Answers to Everyday Questions : Is fitting plasterboard (Gyproc) coving a DIY job or should I get a professional in ?

Is fitting plasterboard (Gyproc) coving a DIY job or should I get a professional in ?

15 Responses to “Is fitting plasterboard (Gyproc) coving a DIY job or should I get a professional in ?”

1. papercutfaint said :
   May 27th, 2010 at 12:02 am

   Yes that’s a pretty easy job. Go for it!
2. dustbin31 said :
   May 27th, 2010 at 12:45 am

   it easy if you know what your doing just use mastic to do the coving.plasterboarding is easy again only if you know what you doing.
3. Lemonpie said :
   May 27th, 2010 at 12:51 am

   It’s an easy enough job until it comes to the mitres. Make sure you get a mitre block with the coving! If you are dealing with long pieces you will need some help to avoid bending the gyproc, but it’s not that difficult to do.
4. ian4u1962 said :
   May 27th, 2010 at 1:18 am

   unless you are confident leave to an expert – you need to mitre ends using special mitre tool – mark depth on wall -mix wall adhesive and stick to wall may reqire pinning for lengths and remove excees adhesive with narrow putty Knife
5. Debbie said :
   May 27th, 2010 at 2:01 am

   DIY, Do It Yourself. Its expensive to call in a builder to do this work. As long as you have the right tools and some help off someone, then you go for it, its not hard to do and satisfying to see the results. Best of luck.

   -x-
6. sporregar said :
   May 27th, 2010 at 2:39 am

   It’s a fairly easy job. The mudding and sanding are a lot more difficult. If you can hoist the sheetrock and sling it about without killing or hurting yourself. You may want to ask a friend to help with that bit.

   Do an internet search and read up on the proper way to go about it all. Have all proper tools and don’t skip any steps or it will look horrid.
7. john taylor said :
   May 27th, 2010 at 3:02 am

   its pretty straight forwad like poly just use the right adhesive and maybe a few pins to keep it up till dry and your there good luck john
8. Timbo said :
   May 27th, 2010 at 3:26 am

   Fitting the board is fairly straightforward if you’re fitting it to battens. However, plastering it all over afterwards is a different kettle of fish …!
9. boy boy said :
   May 27th, 2010 at 3:49 am

   …its not very difficult ..but did you know there is coving on the market that looks identical to gyproc but its core is polyurethane ..so its very light and and can be fixed with panel adhesives …back to gyproc ..its heavy and sometimes need a nail in the bottom until the adhesives have set ..you will need a template for the mitres ..metal is best but be careful with the plastic type ..you will need to mark a line all round the room ..between 2 and 2 and a half inches (50 to 65mm) below the ceilng ..use this as a guide for the bottom of the coving …if ceiling has been painted ..then pva the area of the coving on wall and ceiling ..use coving adhesive ..and wipe off excess with a sponge dipped in hot water
10. proud walker said :
    May 27th, 2010 at 4:04 am

    you need to keep it level with tidy joints, but otherwise fairly easy. Go for it!
11. stitched up said :
    May 27th, 2010 at 4:45 am

    The mitres and an extra pair of hands are essential, mitres can be a nightmare, a pro will have it done in the time it takes you to figure out which way to cut the first 2 corners! lol
12. gerard h said :
    May 27th, 2010 at 5:22 am

    Get a brochure from b and q they are very good.
13. Pauline said :
    May 27th, 2010 at 5:30 am

    Invest in a mitre block. Worth every penny.
    Draw the lines out on the wall & ceiling all the way around before you start and just do it. Make sure you keep track with the coving which edge is ceiling and which is wall….

    Plaster coving isn’t really that heavy, use a generous amount of adhesive and it will stick pretty much without support. Small nails will help hold it if need be and they can easily be filled afterwards.

    Decorators merchants will be the cheaper supplier rather than a DIY shed
14. topman said :
    May 27th, 2010 at 5:38 am

    Yes it can be carried out by DIY persons. You will need to obtain a mitre block for all angles, Paper templates are supplied with the coving but they are not reliable. Go to your builders merchants and ask for the mitre template follow the saw along the angle and so on. Use a caving adhesive suitable for the product. Establish a level line around the perimeter of the ceiling in accordance to size caving you are using.
15. Yatesman said :
    May 27th, 2010 at 6:16 am

    Yes it’s easy.

    Get a tallish milk- crate or use your green recycling box to stand on for where there is no w/tops to stand on.

    Mark a line around the wall as a guide.

    DO NOT use coving adhesive….Take my advice use ARTEX as an adhesive. It’s perfect for fixing gyproc coving. It gives you more time to work with and sponges off nicely.

    You can buy a bag of ARTEX from any builders merchants.

    Lay the length of coving across two upturned buckets( or paint tins) and apply the artex mix along the two edges of the coving using a small trowel (gauging trowel is best) then push into position.

    Use a coving profile for the joints or if you’ve got access to a small mitre saw you can use that( I’ve seen it done) although that is a little dusty. A mitre saw ( especially the battery powered ones ) create a perfect internal and external mitre
    joint.

    If you’ve not done it before get someone to help you. It’s easier with two and you’ll soon figure it out.