Best fixings to use when mounting battens to ceiling

[Licklieder]

I am just about to embark on my long planned renovation of the thermal elements of my flat. I have the landlords approval, and today received acknowledgement of receipt of my building notice. So far, so good.

I will be insulating the external walls, internal party walls to adjoining flats / communal corridors and the ceiling - though this latter is mainly to improve sound isolation from the flat upstairs, whose young boys God bless them just love to run and jump and scream and shout. As well they should, but I'd rather not hear them whilst they're at it.

I am planning to do the work one room at a time, in the order ceiling, walls, floor.

My initial question is - what are the best fixings to use for the ceiling? I plan on using 50 x 50mm wood battens & double layer of 10mm fermacell to lower the ceiling. The existing ceiling is plaster on a block & beam construction. I presume that I should be aiming to mount into the block rather than the beam.

Thanks for reading and any pointers gladly received

 

[poptyping]

Hi, is there no plasterboard at all? It sounds like an unusual ceiling arrangement. If its block and beam I think you'll have to find the beams because there will be a void where the blocks are, they sit on a lip which could be 75-100mm away from the bottom of the beam. Fix your battens across the beams fixing into each one, a 120-150mm frame anchor should do the trick. Its good practice to put a vapour barrier on the battens before you board it, if thats what you are doing. Hope this is slightly helpful

 

[catlad]

rapier star fix should do the job. It sounds like you have a good bit to do I would have two drills one sds one cordless you can drill straight through the baton into the block then put in the fixing.

 

[Licklieder]

No there's no plasterboard at all. So far as I can tell, there are concrete beams running across each room between the load bearing walls - mainly because this is where the cracks are from settling. Where I removed a fitted wardrobe, I can see block work. This block work is nominally flush with the bottom of what I'm assuming are beams.

I'll take a picture when I can. I might have a go with my SDS drill tomorrow and remove a bit more plaster to see what I'm dealing with.

I'll have a look at frame anchors / Rapier starfix

Ta