Plaster coving prep

[cannaefixit]

Hello
I've decided to put up some nice 100mm plaster coving in my living room. Not to hide cracks or anything, just get rid of the "boxy" look. (It's got to be plaster btw cos I carried it a mile from B&Q, due to being car-less, so that's definitely what's going up on the wall ) I recently put polystyrene coving up in the bedroom without any preparation except sugar-soaping and that seems fine, but ,now I come to do the plaster stuff, I wonder if the extra weight means I ought to remove the emulsion from the walls and ceiling Artex first
Q1; Is removing the emulsion really necessary (Looks like about 5 coats over approx 20 years, quite sound and unflaky)
Q2: If I do remove it what's the quickest way? (Explanation: upstairs neighbour is care-in-the-community and goes bonkers at noise from other flats. Have to do DIY in short bursts )
advice appreciated
Cheers

 

[TexMex]

I'd have a go without removing the emulsion. Use coving adhesive. You'll probably be fine.

 

[wonderdust]

best way is to key the wall and ceiling line with a stanley knife

 

[cannaefixit]

Thanks TM and WD. I sort of have the feeling that it should be fine, but I've not put plaster cove up before. I definitely don't want it coming down around my ears or, even worse, a tenant's! (I'm playing with the idea of sub-letting).
If it all goes wrong look for the "How do I put my ceiling back up? " post

 

[masona]

See this, click onto 'Diy projects' then onto 'Coving'.

I put a few nails along the wall to the correct depth of the coving width to hold the coving in place to stop the coving with the adhesive sliding down the wall.

 

[cannaefixit]

Masona, that's well useful I did wonder what the numbers on the mitre box were all about
Thanks everyone; so it's Stanley-knife the adhesion surfaces and knock in some nails along the bottom edge as I go (although that won't be popular upstairs ) I'lldo it tomorrow.

 

[cannaefixit]

All done now and very pleased with myself and job. Thanks for the advice
I learnt a few things doing this. Hope it helps someone

• 
  3m lengths of plaster coving are definitely trade items or, at least, for people with an assistant. I hefted them around in B&Q and thought "no problem". However, when you butter them with coving adhesive they become massively heavy. And break. Fortunately, unlike toast, they don't fall butter-side-down (either that or I've used up a month's luck) .
  I kept the coving stored flat (and the floor said they were straight) but, once up on the wall, the gaps between coving and wall were very big compared to the polystrene stuff. It's either a lot less bendy or the person who plastered my living room was less skilled/more hungover than the person who plastered my bedroom. Lesson: you just absolutely cannot put too much adhesive on the coving. I really took the mick on the last wall and it's sealed beautifully; the others I'll have to caulk.
  The adhesive is pretty gritty when it dies. Wash off absolutely as much as possible with a sponge before it dries. hth

 

[masona]

when you butter them with coving adhesive they become massively heavy. And break.

You can get Lightweight Paper-wrapped Polystyrene ! Never mind it's too late, next time round maybe !
You can just about see the polystyrene foam inside the coving.