Levelling a bathroom ceiling with cross battens

[DaveyH]

Hi,

I want to level our bathroom ceiling before it gets plaster boarded with 12.5mm vapourshield boards.

Here is a picture of it now.

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• DaveyH
• 30 Oct 2013
• 1

I believe the best way of doing it is screwing cross battens at 90 degrees to the ceiling joists and using some of these (plastic shims) between the joist and the batten to level them up.

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• DaveyH
• 30 Oct 2013
• 1

Each batten will need to be 2200mm long (the width of our bathroom).

Questions.

1. What’s the best type and size of timber to use?
2. How far apart should each batten be?

Thanks in advance

 

[noseall]

The easiest way would have been to fix say a 100mm x 50mm timber along the wall end joists but set them say, 50mm down and dead level.

String a line along both ends of the joists and fix the rest of the levelling timbers.

....Er having looked at your joist layout image, mebbe I was wrong! How come there is an overlap and why is this not supported? Is there a ceiling binder above?

What are your internal walls built from? Clay pot?

 

[DaveyH]

Thanks for replying.

....Er having looked at your joist layout image, mebbe I was wrong! How come there is an overlap and why is this not supported? Is there a ceiling binder above?

Yes, you're correct those joins in the ceiling joists are exactly where the binders are in the loft. The house is semi, built in the mid 1950's. The roof is a cut roof, exactly like this.

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• DaveyH
• 31 Oct 2013
• 1

What are your internal walls built from? Clay pot?

Yes (I think). All The internal walls upstairs are made of this hollow square shaped clay block stuff. I've got no idea what its proper name is. Downstairs the internal walls are all normal clay bricks.

The easiest way would have been to fix say a 100mm x 50mm timber along the wall end joists but set them say, 50mm down and dead level.

String a line along both ends of the joists and fix the rest of the levelling timbers.

I think I understand what you're getting at. There would be 2 pieces of 100mm x 50mm timber temporarily screwed across the ceiling joists (1 at each end of the room). The fat side (100mm) side touching the ceiling joists and 2 bits of string pulled tight between these 2 pieces of timber. The 2 pieces of timber and the 2 pieces of string would form a perfectly level square around the room at ceiling height. The levelling timbers would then be screwed to the ceiling joists using plastic shims until they are just touching the 2 strings. When all the levelling timbers (and shims) have been screwed to the ceiling joists, the 2 bits of string and the 2 100mm x 50mm timbers would be removed. Does that sound about right or have I totally misunderstood?

What size and type of timber should the levelling timbers be (less that 50mm presumably or it would end up lower than the 2 strings)? Also how far apart should each levelling timber be?

 

[noseall]

Imagine you are looking up at the joists.

Now imagine fixing a new joist along side one of those joists.

Now rather than fixing the new joist level with the bottom of the existing joist, fix the new joist so that it sticks down 50mm lower than the existing joist.

But level. And do it to all the others.

But......this was before i saw that your existing joists are joined or lapped, so my idea is impractical.

You could always go for a lowered or 'false' ceiling.

 

[DaveyH]

Imagine you are looking up at the joists.

Now imagine fixing a new joist along side one of those joists.

Now rather than fixing the new joist level with the bottom of the existing joist, fix the new joist so that it sticks down 50mm lower than the existing joist.

But level. And do it to all the others.

But......this was before i saw that your existing joists are joined or lapped, so my idea is impractical.

You could always go for a lowered or 'false' ceiling.

Oh I see. So the 100mm x 50mm battens would be sistered to the existing joists but sticking down aprox 50mm. As you point out because of the joins it would be impractical. Also the lengths of sistered timber would interfere with my loft insulation.

To be totally honest. I was going to level my ceiling using the method shown in this video. ie fit cross battens, find the lowest point, then pack all the other battens to match that lowest point using plastic shims.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kMZm1-CwW4

All I really wanted to know was the type and size of timber to use, and how far apart the battens needed to be to hold up 12.5mm vapourshield plasterboards?

 

[noseall]

All I really wanted to know was the type and size of timber to use, and how far apart the battens needed to be to hold up 12.5mm vapourshield plasterboards?

Max centres 600mm.

I would opt for 400mm c/c though this could turn out to be a right faff what with all that shim-shim work.

 

[DaveyH]

All I really wanted to know was the type and size of timber to use, and how far apart the battens needed to be to hold up 12.5mm vapourshield plasterboards?

Max centres 600mm.

I would opt for 400mm c/c though this could turn out to be a right faff what with all that shim-shim work.

Thanks.

What about the type and size of timber? Would 2" x 1" (50mm x 25mm) be okay? Would the timber need to be treated or should untreated timber be ok?

 

[noseall]

2" x 1" will bounce between joists when fixing the plasterboard, use 2" x 2".

 

[DaveyH]

2" x 1" will bounce between joists when fixing the plasterboard, use 2" x 2".

Thanks.

Would the 2" x 2" timber need to be treated or would untreated 2" x 2" timber be ok?

 

[IJWS15]

The easiest way would have been to fix say a 100mm x 50mm timber along the wall end joists but set them say, 50mm down and dead level.

String a line along both ends of the joists and fix the rest of the levelling timbers.

....Er having looked at your joist layout image, mebbe I was wrong! How come there is an overlap and why is this not supported? Is there a ceiling binder above?

What are your internal walls built from? Clay pot?

It probably had a separate toilet and bathroom and someone has taken a supporting wall out at some time.