Return to Imperial units consultation - are we wasting money on returning to imperial units

[Dave Plowman (News]

Pray tell where using imperial was illegal?

[The Natural Philosopher]

If the world was starting from scratch, being an oak tree would be my choice. No complicated decisions, and no politics

[JNugent]

In any situation where a trader chose to use only Imperial.

[Capital "I" for "Imperial", just as for "Whitworth".]

[Tim Lamb]

Huh! You might then have to consider why some rambler chose to poke an Acorn into soil owned by someone else along an existing fence line. To the considerable annoyance of future fence maintainers.

Decision wise, it is interesting to note the sudden conversion of our press/broadcast media to being pro nuclear.

[alan_m]

I only have around half a sheet of plasterboard in my spare room and its width is exactly 1.200m and not 1.220m.

[SteveW]

Yes, you can buy metric 2400mm x 1200mm - Most places stock both. However 2400mm (or 1200mm) is too short when making modifications or repairs in a house that was built to Imperial measurements. My hallway or kitchen being spanned by a single Imperial board, but needing a narrow strip adding for a metric board.

Many houses have 8' high ceilings too, so a metric board is too short to build a stud wall - unless you are definitely having skirting and don't mind fitting extra noggings or using 4" timber for the bottom.

[SteveW]

Oh, forgot to add: With the joists on 16" centres, a 1220mm wide (or

2440mm long, depending upon orientation) board will span the joists, with the edges being on the centrelines of the outer two. A metric board will fall short and need a number of extra timbers adding along the length of the room.

[mm0fmf]

Just listen out for someone spouting bollocks and that will be your arse that you're talking out of.

;-)

[alan_m]

Many older houses have 9ft+ ceilings

[Vir Campestris]

<laughs quietly> My older house has ceilings around 2 metres. I've learned to duck through doorways and under the beams. OTOH it's far too old to have plasterboard... as I suspect are the ones with 9ft ceilings, even though they may be far newer than mine.

Andy

[SteveW]

Indeed - my parents' house does and my wife's former flat had 11' ceilings. However, if you were adding a stud wall in those, you can bay longer lengths of board. It is just not generally stocked locally.

8' is common and more importantly, 4' or 8' matches existing joist spacings if replacing a ceiling, while metric boards do not.