Coving / Crown Moulding
A curved or decorative moulding fitted where a wall meets the ceiling, softening the junction and adding a finished look to a room.
Coving (called crown moulding in the US) is the decorative trim fitted at the junction where your walls meet the ceiling. It covers the often-imperfect corner where two plaster surfaces meet and adds a polished, finished appearance to a room.
Why coving matters in a renovation
When walls are replastered or ceilings are replaced during a renovation, the junction between wall and ceiling rarely comes out perfectly sharp and straight. Coving hides this joint neatly. Even if you are not replastering, replacing old or damaged coving can significantly freshen up a room for relatively little cost.
Types of coving
- Plaster coving — the traditional choice, heavier and more substantial. Available in ornate period profiles. More expensive and harder to fit but gives a premium finish.
- Polystyrene coving — lightweight and inexpensive. Easy to fit yourself, but the finish is less refined. Best for budget renovations.
- Polyurethane coving — a middle ground. Lightweight like polystyrene but with much sharper detail. Can be painted for a finish that closely resembles plaster.
- MDF coving — durable and affordable. Available in simple modern profiles.
Choosing a profile
Your coving profile should complement the rest of the room’s mouldings. If you have ornate skirting boards and architraves, a simple flat coving can look out of place — and vice versa. As a general rule, larger rooms with higher ceilings can carry more ornate, deeper coving. In rooms with low ceilings, coving that is too deep can make the space feel smaller.
Installation
Coving is a second-fix job, fitted after plastering is complete. It is typically glued to the wall and ceiling with adhesive and pinned in place while the adhesive sets. Joints between lengths are filled and sanded smooth, then the whole run is painted — usually in the same colour as the ceiling.