New plasterboard

[Gyn_Paul]

The plasterboard for a ceiling stands in need of a sealing coat before this year's fashionable (or so my OH tells me) 'chalk White finish coat is applied. I usually just slosh on a couple of thinned coats of whatever emulsion I happen to have sitting around gathering dust.

I've just been subjected to a barrage of, "no, you can't use that.... OR that. I have plans for those... and that big tin of white", and now find I've nothing left to use as a sealing coat.

I'm loath to go out and buy expensive sou-couche... I'm just wondering what everyone else uses...

I DO have a couple of old sachets of wallpaper paste which I wouldn't trust to hang wallpaper with....

paul

[Stuart]

Don't use the old Paper Paste.

It might dry and look ok, but when rolling/brushing on the emulsion it will become slimey again

and will mess with the paint.....Bite the bullet or wait till promos occur and buy your very own

paint (Not for other 1/2)..

[Anton Redman]

Every time I post on this subject some cynical old plodder crawls out from under the dinning room table to say that plasterboard primers are a total waste of money and that you can use diluted emulsion. We blind tested last year, two rooms side by side, everybody could see the joins everybody said we had to repaint the room which was not primed.   

[Gyn_Paul]

But Anton, I've never seen a specific product for priming plasterboard... What exactly are you recommending ? (titre, et marque s.v.p)

paul

[Anton Redman]

The product I use in France is calles 'Sous Couche Pour Placo Plaitere' which I know implies that there should have been a primer fist is actally for use as a first coat. Must have bought in either Brico Depot or Leroy Merlin.

.

[Stuart]

I used to be the sole decorator on a Wimpey Site in Norwich many moons ago...

All modern sites are only plasterboard and jointed...Using only dulux high opacity

emulsions, we only ever 2 coated the boards....One can poo poo the modern houses,

but believe me, if the joints could have been seen we'd have been told, not only by

the independant snaggers, but the purchasers as well....Here in France I have never

primed the boards, just 2 coats of good quality emulsion....No joints visible...I also do

the boarding and jointing as well...Once again, the slightest hint of a joint and apart from

the fact that I am my own worst critic, the clients have never seen a joint....

I have tried these sous-couch products, and whilst they do their job well, they are not

technically needed...As I see it.....Horses for courses...Other opinions can differ..I stand by mine.

[geoff]

[quote user="Stuart"]

I used to be the sole decorator on a Wimpey Site in Norwich many moons ago...

All modern sites are only plasterboard and jointed...Using only dulux high opacity

emulsions, we only ever 2 coated the boards....One can poo poo the modern houses,

but believe me, if the joints could have been seen we'd have been told, not only by

the independant snaggers, but the purchasers as well....Here in France I have never

primed the boards, just 2 coats of good quality emulsion....No joints visible...I also do

the boarding and jointing as well...Once again, the slightest hint of a joint and apart from

the fact that I am my own worst critic, the clients have never seen a joint....

I have tried these sous-couch products, and whilst they do their job well, they are not

technically needed...As I see it.....Horses for courses...Other opinions can differ..I stand by mine.

[/quote]

 

 

Now there you have it,from the horses mouth.

As a ex joiner. in later years building manager for a national company,

Thats all we did on dry lineing

e.g. Two coats Mag.Emul.

[Gyn_Paul]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Stuart - you seem to be the perfect chap to ask for advice on how to deal with butt joints. My ceiling is wider than the 10mm boards are long, so - in addition to the taper joints I have to do - I have butted top and bottom board joints above my head to cope with. Is there a particular trick to stopping these ending up like a dog's breakfast ?

Any tips gratefully received !

paul

[Stuart]

Hi Paul.

If I understand your terminology ref the top/bottom butting up...

Do you mean that you've got the tapered edge joined to untapered edge ? It does happen from time to time, especially if you're trying to use up odd sized boards..........What I do, picked up a long time ago from seeing someone else doing it, is with a blade, shave off the hard/acute edge of the untapered side....Only a little bit, to much off and your taping will not spread the width of the joint.This reduces the small kick in the 2 surfaces.....2 coats of jointing compound sanding after each....Works for me.....I also only use the adhesive webbing tape on all non angled surfaces (Some prefer paper tape)...Because the paper will fur up if the joint is sanded on a bad joint.

Thats what I do, time served but self taught, no official training...but still going after 15 + years..Hope this made sense.

Good Luck

Stuart

[Gyn_Paul]

No, I meant boards joined at their 'ends' rather than their (tapered) sides.

I'm covering a ceiling which will have exposed beams, and - as the floorboards above were full of worm and needed to be stripped off and burnt - I have the opportunity to lay the plasterboard directly on top of the beams, so the long lateral joints will be arranged/trimmed to occur in the middle of a beam, and so be hidden from view below. However, the room is wider, than the plasterboards are long, thus the need to join boards at their ends.

So do you sand the joints down a bit, or scribe a small triangle off the tops/bottom?

I've even tried reproducing the taper, but it still seems to leave a visible joint.

[oldgit72]

[quote user="Gyn_Paul"]No, I meant boards joined at their 'ends' rather than their (tapered) sides.

I'm covering a ceiling which will have exposed beams, and - as the floorboards above were full of worm and needed to be stripped off and burnt - I have the opportunity to lay the plasterboard directly on top of the beams, so the long lateral joints will be arranged/trimmed to occur in the middle of a beam, and so be hidden from view below. However, the room is wider, than the plasterboards are long, thus the need to join boards at their ends.

So do you sand the joints down a bit, or scribe a small triangle off the tops/bottom?

I've even tried reproducing the taper, but it still seems to leave a visible joint.[/quote]

Did you do as you planned? I am considering lifting my floorboards and laying the plasterboard directly on top of the beams to aviod too much cutting. Not sure though how/if the plaserboard will stand up to the weight above when the floorboards are repaced. I'd be interested to know how yours turned out.

thanks.