Cornice matching service

If your cornice isn't in our range, we can usually reproduce it. A lot of older cornice was run in situ when the house was built, so there is often nothing off the shelf that matches. Send us a tracing of the profile and we make the tooling and the new lengths in our workshop at Vulcan Works in Horwich, Bolton, and deliver them nationwide.

Before you start, it's worth checking our plaster cornice and coving range. Every cornice profile in it has a Sample option, so you can hold one up against yours.

How cornice matching works

1. Trace the profile. Make a shallow cut through the cornice in a discreet spot and trace the side profile onto paper, with the paper flush against the wall and the ceiling. Our guide to tracing a cornice profile walks you through it, including how to repair the cut afterwards.
2. Send it to us. Check the tracing shows the wall and ceiling lines. Write your contact details and the length you need, in metres or feet, on the same sheet, and post it to UK Plaster, Vulcan Works, Dixon Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PH.
3. We confirm the price. We confirm the price within 24 hours of receiving your profile outline.
4. We make the running horse. If you're happy with the price, we cut your shape from tin and fasten it to a wooden brace. This tool is called a running horse.
5. We run or cast your cornice. For smaller amounts, around 5m or less, we run the profile directly on our benches. For larger quantities we reverse the pattern and make a mould, so we can cast as many sections as you need.

Why old cornice is hard to match

Plasterers used to work on several rooms or houses at a time. They cut a custom shape from sheet metal, tacked it to a wooden right angle to make a running horse, and ran the cornice in place. When the job was finished the horse was usually thrown away or left in the attic, and the profile went with it.

Signs that your cornice was run in situ:

• It feels solid when you tap it, where modern fibrous cornice sounds more hollow.
• Scratching through the white top surface, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep, shows a coarse base that is often grey or darker.
• You can see impressions of wooden laths in the ceiling part of the cornice.

What it costs

The cost depends on how much reconstruction the profile needs and how much you need. Matching generally costs more than a standard cornice, especially if you only need a small amount. Our Plaster Matching Service listing has the same details.

Sending a tracing means you can get a price without paying for an initial visit. If you're not sure where to start, call us on 01204 693900, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and we can advise from photos.

Fitting your matched cornice

For the best results we highly recommend a skilled fibrous plasterer. We mainly fit cornice for insurance companies, because the labour costs can be too high for many individuals, but arrangements for direct customers can be made. If you're fitting it yourself, our guide to fitting plaster cornice takes you through each step.

More than cornice

We reproduce other existing plasterwork too. See how we cleaned and re-modelled an 1800s section, our work on the Walker Art Gallery refurbishment in Liverpool, and how we make a silicone jacket mould.

Ready to start? Trace your profile and post it to us, or call 01204 693900 to talk it through.