Cove skirting is an extruded vinyl product that's stuck to the wall around the floor perimeter. It's sometimes called:

• feather edge skirting, because it's tapered at the top and toe, or
  
  
• sit-on cove skirting, because it sits on top of the floor covering.

The product is very flexible, so it can either be mitred at the corners, or simply wrapped around with the aid of relief cuts. It is often supplied in 15 metre coils.

Straight lengths

To fit straight lengths of cove skirting:

1. Draw a pencil line on the wall to mark the height of the skirting.
   
   
2. Spread contact adhesive on the wall to the pencil line and wait for it to tack up.
   
   
3. Press the skirting into the adhesive, keeping the toe at an even distance from the wall.

Internal corners

To fit an internal mitred corner:

1. Stick the first piece of skirting to one wall, leaving the toe un-mitred.
   
   
2. Scribe the vertical part of the second piece with dividers and then mark the toe with a 45° internal mitre.

3. Cut the coving and chamfer the underside of the cut to ensure a tight fit.
   
   
4. Stick the second piece to the toe of the first piece.

To fit a wrap-around internal corner, roll the skirting around the corner and put a cut in the toe. Then push the skirting tightly into position, and double cut a 45 degree mitre into the toe.

External corners

To fit an external mitred corner:

1. Place a piece of skirting along one wall, extending past the corner, and draw a pencil line on the floor against the toe. Then do the same on the other wall.
   
   
2. Draw a line from the corner to the intersection of the two lines to mark the angle of the mitre.

3. Place the first piece of coving in position and draw the mitre cut on top of the toe with a pencil. Then draw a vertical line down the back of the coving at the wall corner - using a small scrap as a spacer.
   
   Push a knife into the back of the coving at two points on the line - this will show as two white marks on the front of the coving, which can be used as guide marks - and then draw a corresponding line on the front.

4. Cut the coving along the pencil line on the front, including the mitre at the toe. Pare away the face of the cut at a 45° angle.
   
   
5. Prepare the other end of the piece, as required, and then stick the piece into position with contact adhesive.

6. Put the second piece in position, overlapping the outside point of the mitre on the first piece. Mark that point on the toe of the second piece.
   
   Mark the vertical line on the back of the second piece by tracing along the line of the first piece.

7. Cut and fit the second piece.
   
   To fit a wrap-around external corner, gently heat the skirting to improve its flexibility and wrap the skirting around the corner using a hand roller.
   
   If the external corner is tight, you may need to cut a groove in the back of the skirting to about ¼ of the depth, so it bends around the corner more easily.