Plasterboarding techniques

Participant · 5 Apr 2013 at 17:58

Hi all

A while back I posted a comment in another thread asking how to turn this:

...into something more attractive and useful, i.e. a cupboard for bedding and towels, etc.

Well I'm finally tackling this tomorrow and I've decided to overboard using the dot and dab method, then paint directly onto the plasterboard, i.e. the quickest and easiest method. Should be OK for this job though I gather, as the panels won't be massive and it's just an airing cupboard? I'm going to batten the back wall and hide the pipes behind the plasterboard, with a 'service hatch' to gain access to the isolating valves.

However, I have no idea what to buy in terms of what is considered decent quality board, adhesive, any 'non-standard' tools for the job, etc.

What's the best way to tackle the white box on the right? It's the burglar alarm tamper-proof jobbie so can't be moved or anything.

Basically I'm asking how the hell I actually achieve this! If you can help it's much appreciated.

King85 · 5 Apr 2013 at 18:06

Ignore, double post.

King85 · 5 Apr 2013 at 18:09

]Are you going to a merchant or B&Q?

We always used Gyproc stuff on site so look out for those,I think B&Q sells it if not a merchant will.

I'd just cut board around the box when you dab it on personally.

Don't over think this job, it'll be very simple if you make sure your dab is mixed right and you get your boards level/flat (check them with a spirit level)

Lopéz · 5 Apr 2013 at 18:10

You buy the adhesive in a bag and mix it with water, throw it on the wall in dots and it should stick like nobody's business. If it runs down the wall it's too wet.

Cut the board with a knife and straight edge and break it with the palm of your hand, push it against the adhesive and then whack it flat. The thicker your adhesive mix, the harder it will be to push the boards flat. Try to use a spirit level to get the "walls" reasonably flat.

Plasterboard is plasterboard really, it'll probably be made by someone like Knauf, just buy sheets that are the right size for your needs. It normally comes in two thicknesses, for a cupboard I'd stick with the thinner stuff.

I used a cheap adhesive from Wickes, any plasterboard adhesive will do, it won't fall off trust me, it's mega sticky.

If you're battening the back wall you can just screw the plasterboard to the wall, less mess.

Mark A · 5 Apr 2013 at 18:13

Just get the cheapest 9mm board for that.

Participant · 5 Apr 2013 at 19:37

Cheers guys.

King85 - I'll probably go to B&Q.

It might be a simple job, but I still want to make it look as good as it can. I've read about ivory board that is designed specifically to be painted over...presume that's a good idea in my case?

Also the floor...can I just carpet over that with a square scrap and some carpet glue? How do I tackle the pipes at the bottom on the left?

Nightglow · 5 Apr 2013 at 19:54

What are the pipes for.

Participant · 5 Apr 2013 at 22:41

They go to a towel heater in the bathroom on the other side of some breeze block.

Need to drill a 22mm hole through a tile and about 6 inches of breeze block to get the hot water pipe through the back wall. Should be fun!

Tesla · 6 Apr 2013 at 07:57

9mm board is a bit too flexible, harder to get flat with dot and dab. I'd go for 12mm board.

ash_91 · 6 Apr 2013 at 09:13

Get your self a rasp aswell, invaluable when you need to shave a couple of mm off a board or tidy up a rough cut.

Nightglow · 6 Apr 2013 at 09:43

You will struggle with 12.5mm plasterboard you will need a second person to help, it's heavy to lift & move around.

A lot of work drylining just for a cupboard, I myself would have got a quote for a 'skim coat' from a plasterer.

Jez · 6 Apr 2013 at 10:17

Nightglow said:
A lot of work drylining just for a cupboard, I myself would have got a quote for a 'skim coat' from a plasterer.

Boarding it will take hardly any time, cost hardly anything, and he has pipes to box in so would still need to board the back!

Participant · 6 Apr 2013 at 10:42

Skimming wouldn't have solved the problems of the huge holes at the top I guess?

I'm going for 9mm as it doesn't have to be 100% flat.

Thanks for the tip about the rasp. I'm a little confused as to whether I need board with a tapered edge for filling between boards or not?

