Why chose coving?
Many homeowners decide to finish off their walls by asking their plasterer or painter and decorator to fit coving.
Professionally fitted coving smoothly transitions the eye from the walls to the ceiling, giving a crisp, clean finish to a perfectly decorated room. Although sometimes associated with the chunky, out-dated cornice style coving, adorned with tacky plaster angels; modern coving come in a wide range of simple and stylish designs to fit any home.
What is the difference between coving and cornicing?
Coving refers to a moulding that usually has a uniform profile. More often than not, coving has a simpler design to cornice, typically forming a “C” shaped profile.
In contrast to coving, cornicing tends to be much more elaborate for the purpose or presenting a grand and more decorative finish; often a bit too showy for most modern homes.
What options are available when choosing coving?
There are many options of coving styles available, and your painter and decorator will be able to help you decide on the style and type which suits your project best. The most popular materials used in coving are plaster and polystyrene; both with their pros and cons.
Polystyrene coving has come a long way from the old, Styrofoam style which could be fitted with Pritt stick! Lightweight and easier to install, polystyrene coving come in many shapes and styles and can be fitted quickly by a professional plasterer, painter and decorator, however, may be more costly than the plaster alternative.
Plaster coving tends to be simple, clean and smart, in comparison with the wider variety of options available with polystyrene coving. Usually painted to suite the style of the room, plaster coving can be easily adapted to fit your colour scheme and décor. Heavy and sometimes cumbersome, a professional coving specialist, or coving fitter, or experienced painter and decorator should be brought in, in order to achieve a proper finish.
How much does coving cost to fit?
Your painter and decorator will skilfully taper your chosen coving design around any obstacles in the way, and will advise if the number of awkward angles might deter from the finish you were hoping for.
On average, coving installation will cost approximately £25 per full 2.4m length, but will vary from job to job. This typically equates to £150 per room.