Beads, coving and sundries
Coving lengths and cove adhesive for a room
- where
- room perimeter (m)
- room length (m)
- room width (m)
- cove lengths to buy
- cove length as sold (m)
- cove adhesive (kg)
- adhesive coverage, metres of cove per kg (m)
Explain this equation
This works out how many lengths of coving to buy for a rectangular room and how much cove adhesive you need.
P is the room perimeter at ceiling level. Each wall is covered separately, so the number of lengths per wall is its length divided by the cove length S, rounded up. r is the adhesive coverage, about 4 m of cove per kg of Gyproc Cove Adhesive.
Coving is mitred at each corner, so pieces cannot run round a corner and offcuts from one wall rarely suit another. That is why each wall is rounded up on its own. Adhesive is simply perimeter divided by metres per kilogram.
Sense check: a 4 × 3.5 m room has a 15 m perimeter. With 3 m lengths each wall needs two, so eight lengths, and about 3.75 kg of adhesive, so one 5 kg bag.
Watch out: chimney breasts and bays add extra short walls and mitres. Add each as its own wall.
Number of lengths of coving for a rectangular room, buying whole lengths per wall, and the cove adhesive needed.
Enter your values to see the result.
Good to know
Gyproc Cove 100 and 127 and Cornice 135 come in 3000 mm lengths (Cove 127 also 3600 mm). British Gypsum give a rough guide of 1 kg of Gyproc Cove Adhesive fixing about 4 m of cove or cornice. Cove adhesive is sold in 5 kg and 12.5 kg bags; the surplus is used to fill mitres and joints.
Common mistake
Dividing the perimeter by the cove length. Each wall needs its own mitred pieces, so a 4 m wall takes two 3 m lengths, not 1.33.
Limits
Rectangular rooms; for chimney breasts and bays add each extra wall section separately. Offcuts long enough to reuse are not credited.
Sources
Results are calculations from the published methods and manufacturer figures shown, and depend on the data you enter. Always follow the manufacturers’ system and product data, BS 8212, BS EN 13914 and Building Regulations. Coverage rates vary by product, background and thickness. Check prices, VAT and CIS rules with your own records and HMRC.