A ceiling cove — often called a bulkhead — is a long, usually box-shaped construction running along the junction of wall and ceiling, behind which something is concealed. Curtain tracks, waste pipes, ventilation ducts, cabling or a beam you would rather not see all disappear behind it.
What it is used for
- Concealing services — a waste pipe, ventilation duct or gas line that will not fit in the wall or floor.
- Curtain tracks — the track sits inside the cove so the curtain appears to fall out of the ceiling.
- Lighting — the best-known use. LED strips inside the cove throw indirect light onto the ceiling (soft and even) or direct light down the wall (grazing a wall finish or artwork).
- Architectural emphasis — a cove breaks up a large room and creates a dropped ceiling, for example over a kitchen island.
Building one yourself
The usual build-up is a frame of metal studs or timber battens, boarded with plasterboard, taped and filled, then decorated.
Rules of thumb for sizing:
- Depth — allow at least 3 to 5 cm clearance around the pipe or track being concealed. For LED strips, 8 to 10 cm of depth is comfortable.
- Distance for indirect light — keep at least 15 to 20 cm between the LED strip and the ceiling, otherwise you get a hard line of light instead of an even wash.
- Opening width — the slot the light escapes through should be at least as wide as the cove is deep, or the light falls on the cove’s own side panel.
- Fixing — fix the frame to the structure (joists, concrete slab), not just to a plasterboard ceiling.
Common mistakes:
- LED strip too close to the wall or ceiling — produces stripes and visible dots rather than an even band.
- No access panel — always fit a hatch at any valve, junction box or rodding eye, or the cove has to come apart later.
- Heat in a sealed box — LED strips need cooling; mount them on an aluminium profile, not directly on plasterboard.
- Cracking at the joint — the cove-to-ceiling joint cracks as the building moves. Use a sealant or shadow gap there instead of rigid filler.
Related terms
- Cove moulding
- Ceiling hanger
- Metal stud
- Plasterboard
- Panelling
- Plenum
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