Plasterboarding a ceiling

[Charles Bingham]

I have to put up a new plasterboard ceiling in our kitchen (3m x 3m) and for a variety of reasons I will have to put new plasterboard over the existing plasterboard ceiling.

I have never done this before and will probably only have my son to help me. I have located the joists and marked their locations on the wall and I intend using 40mm dry wall screws.

My questions are related to how best to handle and fix the new plasterboard (12mm).

1. Should I try putting up the board as it comes i.e. 8 x 4 sheets or should I use smaller panels?

1. Would it be of benefit to apply builders adhesive along the edges of the new board to help it stick to the old board?

Any help gratefully received.

[A _L_ P]

Use 8x4s - gib stopping the joints is a bitch. Make sure you get the right size screws - no, I'm not trying to be funny. The usual ones are the right length for screwing through ONE layer of plaster-board into timber :-) I think you'll be able to hire a plaster-board holder-upper - I'm in New Zealand so not sure about that & haven't a clue what they are called.

A L P

[shazzbat]

It's called a vertical piece of wood with a horizontal piece of wood screwed to it.

Steve

[PeterC]

That's it to a T.

[Martin]

:-)))) I love it ...!!

[A _L_ P]

Yes, good one! Even in NZ we have this T for Technology :-) But I've seen actual mechanical gadgets advertised that look easier to use, easier to get the sheet into the right position and make sure it's held there for the inexperienced home user, and assumed they would be available at equipment hire places. A whole big sheet of plasterboard is a damned unwieldy thing to get into place till you've had a bit of experience, and I noticed the writer asked about whether it would be better to put up smaller pieces.

A L P

[mark]

Go for full size boards as there will be less joints. Might be an idea to work out the most efficient way to use the boards ie, lengthways or widthways across the joists. Obviously your cut edges need to end up along the centre of a joist

Before skimming: Use plasterboard tape over all the joints to reduce future crackage. Use the nylon mesh sort, 50mm wide.

mark

[PeterC]

An inexperienced user probably will put up smaller pices - lots of them!

If you think wallpaper peeling of is bad...

[reg]

have a look here

[AJH]

I put up 8x4s by making up 2 very simple and cheap braced 'Ts' out of roofing batten. Get a helper (two is better) to lift on end of the board then put your first T about 600mm in from the end and ease the board up to the ceiling and hold it there. Your second helper does the same around about 2/3 the way along the sheet, you both then wedge the Ts up against the ceiling so that the board is held firm while your third helper puts a few strategic screws in, they then leave you to whack the rest of the screws in at your own pace. Use maybe 2" long drywall screws, you won't need any adhesive. As someone else said 8x4s are easier to line up than smaller board sizes and there is less taping to do. yes the scrim tape is vital. The Ts need to be about 2" longer than the finished ceiling height. All you have to do then is get a good spread to skim it for you, no point in getting a sweat up trying to do it yourself and ending up with a less than perfect job as you will always cringe at it in later years.

AJ

[Martin]

< snip >

How weird... why is that? Sag / bending of board, or something else I&#39;m = missing...?

-- =20 Martin

[Bob Minchin]

So you can use as a wedge!

Bob

[AJH]

[e-mail]...

I&#39;m missing...?

what a plank, nice one Bob!

[robgraham]

< snip >

How weird... why is that? Sag / bending of board, or something else I&#39;m missing...?

-- Martin

You slide the bottom of the T along the floor until it jams the board in place. If you had it too short the board would be slightly away from the ceiling when you wanted to put the screws in.

Rob Graham

[Gil Mck]

All this chat just confirms what I&#39;ve always felt - electrics, plumbing, woodwork, decorating - do it yourself.

Plastering - pay a professional - it takes too long to master the skills and they are not expensive compared to many others.

G.

[Martin]

news: [e-mail]...=

Thanks, Rob. Sorry to AJH if I was being a plank .... but an extra 2" = means the T ends up about 12 degrees from vertical, which seems quite a = lot.

--=20

Martin

[Bob Minchin]

the T ends up about 12 degrees from vertical, which seems quite a lot.

I find you need this extra to allow for unevenness in the floor/ceiling in places esp in older properties. When you are up a ladder, a sheet of PB on your head you don&#39;t want a wedge not to work! DAMHIKT

Bob

[A _L_ P]

"Nother thing, you&#39;re standing there having manoeuvred the sheet into position, you want the prop to stay there, you nudge it gently, tapping it with your foot until it jams securely. Imagine the frustration were it not a little longer than the distance between floor and ceiling. Everything&#39;s in position, you want to make sure it&#39;s not going to slide a few mm while you&#39;re securing the other end because then it could end up at an angle and that would throw the whole lay-out out. You nudge the prop and it flies out past vertical to the other side. Board descends with undesirable rapidity and the day gets ugly, the kind of ugly that needs a mellow temperament to get through, and *that*s* no longer on site........

A L P