Foil-backed plasterboard

[Windmill]

Would foil-backed plasterboard on a ceiling survive better when there's a water leak from above? I realise it would have to be nailed in place rather than stuck on with adhesive, which would mean holes through which some water might leak.

Nowadays people are more careless, and water leaks have become a fact of life in 100 year old Edinburgh flats; however the original lath-and-plaster ceilings survive smaller leaks quite well.

But in my experience standard plasterboard does not, and building material suppliers told me that moisture-resistant plasterboard wouldn't be any better.

[Andy Burns]

Depends on the severity of the leak, if it's minor normal PB can soak a bit and dry out again (hopefully without bowing too much), if there's a large leak I can see foiled PB allowing a lot more weight to gather above the ceiling before it decides to give way as one.

[Andy Burns]

If you *knew* there was a leak and had chance to make a few sacrificial screwdriver holes in the foiled PB, it might do less damage to the rest of the sheet ...

[John]

You need to look at the size of the leak. The water has to go somewhere. If it can't go though your ceiling, where will it escape to sideways? If there's a viable route, great, you only have to deal with a small amount of water. If not, it will build up as your ceiling is the bottom of a tank. No PB will take that. You could put a plastic sheet above the ceiling. If you want to resist water even more, run a bead of sealant on the joists before the plastic. Use screws not nails. They pull up and hold better. You could use plywood instead of PB. If you use exterior grade hardwood ply, it's a nice smooth finish and should look similar to PB when painted.

John

[Tim Watts]

If you are that desperate, you could switch PB to Marmox and skim that (it is possible) and it is 100% waterproof and water resistance.

It would have s**te fire resisting properties though - so if a fire barrier is needed it would have to be provided another way.

Is there any sort of reinforced cement board that is suitable?

[Tim Watts]

I read it more as having a leak not bring down the ceiling.

Sure your furniture will get wet but that is nthing compared to the damage of large lumps of PB and squidgey paint landing everywhere.

Been there...

[js.b1]

This is a flat above, which leaks into the one below?

1. Take the ceiling down.
2. Fit 2x1 batten to existing joists.
3. Fit DPC wider than joist width via more battens part way up the old joists
4. Cut DPC wider than the joist width, fasten via battens part way up the old joists, with a fall to a chosen location such as a new ceiling rose moulding.
5. At the chosen location silicone & bolt a push-fit tank fitting to the DPC sheet.
6. Repeat across the ceiling between each joist.
7. Link together via elbow & tee the tank fittings to a push-fit elbow feeding the new ceiling rose moulding.
8. New ceiling made of 6mm Versapanel (or Marmox which would be cheaper, lighter, insulatory).

When you go away, hook hose up to the push-fit fitting, or choose a different (corner) location and have it plumbed out the wall like an overflow pipe.

You could just use Marmox or Versapanel and dispense with the DPC. However I would want to create a fall via battens so it drained to a central drain point. That need not be much of a fall - a few millimetres is enough so water does not pond and instead flows to that central drain point (eventually).

Not expensive to do, not difficult to do, but I have no idea if an easement would be required. If not it is something I would certainly do if I had expensive carpets, network equipment and furniture underneath.

[Andy Burns]

Drop the PB altogether and use the Russian ceiling method

[djc]

The hole with live wires passing through and a light fitting beneath it usually suffices!

[Andrew Gabriel]

[The Natural Philosopher]

no. it blows just as bad.