Wilkie · 6 Apr 2013 at 14:22

Plasterer of 10 years here. The way I would advise you to do it -
Batten the back wall out, and screw your board onto it.
Over board the ceiling and reskim the two opposite walls if they are in sound enough condition to do so. If they are not then overboard these walls, studs should be eady enough to find. If the walls are already plumb and straight dabing onto them will be a doddle also but less so than fixing over them.

Easiest board for the job would be handy boards. They are the smallest boards you can get, 9.5mm thick square edge. 1 bag of multi finish will skim the whole lot. Grab a role of scrim tape as well.
Wickes is usually the cheapest for small cash materials. They are run by the same company as TPs, quality of materials are fine.

Board it out yourself as neat as you can. Take your time its an easy job. No gaps between boards, screws flush to the board and not sticking out, no loose screws, no rough edges or ripped paper. Measure twice cut once, you shouldnt need a rasp. Keep your blade in your knife sharp and you will get a neat cut. If you do need to shave a few mm off you can do it easily enough with your knife.

If you do dab, make sure you put plenty on your joints and edges. Most important parts to be solid. You can fix into dab also so you might want to take that into consideration. No loose bits of board, no bits filled in with dab because the board wasn't cut right and no bits of glue on the surface of the board. Scrape it off, keep clean.

Get a lad in to skim it out. Small Saturday job for an apprentice or lad. I would have charged 80quid to skim it out one Saturday morning or 200 to board and skim it in a day. You can probably get it cheaper than that.
If an apprentice has done it for you on the cheap and its a bit rough, just sand and fill any odd bits. It will still be a much better job than if you were to skim it yourself (assuming you have never done it before).

Participant · 7 Apr 2013 at 13:41

Thanks for the detailed post. Handiboards don't seem to be available in tapered edge versions. Hmmm, could be fun squeezing 2400 boards into my car!

paintguy · 7 Apr 2013 at 14:00

I wouldn't be using tapered edge boards anyway. For where two boards join on a flat wall sure, but none of those walls look big enough for that so I'd get square edge.

Or you can always cut them roughly to size at Wickes to get them into the car

Lopéz · 7 Apr 2013 at 16:09

You'll have a job fitting full size boards in any car.

Participant · 7 Apr 2013 at 19:31

paintguy said:
I wouldn't be using tapered edge boards anyway. For where two boards join on a flat wall sure, but none of those walls look big enough for that so I'd get square edge.

Two boards will be joining on a flat wall though?

The walls aren't big enough to require a join as such, but several other factors unfortunately dictate that I'll need to join two boards (pipes, electrical boxes, and the fact that I can't for a 2400mm sheet into the airing cupboard anyway cause of the divider you can see half way up the cupboard in the pictures above).

Lopéz said:
You'll have a job fitting full size boards in any car.

That's my problem. I want a tapered board so I can use tape and compound for a neat join where the boards meet, but the only boards that will fit in my car are square-edged. Guess I'll have to snap them after I've paid and before I take them out of the store!

What a faff. I'm determined to do this myself, but it's rapidly turning into a project rather than a Saturday morning job!

I had a look at the pipework again earlier, and to get the neatest finish and hide all the pipes, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to:

- Strip back plaster to (what I assume is) breeze block. This is because battening the left and right walls will take the plasterboard past flush with the airing cupboard frame.
- Re-plumb cold feed pipe to shower
- Fit an access hatch
- Re-plumb random tiny pipes feeding towel heater on the left
- Batten all four surfaces as well as the floor, which will bring the left and right-hand walls past the cupboard frame (unless I strip blocks of their plaster)

Oh well. I'm going to hit each part at a time and get it done gradually.

Nightglow · 7 Apr 2013 at 19:42

You can get 1800x900x9.5mm tapered edge plasterboard.

Participant · 21 Jun 2013 at 22:20

Finally completed this today!

I used 9.5mm handiboard from B&Q and used the dot and dab method. Thanks for all the help.

Here are the results:

In the end I didn't batten out and hide the pipes as I wanted to retain the depth. By far the hardest part was preparing the thing in the first place.