “away from you”. Corners are cut according to the same principle.

A stencil is nothing more than a flat imitation of a miter box. Make it easy. To begin with, it is worth arming yourself with a ruler, a pencil and a protractor.

Two parallel lines are drawn on a flat surface, the width between which should not be less than the width of the baguette. A perpendicular is drawn in the middle of the segments. All angles must be 90°. Further, this segment connecting the two parallels is divided in half and two more lines are drawn through the point at an angle of 45 ° from the perpendicular. A baguette is placed on the stencil, as in a miter box.

Cutting with pencil marks

This is another way to cut a baguette straight without a miter box.

For the inside corner. The plinth is applied to the ceiling as it will have to stand, to the left of the corner, and a line is drawn on the ceiling. Then the segment is applied to the other side, to the right of the corner, and a line is also drawn on the ceiling. The two lines should form an intersection point. The plinth segments are again applied in turn and a straight line is lowered from the intersection point to the lower edge of the plinth, it will be the cut line.

For outside corner. A plinth is applied to the right of the corner and a line is drawn on the ceiling with a pencil beyond the corner of the wall connection. After that, a plinth is applied on the left side of the corner and a second line is drawn to the intersection with the first. The intersection point is transferred to the upper edge of the baguette. The point where the corner of the walls converges and the inner bottom edge of the baguette will be the second mark. Two points connect and cut the baguette along the line.

Cutting a wide molding with a pattern

If a large pattern on the surface of the curb fell just at the junction of the inner corner, it will have to be adjusted, otherwise the overall look will be spoiled.

A section with a pattern is cut out of the ceiling molding, leaving 5 cm of margin on the sides. The resulting area is divided in half, that is, an even cut is made in the middle of the pattern. After that, the baguette is alternately cut in the miter box or by eye.

A few helpful tips to help you get started:

  1. It's worth practicing on a short cut before you start on a fine cut.
  2. The baguette should be cut from the front side, then the cut irregularities will remain on the reverse side.
  3. The saw cut can be carefully trimmed with a knife or sandpaper.
  4. Cut the plinth on a hard, flat surface.
  5. If a miter box is used, for convenience it can be fixed to the work surface with self-tapping screws.
  6. If the result is unsatisfactory and the gaps at the joints are still visible, they can be carefully puttied.

If the corners in the room being repaired are even, you can buy ready-made corners for the selected type of baguette and completely avoid the stage with cutting corners.

Installing the skirting board is the finishing touch of the renovation. And if the installation of the product on straight sections of the joints of walls and ceilings is quite easy, then facing the corners often causes problems. Many people, not knowing the technology of cutting the plinth, spoil more than a dozen planks in the hope of joining them in difficult places. We will show you how to properly ennoble the outer and inner corners so that they look neat and give the interior a complete look.

Varieties of ceiling plinths and scope

Before moving on to the issue of cutting a product, consider its varieties. After all, it depends on the choice of this finishing element whether the room will receive the desired visual volume and whether it will become more comfortable and pleasing to the eye.

It is not so difficult to choose the ideal option for finishing the ceiling joint, which will be in harmony with the design of the room, because the range of products today is very wide. On sale there are ceiling plinths (fillets) made of different materials: plastic, polystyrene, polyurethane, polystyrene foam, wood and gypsum. At the same time, all strips can have a different color, texture, profile configuration, as well as dimensions. Consider the features of the use of fillets, depending on what material they are made of.

Knowing which type of skirting board is best to use in a place that needs finishing, it will be easier for you to navigate when choosing a product and pay maximum attention to creating your unique interior design.

  1. Plastic products, in addition to the decorative function, can be used as a groove for fixing PVC wall panels. Such fillets are not glued to the surface, but are attached to a pre-mounted frame using brackets or self-tapping screws.
  2. It is advisable to use foam strips for finishing plasterboard suspended ceilings. They can also be installed on the concrete base itself, previously plastered. This is the most budget option for a ceiling plinth, as the product has a rough surface that is prone to contamination. Therefore, it is desirable to apply a layer of paint on such fillets after installation.
  3. Polyurethane decorative elements are used for the final finishing of false ceilings made of PVC panels. The fillet is fixed using a special adhesive for PVC products.
  4. The EPS ceiling plinth is a versatile finishing element, as it can be used to finish primed surfaces, as well as ceilings lined with plastic panels. The plinth can be fixed with special glue or gypsum putty.
  5. Plaster products are often used to give the interior a certain pomposity, typical, for example, for royal houses. Installation of such skirting boards is carried out on gypsum materials, that is, putty or alabaster.
  6. A fillet made of wood is a classic option for decorating ceiling-wall joints. This is the most expensive version of the plinth, but also the most durable.

Gallery of types of ceiling plinth

Tools for the job

The first question that people who are going to install the plinth with their own hands ask is how to cut it? The tool is selected depending on the material from which the fillet is made. For example, PVC products have a hollow structure. Therefore, in order to make the cut edges as smooth as possible when cutting them, you need to use a hacksaw with fine teeth. Otherwise, cracks and chips may form on the finish.

The best option is to use a saw for metal - its teeth are small, and the width of their divorce is suitable. However, the use of a hacksaw is limited to products with a rigid structure, that is, it is not suitable for thin-walled fillets. The fact is that the teeth can severely damage the surface of the baseboard.

