Coving the Dining Room

Dulciesaver

Can anyone let me know whether they have put coving up theirselves. I have telephoned a few handymen and asked for a quote to put coving up in our small dining room. They said it is not worth their while coming round to give a quote! What's going on? I have mentioned to the OH that maybe we ought to try :eek: and fit it ourselves, only for him to say "you're having a laugh" Please let me know whether this is a fairly straight forwad job. We do have one of those Mitre blocks and the OH can put skirting on.

aliasojo

If you take your time and dont panic, you can do this easily. I put coving throughout our house and whilst it's a bit of a messy job, it's not difficult.

If you use the paper covered plaster cove, you can sand it to shape and also fill any dodgy corners with the adhesive or filler and then sand that too.

I use Fast Set which is a powder you mix with water. It can be used for filling plasterboard joints too.

I saw the job a professional did in my friend's new build and I was shocked at how rough the corners were. They didn't even bother to make them accurate, they just filled and sanded to shape. That's when I knew I could do a better job, lol.

Slap the adhesive on the top and bottom edge stick to top of wall/ceiling and support with nails until the adhesive dries. You dont actually nail the coving, you just bang a nail in underneath so the coving is resting on the nail. Do the same on the ceiling, so the nail stops the coving falling forward. You dont need loads, just a few along the length.

Once the adhesive dries, pull the nails out and press some adhesive/filler into the nail holes and also along the length of the coving to fill any small gaps.

Wipe of excess with a damp sponge. Once dry, fill/gently sand any bits you're not happy with.

When I first started putting up coving, I had gaps in the corners the size of a tunnel and I was terrified. Filler is your friend though...it covers up a lot. :rotfl:

My corners are much more accurate now.

This is one of those jobs that seems more scarey than it needs to be, honestly.

If you really cant face doing the corners, you can buy ready made corners that you just butt a straight length up to. You can also get decorative corners that are embossed and made to stand out against the plain coving.

Have a go....what's the worst that can happen?

wallbash

What a good reply agree with nearly all the posting
apart from the mention of the embossed look :eek:
Also when handling a 2/3 metre lentgh an extra pair of hands is perfered.

loracan1

Coving's not too difficult, worst bits are when you've got a long length to put up and you've only got an 11year old to hold the broom handle up to the end you start from (reluctant to use nails unless have checked for cables - there's a lot in this house)

The paper covered coving is very easy to cut - I use a blue mitre gadget from Wickes cost about 3 quid and gives a really neat finish, never had to sand any edges to fit, only ever needed to do slight filling in. I already have plaster coving in some of the rooms - having fitted some myself I can now see that it isn't perfect yet had never noticed in the last 15 years...

Adhesive, I've used the recommended coving adhesive before now but have seen caulking used and might try that with the last bit of coving I need to put up (one length going over the stairs - dreading it!)

Also, measure accurately and then measure again.

Dulciesaver

Thank you sooo much for the replies on how to do the best job possible with myself and OH (Laurel & Hardy) doing it:D

It sounds feasible that we can do this - haven't really got a choice because no-one wants to give us a quote (builders must still be busy......)

I'll let you know how we get on - won't be for about two weeks and this weekend's treat is laying a new laminate floor, then the skirting boards. Yipeee, what more could a girl want than a DIY weekend!!:rotfl:

Now all I have to think about is how to tackle getting the coving back home in our little hatchback!!

Fred_Bear_2

Just two points to the advice already given: It's much easier if the wall and ceiling are straight, if not you will need extra filler to fill the gaps. Also if possible buy coving long enough to stretch from corner to corner; my local Jewsons stock 3.6 metre lengths. Oh and do some practice mitres first to check your angle cutting skill. HTH.

Poppycat

I did our hallway a few months back just got the cheap polystyrene coving from B&Q along with the adhesive in a tub

Just cut the polystyrene to size and paste the back of it and stick it on you have to get the corner bits too, very easy, but we did have a few moments when the walls are out on corners where the joints dont quiet match but we puts some fine filler and and sanded down with fine sandpaper and then used emulsion

We only got the coving because we took some polystyrene tiles off and we had gap between wallpaper and ceiling. Thats our 2nd house we have had that has awful polystyrene tiles.

burnsguitarman

You can also buy paper covered polystyrene coving which looks like the 'real thing' and is much lighter, but is only available in shorter lengths. It is available from Wickes amongst other places.
I tried this in smaller rooms, and it's fine!

sodamnfunky

I cant believe that you couldnt get someone around. I have taken on small jobs like this, and it sometimes leads to bigger jobs, an example is fixing a piece of plasterboard on a ceiling, charged them £15, ended up converting their loft. Trust me builders are not that busy at present.

To cut the corners, you can buy a small template that sits against the coving and you use as a cutting guide. I have one and it works a treat, and makes things so much quicker.

I personally wouldnt use the polystyrene coving as the plaster stuff is easier to fit and looks better IMO.

nicmic

Hi,

Thought I'd piggy-back on this fairly old thread.

Has anyone got any preferences for paper-fronted plaster coving versus plaster only? I think the all-plaster product is "better" but wonder if there are any other considerations.

Also, any thoughts on corner moldings, as opposed to plain mitres? This will be going into a 1920's semi and I'm concerned that it may look out of place if I use moldings, but I do like the look of them.

TIA
Nick.

wallbash

I find the plaster only is better as you can sand and fill ( or rather fill and sand :rolleyes:)

Also forget the corner bits. Reason you have only one 'cut' which is right in the corner to hide. The corner pieces will need two joins ( which are far more visible to repaier0