Hi,
I appreciate you can level individual batterns horizontally / vertically using a spirit level or similar, but if the walls are bumpy and irregular, how do you level the whole support across large spans so that the plasterboard sits perfectly across the length and breadth of the wall?
Do you fit spacers or something - I've been pondering the best method but if there's a correct way to carry this out?
I've never done it to be honest, but spacers are very useful for all sorts of jobs.
It's easier to level everything with a skim coat of plaster. You can pack battens with bits of hardboard or whatever but it's a painstaking job. Even more fiddly if you're fixing to the original joists
Most walls have painted paper and some (bathroom) has paint onto ragged plaster / blocks. I have tried getting the paper off the hallway, but it's a real pain. To do the hall / front room, bedrooms (2 off), let alone anything else will take months at this rate to try and get the paper off - that's before pva/plaster.
So, I thought I'd just plasterboard most walls as they are brick with plaster on, but done to a wonky and horrible standard. It's an old house. So I have to work taking into account all walls in the house are painted paper over something, but no plasterboard in the house at all at present.
btw - in the store the plasterboard itself seemed quite heavy - does anyone know approximately how heavy general size plasterboard actually is? I find it amazing that the dot and dab (?) fixing method works with such heavy sheets of plasterboard.
If this is a new wall set end studs to be plumb - vertical ... run a line across top & bottom from one end to other, and make sure all others studs touch this line, you may need to wallop a tad to move them on header/footer timbers. Just concentrate on one side of wall only.
Run string diagonal .. corner to corner to check all is OK
Then fit your horizontal noggins (or Dwangs if up t'north) fit the edges flush with the edge of the studs and you should be all Ok on one face.
On other side as long as all within 3mm or so ... just ignore it and fix boards .... if you have the odd noggin sticking out - then I run an electric plane over them ... few seconds to put them right.
If there are any more than 3mm shallow, staple on some hardboard.
Mark your floor & ceilings with a pencil at the stud centers to make finding then easier when nailing up.
For Plaster board (quaint old stuff) ... stagger boards on alternate faces .. i.e. joints are not on same stud on both sides.
For Fermacell (much better IMHO) ... do not stagger, joints must be on same stud.
Agree about packing; Screwfix do "funny" screws which lock into the batten and can then be backed off to serve as standoffs. I have a box but havn't tried them yet.
Thanks - it all looks easy until the moment I am prepared to start.
The way I read the Op it is not a new stud wall.It's to sort out an existing wall by putting battens up and boarding them . The way I'd do it is put up the two end battens and make sure they are vertical then fit the ones between remembering the spacing to suit the p/board being used . Then fit horizontal battens as required ,especially if the boards being used do not go floor to ceiling ..remembering that battens will be needed at any joins .
On the other point 8 ' x 4' 12.5 boards are HEV V V V V V Y !!!!
Yeah - I tried lifting one a bit when layed flat in wicks - not easy for one person to carry or use.
Some walls are not too bad but have painted patterned paper as stated
- can plasterboard be fixed directly to the brick wall and if so, what is the best thing to attach the board to the wall - with no batterns?
I found this device during a trip to the U.S. some while ago.
It wouldn't be that hard to make one from wood..........
One method is to use dabs of plaster on the wall and to push the board onto them.
Similar thing without wheels:
I thought that works onto brick - but the walls have painted paper.
No. Paper would have to come off.
On Sun, 22 Apr 2007 23:12:25 +0100, Andy Hall mused:
I believe that's a full circle then.
I didn't paint over the gas tap....
Cutting it short, it seems as though the options are
- paper off
- paper and plaster off
- battens screwed to wall and plasterboard.
Or just swamp the whole thing in pva and skim. I wouldn't want to lose that much space with battens and PB, not to mention all the faffing about round doors and windows
PVA and skim over painted wallpaper - serious?
Not ideal but, with enough pva and scoring the surface, it would probably hold. Try it on a section.
On Mon, 23 Apr 2007 19:15:31 GMT, tester mused:
He might be, but ignore it.
I've seen instances where woodchip had been skimmed in older houses, student lets etc, and had held up remarkably well. Depends what kind of a job you want to do
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