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Competencies covered

MSFFL3013: Install commercial vinyl floor coverings

MSFFL3014: Install resilient floor coverings using custom designs and decorative finishes

Fitting cove formers


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Audio for slide 1 (mp3 |6|KB)
Cove former, or cove fillet, comes in a range of sizes - typically 20 mm, 32 mm and 38 mm.

It is stuck in place with contact adhesive.

Traditionally, a solvent-based adhesive was always used, but these days manufacturers often recommend two-part acrylic contact adhesives.

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Audio for slide 2 (mp3 |6|KB)

To fit a cove former into place:

  • Apply contact adhesive to the back of the cove former and substrate with a brush or roller and allow it to 'tack up'.

  • Carefully put the cove former in place and push it into the adhesive.

  • Mitre the joints at corners with a utility knife.
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Audio for slide 3 (mp3 |6|KB)
If the room has doorways without architraves (or has very thin architraves), you should taper the last 200 mm of cove former so that there is no gap at the end of the sheet.

This is called fitting a 'reduced cove'.

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Learning activity

Audio 4 (mp3 |6|KB)

The link below will take you to a video clip produced by Quantum Flooring Solutions on how to fit their cove formers.

How to fit the Quantum Floormitre Cap and Cove System

Watch the clip and make a note of all the hand tools used by the installer as he prepares and fits the cove former. List these tools.

There is no need to include the tools used to install the vinyl flooring over the cove former - we will deal with that process in the next lesson.

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