How can I put up coving if the walls in my old house aren't straight?

Question

I bought a large ready pack of coving from B & Q and when I put the glue on and tried to adhere the first piece, it just came away because the the top of the wall and ceiling are very uneven. Got glue all over my new wallpaper, grrrrrr!! Would be good if someone made coving that you could mold to fit the shape of the walls.

Answer 1

You have to cut and form the coving to fit ,and make good afterwards. Coving should be fitted under preperation,ie before wallpapering."silly" because after making good. it's then ready for painting.

Answer 2

Yeah, you do the coving first!

Strip the paper back off!

Paint the coving and the ceiling, then go and get the wallpaper.

Try to put the coving up straight, just because the walls are all over the place doesnt mean your coving should follow that rule.

I have used the coving which is a fire resistant polystyrene, covered in a white paper finish. It is not heavy and looks fine.

Use a mitre box for cutting all the angles, do the corners first and then fit in the remaining middle sections, which will 'join' the whole thing together.

Use 'decorators caulk' from a tube, to fill in all the gaps each side of the coving where the walls are uneven.

If you are having problems using messy or wet coving adhesive, simply use clear silicon sealant, and it sticks very well and is not heavy.

Decorators caulk can be painted and this should be done a few days after the coving has been put up, to allow the coving to shrink and dry. Give it a few coats of paint and this will help disguise the joins and make it look neater.

Answer 3

You should have put the wallpaper up last. Try to get some help with this as you need a holder and a fitter.
First offer up the coving and draw a pencil line along the wall in the position you want it. Now using a sharp blade cut along the wallpaper on that line. You should not put coving over paper as the glues do not always work. Also the coving and paper can come away together in a few months or so. Along the coving line bang in some masonry nails at about 1 metre intervals. These will support the coving while the glue is setting. When the coving is in position with glue put a nail or two into the ceiling to hold the coving. The glue should set and hold in about 10 minutes. Sometimes it is a good idea to hold it in place for as long as you can to help. Once it has set use the glue and force it into the gaps due to the uneven walls.The smooth it with a wet finger to look as if it is all part of the wall and ceiling. Do not lick your fingers to wet them as you will then ingest the chemicals in the glue which can do all kinds of damage.
The secret with coving, especially when things go wrong is not to panic and rush at it. Best of luck and have a blessed Christmas.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How can I put up coving if the walls in my old house aren't straight?
I bought a large ready pack of coving from B & Q and when I put the glue on and tried to adhere the first piece, it just came away because the the top of the wall and ceiling are very uneven. Got glue all over my new wallpaper, grrrrrr!! Would be good if someone made coving that you could mold to...

Answer 5

Well firstly i would have recommended putting coving up before wallpapering but either way i would now recommend you get somebody in to do the job.

Coving is an absolute bugger of a job at the best of times and if your walls and ceiling aren't straight you're just going to spend hours getting frustrated and wasting materials.

If you really are determined to try yourself place small pins at the top and bottom of the coving to hold it in place while the adhesive sets.

Answer 6

Coving is a pain in the behind at the best of times! I ended up using stuff from B&Q that's made of something very like polystyrene. I really wanted to use the proper heavy stuff as I thought it would look so much better, but actually, after using this very cheap and light weight stuff, I wish I'd used it everywhere.

It won't mould to shape but is much more flexible than regular coving, it's light so you don't need to pin it up while it adheres, and you can paint over it no problem at all. AND it looks absolutely fine.

Answer 7

You can buy cooving made of aeroboard (polystyrene) it is very light and flexible . It comes in white but can be painted you can also buy the readymade cornere for it.Put it up with ceramic wall tile adhesive for the best grip. Any gaps you see after you can fill with the same paste as it dries out white the same colour as the coving.
Most DIY stores should have this coving in stock.
However if you still wish to use the coving you bought put it up with the ceramic wall tile adhesive ( non slip type)

Answer 8

Well for a start you should have put the coving up before the w'paper , then when you put the coving up hold it in place with some tacks that you take out when the adhesive is dry , get someone to help you it's much easier with 2 ppl , hope that helps

Answer 9

The Victorians and Ewardians would find it unthinkable not to have a proper cornice in important rooms, Try to get an authentic looking one (in polystyrene, if you can't get the real thing). It will add immesurably to the value of the property, and if it keeps wifey happy what a bonus. Tip - If you live in a terrace or street of similar houses - see if any of your neighbours still have the originals in place that you can copy or imitate. By the 1900's the fashion was for cornices which were a bit more refined in style so you don't need to have anything too fussy.

Answer 10

As well as the adhesive you should knock in a few plasterboard nails to hold it in place, so that you can 'spring ' it in to place to follow the uneven wall line. You may even have to trim an edge with a Stanley knife if the walls are really bad! Fill any gaps afterwards with filler. You should have done the coving before the papering and painting.

Answer 11

How To Fit Coving