As above really, we've had the whole house re-skimmed and want to cove all the rooms. A search on the net turns up a lot of places selling polyurethane coving stating it's quicker and easier to install with a sharper molding than plaster coving.
Is this really the case or does plaster coving still provide a better end result despite being trickier to install???
All info greatly appreciated

I would have been interested in the answer to this one. The pros seem to use the plaster form but perhaps that is because it is cheaper and does a good job.

I have just finish coving a few rooms in my house and have used polyurethane coving,reason being I was by myself and it is stronger,lighter and lengths do not bend so easily,so easier when doing by yourself,if two of you, plaster is just as easy,think maybe a street cred thing,people think plaster is more professional,once painted,can not tell difference
If putting fancy stuff up,the detail on polyurethane is sharper and again less easy to damage but many like that slight softness plaster gives

thats my thinking anyways

white pan man: Your user name always makes me smile. Very good.

I prefer plaster coving, I think it looks better, and im used to using it.

Its also more forgiving, if you cut a mitre just slightly out, its easy to fill + sand to get prefect, crisp corners.

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Used both but prefer plaster finish also if it is me but the polyurethane seems to shrink after a while and hairline gaps appear at joins and corner miters?
What is the preferred adhesive for plaster coving?

British gypsum to bags of coving adhesive. Great stuff.

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The builder who is doing work for me said that his firm uses Gyproc Easi-fill, much better than Gyproc coving cement, apparently.

Builders say "I use <whatever>" as coving adhesive inst the cheapest stuff to buy (compared to artex/easy fill), or even used that often.

But lets put it this way:

British Gypsum make plaster coving, they also make Easi Fill and Coving Adhesive

If Easy-Fill was better for the job, they wouldn't make the coving adhesive.

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Crooksey said it all really. Easifill reacts badly to damp and can swell pushing the whole lot down, it also isn't nearly as strong and vibration may crack it easily.

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http://appledecoratingbristol.co.cc/

ive just done some plaster cornice and used drywall adhesive to stick it up, if it sticks boards to the wall it will stick a bit of cornice and it was loads cheaper.

cove adh was £10 for a small bag and drywall was £6.50 for 25kg bag

I did wonder why Easi-fill should be better if the same company makes a coving adhesive. Nice to know why it isn't better. Maybe I shouldn't get these people to put up my coving. Incidentally, loads of coving fell down while I was removing wall paper. Someone had painted the walls BEFORE putting up coving, reducing the wall to coving bond.

I was told the same by my new neighbour who it transpires has a plstering company. I've gone for a plaster moulding and am getting someone who knows what they are doing to fit it

I decided to put up coving myself as I got tired of waiting for a quote from the builder. I managed to got three packs in the Ford Ka, one end out the passenger window, the other end out the back, a 200m drive home and no police! I did a bedroom and the sitting room in a day, and it is not hard. I used Gyproc cove adhesive. I think I got quite good by the time I did the sitting room. I bought a coving mitre thing, basically a piece of angled steel. Crap. Then I bought a £5 mitre box. Much better. Oddly enough straight joins are harder than corners, where it is easy to fill and get a good result. And it is better to put up a short corner piece before the long piece that it mitres against (the long piece has more room for adjustment). One piece fell off, but only because I did not press it against the wall properly before releasing my grip. Otherwise you don't need nails, at least not for 3m lengths. There is an excellent video from Artex on u-tube, just ignore the naff 70's cinema commercial background music.

So, I say use plaster coving, it's tried and tested and cheap.

Good endorsement for plaster cove then Leif.
I use a mitre box but am never happy with the saws I have used, my tenons are not deep enough and I usually end up with a rather thin short flexible backsaw but so sharp it take bits out of the box slots when I am not careful, what is the best saw for this (and tpi)?