There are a number of different types of coving that you can purchase, each with their own different characteristics, making some more appropriate for your project than others. These are:

1. Polystyrene coving
2. Plaster coving
3. Paper covered plaster coving
4. Duropolymer coving

It is important that you choose the best type of coving to meet your needs. As budgets often have an impact on the choices made when redecorating or renovating a property, this could be a large factor in choosing the right type of coving for your project.

Polystyrene coving is the cheapest type of coving, but there are a couple of drawbacks from the money you save choosing this over the other types of coving that are on the market. As polystyrene is light, it is easy to fix to the wall and won’t be a problem weight-wise. It is however quite delicate so could easily be damaged, therefore if you are not careful when installing it, you could end up paying out to replace broken pieces of polystyrene coving. As polystyrene is an absorbant material, you will also find it takes more coats of paint to get the desired finish compared to coving made from other materials.

Plaster coving is at the other end of the spectrum in terms of cost, being the most expensive option. It is also often quite heavy therefore you may find you need to use screws to secure it to the wall in addition to using adhesive, but one big plus point is that it does not need so many coats of paint because of the bright white smooth finish plaster coving naturally has. It is often the most attractive option, especially for period properties, as a number of different mouldings are available, including ceiling roses and door surrounds, which can give an excellent coordinated finish overall to your room.

Using paper coated plaster coving can help cut down on the amount of coats of paint required compared to polystyrene, and the coating of paper provides an easier surface for applying paint. Weight is also a consideration with paper coated plaster coving however.

Duropolymer coving is a new product on the market that is lightweight compared to plaster coving and also offers the same benefits that using plaster coving offers in terms of painting and decorative mouldings. This could therefore be the most attractive option for your redecorating project.

Whichever type of coving you decide to go for, it is worth measuring your room prior to settling on the product for you so you can know your budget in advance rather than getting a nasty surprise when the quote comes in. Alternatively, you can speak to a professional plasterer who can advise on the best product to suit your needs.