You can also use a manual jigsaw to cut fillets. When cutting products with such a tool, the corners are as smooth as possible. But this device has several drawbacks. Due to the short length of the cutting blade, the use of a miter box (a special tool for cutting skirting boards) becomes very problematic. Also, cutting is slow.

Helpful Hint: If the fillet has thin walls, then use a clerical knife to cut it, namely its construction modification with a reinforced blade.

What is a chair?

High-quality trimming of the product is possible only with strict observance of geometric shapes. When installing the skirting board, the fulfillment of this condition is extremely important, because in order to obtain a neat connecting seam between the decorative elements, it is necessary to have an even cut. If you perform this procedure “by eye”, then it will not be possible to make a gapless connection of two skirting boards, because the ends will not correspond to each other.

The highest quality cut can be made using a special carpentry tool called a miter box. Its design may be different, but the principle of operation always remains the same. There are devices with manual adjustment of the cutting angle, but often builders use the standard variation of the tool, which is a wooden or plastic tray with vertical grooves in the walls for inserting a saw. Thanks to the miter box, you can easily perform vertical trimming of skirting boards at an angle of 45 and 90 degrees.

In addition to the cutting tool and carpentry fixture, when installing the fillet, you may need: a pencil, a protractor, a self-tapping screw, mounting glue and sealant.

Corner cutting technology

Cutting fillets for external corners is performed in the opposite direction

You can cut the plinth with the help of a miter box and without it. Let's consider each of the methods. Qualitatively cutting a corner with a special tool is very simple. First, the required length of the fillet is measured. Then the first plinth is placed in the miter box, and the cutting tool is inserted into the vertical holes. The location of the hacksaw is selected based on the angle at which you want to cut the product. Next, the cut is made. At the second stage, the second plank is trimmed, which will dock with the first. In this case, the hacksaw should be inserted into opposite grooves at the same angle.

Important: When combining two planks between them, you should get a right angle. Only in this case, you can proceed to the next stage - fixing the product.

Trimming corners without the use of carpentry tools is carried out using markings at the installation site. The greatest inconvenience in this case is to hold the decorative element under the ceiling. First, measurements are taken here: the strips cut at right angles are applied in turn to the place of their installation and outlined with a pencil. The result is a connection point of elements. Then a cut line is drawn on the planks from the junction point to the corner and the products are cut off, followed by checking the accuracy of the connection.

Cutting instruction

To join the trim element at the inner corner, you need to cut the left and right strips. Consider the method of cutting using a miter box. The procedure here is as follows:

For ease of cutting, insert the right plinth into the tray on the left side, turning it over

  1. First, we mark the corner in order to eliminate the situation with a lack of length of the prepared product.
  2. We take the left bar in the left hand and install it in the miter box at the side of the device farthest from us. In this case, we place the fillet at such an angle at which it will be installed to the ceiling.
  3. Next, insert the saw into the near right and far left vertical holes of the miter box (at an angle of 45 degrees to the bar). We make cuts.
  4. We install the right bar by analogy with the left. In this case, the product must be turned over so that its ceiling edge lies on the base of the miter box.
  5. This time we insert the hacksaw into the near left and far right grooves. We make a cut.
  6. We take both planks, join them on the floor and check the accuracy of their fit to each other.

As for the external corners, they are rarely found indoors, but, unlike the internal ones, their flaws are more noticeable. In this case, extremely accurate docking is required. If the value of the internal angle is 90 degrees, then the external angle is 270 degrees. Therefore, the fillets here are cut in the opposite direction.

To finish the outer corner, the left plinth strip is cut similarly to the right one for the inner corner, and the right one is similar to the left

Stages of work:

  1. We measure the sides of the corner.
  2. We take the left bar in the left hand and set it in the miter box.
  3. We insert a hacksaw into the near left and far right grooves at an angle of 45 degrees to the plinth and cut the product.
  4. We start the reciprocal bar, turning it over. We put the saw in the near right and far left holes. We make cuts.
  5. We check on the floor the accuracy of the joint of the two planks. If everything is in order, then you can proceed to fixing the decorative element.

Video: How to cut the plinth correctly

How to cut fillets correctly

If your home has rounded corners, finishing them will take more time and work. Installation of a plinth in this case requires certain skills. Such corners can be ennobled in two ways:

  1. We cut the fillet into pieces 5 cm wide. Depending on the length of the arc, a different number of parts may be required, but it is advisable to use at least four. Straight ends should be only at the extreme parts, which will join with the plinth itself.
  2. Now glue the extreme pieces to the previously installed straight fillets.
  3. We adjust the remaining pieces, trimming them as necessary. Glue all the pieces together.
  4. We close the gaps with sealant or putty. We tint and mask the joints, giving the finish a finished look.

Helpful Hint: Number each piece so you don't mix up the order in which you put them together.

Similarly, the plinth is mounted on columns and poles located in the room.

The use of a flexible fillet allows you to minimize the number of corner pieces, because in some situations one plank is enough to finish the corner. Often such a plinth is made of polyurethane, so it can be bent at any angle. By the way, the product is often used for facing complex ceiling structures with rounded elements.

Video: Washed down corners at fillets

The presence of connecting parts in the interior is not always appropriate. A more aesthetic approach to the joining of the ceiling plinth is the formation of connecting seams. Accurate sawing of the product is the key to a beautiful appearance of the entire finish.

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