Easi-Fill or Multi?

[keyplayer]

Evening all. I am putting right a large ceiling that is boarded out in 9.5 mm pb and nicely skimmed, but with the seemingly obligatory cracks where the boards butt together without noggins. I have easy access above the ceiling, and with a combination of 50 mm wide strips of wood stuck like sh*t over the butt joints, and subsequently screwed into through the ceiling from beneath, I am confident I have sorted the movement between the boards. I now plan to chip off a band of the skim along the cracks wide enough to take a strip of scrim and make good. Is there any reason not to do this with Gyproc Easi-fill and use multi instead?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Why did you not use 12.5mm pb? that would have helped prevent the board sagging where nogins where missing!
It could be worth considering a re-skim of whole ceiling. rather then patching it up, your bound to cause a hump over joint.
It is possible to feather the joint out with easifil though.

 

[keyplayer]

Thanks for the rapid response PBofD.

Why did you not use 12.5mm pb? that would have helped prevent the board sagging where nogins where missing!

Yeah, I always go for 12.5mms, but I didn't board this ceiling, it's the original one from the late 1970s and just like all the properties round here of a similar age consists of 9.5 boards, pb nails rather than screws, and hessian scrim.

It could be worth considering a re-skim of whole ceiling. rather then patching it up, your bound to cause a hump over joint.
It is possible to feather the joint out with easifil though.

I know a re-skim is the proper way to go, but it's 40ish sqm and apart from the cracks is otherwise sound. I shouldn't get a hump I thought, as I am actually scrimming the board rather than the original skim, and then filling out over that flush to the original, if you see what I mean. Therefore, I shouldn't need to feather anything?

 

[Richard C]

It’s possible to repair without cutting back the boards; rake out the crack, fill & tape (I use 3 overlapping layers), then skim over & blend in the repair with Multi. You have to go quiet wide either side, min 200mm but do it right & you won’t see the bump & only the odd bit of filler required here & there around the edges. It can be a fair bit of work & sometimes it’s just as easy to skim the whole ceiling but not always; I’ve done loads like that with very high success rate.

 

[keyplayer]

It’s possible to repair without cutting back the boards

I wasn't thinking of cutting back the boards themselves, but just removing enough of the original skim coat to get a layer of scrim tape on the boards over the joints and then filling over this to get flush with the original. The screws I've put through the board already have broken up enough of the skim coats to make removal pretty easy, so I'm just wondering whether multi or easi-fill is best, the latter being easier to sand flat if necessary.

 

[1john]

you can use paper tape and easy fill and feather out from the ridge of the paper tape. it would be easier if you cant plaster.

 

[keyplayer]

I'm not planning on having to feather anything out.

 

[Richard C]

I would use Multi but don’t use it with the intention of sanding back the repair. It’s very hard & not intended to be sanded which can make the repair difficult to cover & initially more visible. A degree of feathering is inevitable so if you’re not confident you can do it with a little minor filling, use Easyfill.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I'm just wondering whether multi or easi-fill is best, the latter being easier to sand flat if necessary.

As Richard says "multi does not leave a good surface after sanding and not really designed for this purpose"
If you are unsure about your plastering skills, it may be an option to tape joints and fill out with easi-fill. As does leave some scope for error as can be sanded and refilled.
I wouldn't use the paper tape but use the nylon self adhesive stuff
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Plasterboard-Jointing-and-Repair-Tape/invt/163566.
It's stronger and more adaptable to the novice, as you don't need to apply a coat of easi-fill prior to taping up and you wont get dry bubbles under the tape.