Boiler on plasterboard stud wall

[jennyg]

Hi,
I'm getting a new boiler fitted soon, and I have a couple of places to put it. What i wondered was whether it's OK to attach it to a plasterboard stud wall? my other option is a crumbly lathe and plaster wall (which really ought to be replastered...).
Your advice would be much appreciated!!!

Cheers,

Jenny.

 

[oilman]

What boiler is it? If it's gas theyre not heavy, and with suitable supports fixed to the stud wall (into the studs), and extenting to the floor, it should be ok. If it's oil, they are heavy, and you need a structural engineer.

In either case dont attach it to the lath and plaster wall, it doesn't deserve such treatment.

If you have the lath and plaster wall re-done, I hope you are going to do it in the same materials. You could do it yourself quite easily, after removing the crumbly bits reasonably carefully, it's fairly straight forward, and nowhere as difficuld as modern materials.

 

[ChrisR]

First check your boiler instructions to see if the surface has to be non-combustible.
I have seen boilers put straight on plasterboard with toggle fixings and be fine, but I always use some sort of wooden board. A plank across the studs where the bracket is is ugly but will do (ok for rented student flats!).
If I had lath and plaster walls I'd strip back to the laths and screw pboard on top, all through the house!

You can screw a board on the surface of the wall as is, into the studs, then screw the boiler to the board.
Or remove the plasterboard, or plaster and laths, or plaster FROM laths (leaving laths) then fix a board into the studs. Min suggested board 19mm if you use good fixings.

Going back to first point - plasterboard is considered non combustibe, but if you use a wood boards and the mfrs say non-combustible is needed (unusual these days) then you need a sheet of summat on top. Pboard I suppose could be used but builders merchants sell better stuff, like "supalux".

There's stuff in the building regs too for special cases. No harm in giving Building Control dept of your local authority a call if yours might be one.

 

[jennyg]

Hi there,

Thanks for the replies. I think the plasterboard should be OK. The boiler is a small combi boiler.

The lath and plaster wall is looking quite tired. I wanted to basically put it on the plasterboard wall (which is a partition stud wall at right angles) as then it would be easier to do something to the lath and plaster wall with the boiler on the other one. I just wanted to check it would be strong enough.

In addition, I thought about 'covering up' the lath wall by maybe fixing some timber studs and putting some plasterboard up over the existing structure, rather than taking all of the plaster off the wall (which I know would be the better thing to do, but is also more hassle).

I could also just plaster the existing holes (a small plaster job will be OK).

What should be the best thing to do if I was going to put up kitchen cupboards on the wall?

What is the strongest method of fixing?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[croydoncorgi]

Boilers must absolutely NOT be hung on an inflammable surface! That includes any form of timber.

Plasterboard is not a good idea by itself - if the boiler gets loose on the wall it will be expensive to fix. Much better to spend time / money now to get a strong base. A piece of MDF large enough to be screwed through into the studding all the way round, with a non-flammable layer (eg GRP) forming the top surface would be fine. Whatever you do, follow manufacturers instructions.

 

[ChrisR]

Boilers must absolutely NOT be hung on an inflammable surface!

SEDITIOUS NONSENSE!

Whatever you do, follow manufacturers instructions.

That's the absolute!

I just put a Vaillant straight on a 1" (oak veneered cos I had it spare) mdf board. First I checked with the MI then called Vaillant.

I assume by "inflammable" you really mean "flammable". Timber is not inflammable. The MI generally deal in the negative - "does not have to be non-flammable"

 

[Slogger]

so is it ok or not u lost me on the first imflabubble can you put on onto wood or would you need one of them flameproof boards

 

[DP]

Check MIs or call technical.

Some boilers can be fitted onto timber panels others not.

 

[oilman]

If I had lath and plaster walls I'd strip back to the laths and screw pboard on top, all through the house!

Well let's hope you don't move into a pre 1950 house to wreak your destruction then.

If push came to shove you COULD go out and FIND materials to make lath and plaster walls and ceilings, or repair materials. If its plaster board, if you ain't got a factory you're stuffed. Not only that you may well reduce the potential value of your property by more than you think, and what have you got for a talking point when the conversation flags a bit, er.."do youlike my new plasterboard?"

 

[ChrisR]

[quote="oilmanyou COULD go out and FIND materials to make lath and plaster walls and ceilings"[/quote]

but whywould anyone (non preservationist) want to?



Round here L & P means pre about 1900, and they're often in a pretty bad state.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Most gas boilers nowadays can be fitted on timber surfaces, just check MI installtion instructions, if it's in an airing cupboard I normally screw a sheet of bathroom/kitchen grade chipboard flooring to the studs with the sheet covering the whole area from floor to ceiling then screw the boiler to the chipboard and if possible right through into the studs as well if one happens to line up.
The only thing to really check is that the stud wall can take the weight, that is why I run the sheet to the floor so some of the weight is transfered to the floor, if you get a nice fit you can then run a bead of mastic in the corners and ceiling and also fix skirting at the bottom if you want a really posh job, also handy for fixing your pipeclips to without having to drill.

 

[oilman]

Hi ChrisR, gotcha! the original half of our house is 120 years old and we still have original window frames, and all of the original lathe and plaster ceilings. Original floor boards and timbers. It's just a pity when we built the extension I was stupid enough to use gypsum plaster.

 

[croydoncorgi]

I really don't care whether you consider my advice 'seditious nonsense' or not. And of course I meant 'non-combustible surface'.

SOME suppliers (eg. Vokera to name one specifically) specify that the mounting surface must be non-combustible or protected by 'fireproof material' (which to my knowledge means a layer of GRP as a minimum!)

So long as I'm aware of ONE supplier still requiring this, any advice I give will include the worst case first, 'follow the manufacturer's advice' second.

So there!

Although I agree that plaster and most types of plasterboard are sufficiently fire-resistant, I would avoid hanging a boiler on a stud-wall with a plasterboard + skim finish UNLESS I could guarantee to get the fixings into a good solid piece of studding. Lath & plaster is likely (through age alone!) to be too weak, again unless you can guarantee to hit solid timber with the fixings.