How hard is Coving to do? DIY-Able?

johnwest288

Just wondering has anyone here attempted some coving before? Is it messy or hard to do? Would you need to repaint the room afterwards?
Have an average sized room to do. Is it just adhesive you use or do you need to secure with screws etc
Was thinking to use a kit like this

http://www.buy4now.ie/woodiesdiy/productdetail.aspx?pid=14544&loc=P&catid=101.15

leex

It is DIY'able if you have say correctly put up shelves before or wallpapered ok. Main thing you need to do is mark a base line the whole way around room to make sure if you start at a corner you meet it exactly at same height when you get around room. If that is the foam coving all you'll need is adhesive in my experience. Woodies etc sell heavier coving also which would need to be nailed underneath till it sets.

Spread

If you're handy and organised it's pretty easy. Remove all furniture to a yard from the walls. Set up a scaffold board as a work bench - for cutting and applying the adhesive. You need a sharp small-toothed saw, tape measure, pencil, paint scraper, some steel nails (to put under the coving until the adhesive bites) and a mitrebox. If the ceiling/wall has fresh plaster you need to seal it before fixing the coving. It's very important to get the measurements right and external angles - if you have a chimney etc. There should be video instructions on YOU TUBE. Watch and familiarise yourself and you'll do fine.

stoneill

If you use a good quality joint filler as the adhesive then no need to tack to the wall.
Mix the joint filler in a bucket, use a mixer arm on a drill if possible - gives a much better consistency.
Spread it along the entire length of coving on both surfaces that will meet the wall and ceiling. Press into place, work you way along the entire length pressing firmly into place. Remove excess joint filler.

johnwest288

Actually for anyone else interested just found a video on woodies site on how to do it.
I think I see myself loosing patience with it to be honest. I have a carpenter coming next week, might see if its something he can do.

Cheers for tips lads might give it a whirl so

RobAMerc

I did it alone which is not really advisable ( for the gypsum ones anyway ) so I gave up on the adhesive and just screwed it at both ends and centre ( although I used adhesive too ). Spend some time figuring out exactly how to do the corner cuts as I wasted more time on that than anything else. Filling the screw holes and finishing the beading and corners takes some patience but it came out really very well.

I would suggest cutting and fitting all corners first and then filling in the straight edged gaps as it's easier than getting the correct length with the corner cut too - remember measure twice and cut once !

paddy147

You will get the coving and joint filler alot cheaper in a builders providers than in Woodies.

irelandspurs

paddy147 wrote: »

You will get the coving and joint filler alot cheaper in a builders providers than in Woodies.

This.

paddy147

Gyproc Plaster Cornice.

johnwest288

paddy147 wrote: »

Gyproc Plaster Cornice.

Oh thats a nice finish, How much and where can you get Paddy?
Also I have 2 ends that will end that goes into a High Rise ceiling. Do they sell "end cappings" too for rooms with only 3 sides.

paddy147

johnwest288 wrote: »

Oh thats a nice finish, How much and where can you get Paddy?
Also I have 2 ends that will end that goes into a High Rise ceiling. Do they sell "end cappings" too for rooms with only 3 sides.

Heiton Buckleys/Chadwicks,Smiths or Goodwins Builders Providers.

Any decent builders providers in fact.:)

The "end cap" is just an offcut mitred in at the right angles to make the flush end cap.

Shinnie0503

paddy147 wrote: »

Heiton Buckleys/Chadwicks,Smiths or Goodwins Builders Providers.

Any decent builders providers in fact.:)

The "end cap" is just an offcut mitred in at the right angles to make the flush end cap.

Not sure where you are located but advertisement in Carlow Nationalist today - Doyles Topline are giving away 5 ltrs of adhesive worth €29.99 free with every 6 lengths of coving bought. May be of interest to you

looksee

I've done it diy - the gypsum stuff. Not difficult if you are organised as the others say. I didn't use any pins, if you press it into place you can kind of feel when it has stuck, that part is not difficult. You do need another body to support the other end of long sections (my totally non-diy husband :-))

Trick with the corners (unless you are using the corner cover things) is to cut the corner shape and make sure it fits then work back to the square end as that end is easy to trim for length - in other words work away from the corners, rather than into them.

johnwest288

I was also thinking to run a few well placed screws through it. I also have some extendable props i can fit in place till its set thanks for all the advice

RobAMerc wrote: »

I did it alone which is not really advisable ( for the gypsum ones anyway ) so I gave up on the adhesive and just screwed it at both ends and centre ( although I used adhesive too ). Spend some time figuring out exactly how to do the corner cuts as I wasted more time on that than anything else. Filling the screw holes and finishing the beading and corners takes some patience but it came out really very well.

I would suggest cutting and fitting all corners first and then filling in the straight edged gaps as it's easier than getting the correct length with the corner cut too - remember measure twice and cut once !

RoryMurphyJnr

was in Woodies years ago getting a couple of planks of wood, had a measuring tape on my belt.

Old guy must have took me for staff and asked about coving and corners.

I asked him was it an inside corner or an outside corner.

He told me "inside, it's for the living room"

True story

red sean

No problem to a good diyer. Measure twice, cut once.
I fitted it with leftover readymixed tile adhesive. Great grip and went off quickly.

paddy147

Staff in Woodies are absolutely clueless,sorry but they just are.

I asked 2 simple things before in a 2 different Woodies branches on Dublin Northside area.

1-Do you have 100mm long frame fixers?

Whats a frame fixer??..is the reply from the chap stocking the boxes of rawlplugs and screws on the shelves.




2-Do you sell "peat free" compost here?

Theres no such thing as "peat free" compost,compost if made from peat...is the reply.

That 2nd reply was from the gardening "expert" in a large enough Woodies branch.

He should be removed from being in charge of the gardening section and sacked for a comment like that.

I (the customer) had to explain to him what peat free compost was and whats its made from.

Fcuking clueless Woodies staff indeed.:mad:

johnwest288

looksee wrote: »

I've done it diy - the gypsum stuff. Not difficult if you are organised as the others say. I didn't use any pins, if you press it into place you can kind of feel when it has stuck, that part is not difficult. You do need another body to support the other end of long sections (my totally non-diy husband :-))

Trick with the corners (unless you are using the corner cover things) is to cut the corner shape and make sure it fits then work back to the square end as that end is easy to trim for length - in other words work away from the corners, rather than into them.

Cheers Looksee, Am i right in saying If i do all my corner fittings first, then fit my straights? I have 3 Internal Corners and 1 external corner. Or Start each length from a corner?:cool:

mark17j

Just wondering do Clondalkin builders providers sell coving? didn't see it on their site?