Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Fitting skirting board requires careful measuring and precision in order to produce a neat finish. Corners need mitred (angled) cuts, and this is where a little practise may be required in order to identify the correct angle of cut required. The process is made much easier by using a mitre block, which automatically provides you with a guide. Always use a cable, pipe and stud detector to help find safe and secure fixing points in the wall surface. read more »

Architrave simply covers the joint created by a door frame (the door lining) and the surrounding wall surface. There are many styles available, and most people match the profile/design of their architrave with the skirting board in the room. Fitting architrave is a very straightforward job, with the only potentially tricky part being that you need to cut accurate mitred joints for the corners. Old architrave can normally be prised off with a claw hammer. read more »

Door surrounds were traditionally made from plaster, and offer a more decorative or ornate option to wooden architrave. You can still buy traditional plaster surrounds or you can choose the modern, more lightweight alternatives – as shown below. Door surrounds are normally supplied in kit form, which you then cut to fit your door/entrance size. read more »

Traditional ceiling roses are made of plaster, but you can now buy lightweight resin and plastic varieties. The lighter weight options do make their fitting much easier, but some people will still prefer the look and feel of a plaster rose. read more »

Modern coving is mostly made from plastic, polystyrene, or plaster. The techniques for measuring and cutting remain the same for all, but the type of adhesive you use will need to vary accordingly. I’ve chosen to use plaster coving in the sequence below. The trickiest thing about fitting coving is dealing with the corners. You may either cut your own mitre joins for corners or use corner pieces supplied by the manufacturer. Both options are shown below. read more »