Beading

[Neila]

I am about to lay some laminate flooring but my concern is there is a curved bay window in the room.

How to I cut the beading to replicate the curve?

[Rich]

Hi Neil

Are you able to cut the beading to replicate the skirting board?

An easy way to do it is with a "Mitre block" to cut the angles, and some wood filler in the gaps in the joins if you end up with any, but you may need to cut smaller strips, thus helping to fit round the curve.

Alternatively, if you have time on your hands, and some space, make a cardboard template of the curve in an exact fit, then transfer this curve to a similar sized peice of plywood, then place nails in the plywood every inch along the inside of the curve, and every 2 iinches along the outside of the curve givng you 2 rows of nails the width of the beading, resulting in an identical curve, made out of nails, wide enough to accomodate the beading. (Hope this is making sense so far?)

Then get a wallpaper steamer, and steam the beading continuously in small sections as you very gently bend it into the curve of the nails.

Make sure your wearing heavy duty building gloves, or something strong enough to avoid getting burnt with the steamer.

Place one end of the beading into one end of your nailed curve, then, VERY gently, flex the beading down into the curve as you move the steamer along the beading.

Its best to do this with a flexible, plyable beading, so consult your builders merchant on this, and do it REALLY slowly, prefarably in a garage out of any drafts or wind, and keep the beading steamed all the time.

You will find it easier to do it in lots of small sections over a number of hours, just bending small sections maybe a foot at a time as you will need to keep the timber moist for as long as possible (An hour or so) then let it cool slowly before moving on to the next part.

Those are just 2 methods, maybe somebody else has another method?

How about a picture of what you are working with?

[Gary]

You can buy PVC scotia or quadrant mouldings from fascia dealers that will bend and flex to the shape you want. Only problem is they are White, but this looks fine if your skirtings are White too.