Garden Studio - Options for internal walls/ceiling

[RzB]

Apols if this shows up twice but I thought I had posted this yesterday!

I'm having an artist?s studio built in the garden. It's for my wife - she paints.

The building is 6M x 4M, is on a concrete base and will be 4x2 construction on 400mm centres with builders paper & shiplap on the outside. 50mm Celote x between the 4x2 and roof beams.

What are the pros/cons of the options for the internal walls/ceiling?

Initially I was thinking of cladding the walls and ceiling with ply and pai nting them. A bit utilitarian but probably good enough for the purpose.

Recently I have been considering plastering, but I'm concerned that being a wooden construction it might move a little and cause cracks. Am I worrying unnecessarily?

Any other thoughts?

Thanks, RzB

[Bert Coules]

The ceiling of my garden workshop (adapted from a sectional concrete garage) is white PVC tongued-and-grooved cladding glued to battens. It's easy to fix, needs no painting or other treatment, and makes a pleasantly bright environment which I would have thought good for an artist's studio.

[meow2222]

on on 400mm centres with builders paper & shiplap on the outside. 50mm Celo tex between the 4x2 and roof beams.

ainting them. A bit utilitarian but probably good enough for the purpose.

a wooden construction it might move a little and cause cracks. Am I worryi ng unnecessarily?

Why avoid plasterboard? It seems the logical solution. Cheap, white, good e nough. If she fills the cracks it can even look fairly good.

NT

[fred]

In article , RzB writes

Not seen another copy, just your previous post about the floor. I notice that didn't get much of a response so I will put in my vote for a wooden floor (of whatever kind) over celotex, lower thermal mass so faster warmup for those cooler spells. If the budget will stretch then I would put in a well sealed engineered wood floor and if it is paint that is in use then the odd unwipeable splodge will add character.

Ply is expensive (5x cost of PB) and IMO will look rougher than plasterboard even with cracks. Provided you have a waterproof structure I would use 12mm taper edge plasterboard throughout, 12mm is much nicer and more solid than 8 and will result in a far less utilitarian, softer look than ply. Taper edge means you can you can finish it easily with fine jointing compound using a purpose made 9-12" filling blade (no need to skim). Fibreglass scrim tape should minimise cracking and although I have not done it this way, another here has suggested gapping the boards by about 3mm to get a good fillet of jointing between then to add to the key and reduce cracking.

[Dave Liquorice]

It doesn't like damp... Unless this studio is heated to some extent in winter it will get damp. The space will then feel damp/clammy/cold for much longer until the PB dries out.

Ply maybe expensive but it will be easier to fix things to like shelves.

[meow2222]

dehumidifier

Yes, but shelves one can fix to the uprights anyway. I would expect an artist would probably prefer a clean white surface to a grotty wood one.

NT

[GB]

If it's going to be used in winter as a studio, it will need heating, surely? Otherwise, the paint won't dry, as well as the artist being cold. Consequently, I'd be looking for very high values of insulation, to keep the heating costs more or less manageable.

[RzB]

Many thanks to all who have responded.

I think I have decided to go with plaster board & a skim. I'm hoping that w ill give it a very nice look...

The structure is 4x2 on 400mm centres so I agree that there are plenty of u prights to fix cupboards to. There will be 50mm Celotex all round - floor, walls and ceiling - so I think that's pretty good insulation? There will be some form of heating running over the winter - electric radiators and fan heaters. I do also have a couple of industrial grade dehumidifiers if thing s get nasty!

The 4x2 structure and roof beams have now been constructed and I'm amazed j ust how stiff it all is. The carpenter added diagonal bracing that made a h uge difference to the stiffness.

I'm just a bit worried that a wooden structure like this will move over tim e and cause the plaster to crack - but I think I have now decided to go for it and get the Polyfiller out if I have made a mistake!

Thanks, RzB

[meow2222]

3" polystyrene's cheaper, and gives the same insulation.

if theyre regular refrigeration types, they need warmth to work

It will move & crack slightly, houses do. No biggie

NT

[The Natural Philosopher]

polystyrene is not as effective as celotex, and its a massive fire hazard, burning fiercely and giving off toxic fumes.

It will not pass building regs for that reasons. It sole use is in floor insulation as its encased in screed.

at 4" you can probably get away with rockwool IF the outer ladding is windproof. Otherwise celotex.

Use decorators caulk after its settled down. it has enough flexibility to actually work.

[dennis]

That's not stiff, using a 4x2 frame with 1/2" ply each side is pretty stiff. It will still move enough to give small cracks in plasterboard. However the ply makes a good enough surface and you can screw stuff anywhere. (Insulation is 3" bats as per cavity wall construction as its treated to stop water wicking across.)

Make sure you get a tube of flexible caulk to fill the cracks.

[meow2222]

3" polystyrene is exactly as effective as 2" celotex, and a fraction the price. So you may as well use 4" and save heat.

Its not nice in a fire, but covering it with plasterboard gives around half an hour of fire resistance. For an outbuilding where noone's sleeping that's fine. For a house with people asleep its another matter, I don't use it in houses.

IME with it its not noticeably better than rigid filler. Cracking is trivial though, you might need to run a finger over some cracks after a year or two.

NT

[Jim K]

shurely an artist can paint ply whatever colour she wants?

Jim K

[Jim K]

just the one?

Jim K

[Jonathan]

We live in a mill with an open archway you drive through. The ceiling of the arch is plaster-boarded and painted with external paint. Five years later it is fine despite constant exposure to moist air.

Jonathan

[The Natural Philosopher]

What most people don't realise is that outside is often less damp than inside. Only when something actually gets rained ON and STAYS damp is it actually 'more damp' than inside. In summer RH levels inside a house can be a lot HIGHER than outside. Only in winter when the heating is on, do internal RH levels do significantly.