Top ten coving tips

Coving can add a real elegance to any room, but before you start thinking about putting coving up, here are a few things to consider with a list of the top ten coving tips.

Room size
The size of your room can influence the type of coving you choose. If your room is small, overly ornate or deep profile style covings can make the room look even smaller. If your room is large or has very high ceilings thin, delicate coving will become ‘lost’ and its effect negated. Choose a style that compliments the size of your room.

Ornate or plain?
The design of your coving depends on the style of the room. A modern or minimalist décor will suit a more modern style of coving, whereas a more ornate design will work well with traditional styles of decoration.

Other features
If your design incorporates other features such as ceiling roses or dado rails, coving can balance the effect and give the room a symmetry that is pleasing to the eye. If other features are to be the primary focus of the room, a simpler style of coving may be more appropriate.

Glue
Depending on the type of material you are working with, use the appropriate adhesive to give maximum hold. Superglue, despite its reputation of being capable of gluing anything, is not suitable and may react with some materials, damaging the surface of your coving.

Material
Coving is now available in a wide range of materials and the choice of material depends on the effect you wish to achieve. If you are working in a large room, a lighter material will be much easier to handle and install. Modern coving is manufactured in lightweight strips that are ideal for almost any interior decoration project.

Practice makes perfect…
As with any home decoration project, you will end up with plenty of ‘off-cuts’ or short lengths of coving. These are ideal to practice cutting mitre joints on before you attempt the final project. A mistake on an off-cut is much less costly than a mistake on your final strip of coving!

Tools for the job
Having the right tools to hand is important in any project. Make sure that any cutting tools are sharp as a dull blade can damage the surface of the coving and give a poor finish. The correct adhesive for the material used, plenty of clean cloths to wipe any spills or excess adhesive from surfaces, a tape measure and of course a stepladder are all essential pieces of equipment to have before starting your project.

Support
Once the coving is in place, it will need to be supported until the adhesive has had a chance to dry. This is particularly important if you are installing longer lengths of coving, so you may wish to put thin nails or pins underneath the bottom edge of the coving to support its weight while the adhesive bonds. Once the adhesive has dried these can be removed and the marks removed with filler and a coat of paint. Ensure that the nails do not puncture any pipes or cables that may be behind the wall surface.

Measure twice, cut once
This old carpenter’s adage holds true for any home decoration project. A simple mistake in measuring the correct length of coving needed can be expensive and wasteful, so always make sure that your measurements are correct before you make that first cut.

Drying time and decoration
Allow at least 24 hours for adhesives to bond fully to the surface of the wall and coving before removing any supporting pins or applying any paint to the surface of the coving. Most emulsion or oil-based paints are suitable for coving, although always check the manufacturer’s recommendations particularly if the surface of the coving is porous.

By following these top ten coving tips you should be able to install almost any form of coving and give that finishing touch to your décor without any problems.