Jump to content
Complete France Forum

Plasterboarding between old beams


confused of chalus

Recommended Posts

Is there an easier way of fitting ordinary plasterboard between very old roof beams short of making a template round all the curves and ins and outs for each section, once wooden battens have been fitted to the sides of the beams?? This is obviously very time consuming and I just want to make sure I am not missing a trick!! Thanks for any advice offered

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cost cutting, I now use the metal railings from stud walls which are a fraction the price of timber battens.They screw just as easilly to the beams...

I cut the boards in 120cm widths, nothing longer as its hard to single handedly screw up...Cut fractionally oversized, then offer up and pencil the bits that need shaping...Use a tool, hand held rasper thingy that shaves off the unwanted areas...Then, the worst bit, fill all the lines...I use slightly drier than norm jointing compound.....Labouious, but effective..

Good Luck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess speed comes from practice...I put the mix on a mortar board and apply with several sized filling blades.

The trouble can arise on larger gaps, the jointing will slowly fall out unless it is quite a stiff mix. And even worse, if you're going for a flat result, you'll have to rub down and second fill everywhere. (Do not joint over untaped joints it will eventually show cracks)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Confused & Stuart. Plastering is my nemesis. I have come to relax my initial standards in the 'flat result' department!! I went to art college, so have a license to call it creative. [;-)]

Perhaps some kind of shuttering would help to hold it in place while it's drying... I might try a ratched gun (like a grease gun) filled with jointing compound, see if I can squirt it in. Though I'll probably spend just as much time filling the gun as if I used trowels!

 Have you heard of "blowing in treated recycled newspaper" type insulation? It's supposed to be a very effective insulator. I guess you need to close off the gap between the top of the wall and the underside of the tiles with something to keep it in place. I'm asking mainly in case you have, and know of any down sides.

You both said 'laborious,' I'm going off this job in spades!! Sounds right tricky, but needs must. And I bet you get great finished result.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excuse my ignorance stuart - but what exactly do you mean by jointing compound? We were planning to fill with a polycel type filler. Should we be getting more specialist stuff, if so what?  The rasp tool seems to be doing the job ok, thank you for the tip. And as for insulation, we went for the thin foil so we could make sure there was an air gap above and below the material - thus improving the insulation. Our French builder thinks we are mad - he wanted to cover the beams with pine cladding with loads of fibreglass behind it and says we wont have enough insulation. We decided to take the risk and go for it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="confused of chalus"]Excuse my ignorance stuart - but what exactly do you mean by jointing compound? We were planning to fill with a polycel type filler. Should we be getting more specialist stuff, if so what?  The rasp tool seems to be doing the job ok, thank you for the tip. And as for insulation, we went for the thin foil so we could make sure there was an air gap above and below the material - thus improving the insulation. Our French builder thinks we are mad - he wanted to cover the beams with pine cladding with loads of fibreglass behind it and says we wont have enough insulation. We decided to take the risk and go for it!
[/quote]

 

I must admit I cant agree with the builders idea of covering the beams, but why exactly will an air gap above and below the foil improve the insulation? Insulation value between trapped surfaces is related to U value and thickness. I assume that there are existing ceiling boards above the beams and a ventilated roof space (loft) above them, or are you isulating and cladding between the A frame beams, which is of course a totally different scenario, requiring ventilation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...