Plasterboard onto ceiling techniques!

[Northbeach]

Thought I'd create a new thread just in case the 'plastering over halogen spots' got lost in the ether (hope nobody minds?)
...

...Sorry to drag this thread from whence it came, but I'm about to finally start the ceiling/s (just about completing the house 'refurb' in the process.
Established the joists have 16" between each other and what appropriate plasteboard sizes I should use, but still have a couple of niggles (even though noseall kindly posted a great deal of help before I finally did his/her swede in!!):

1: The length of the boards should be placed at 90degrees to the joists above?
2: Would a joist usually be directly across the edge of the walls below?
3: *noseall Quote:
start from both ends, and put your cut in the middle. you should stagger the joints too.

I read this as 'brickwork' pattern as you would with laying floorboards?
4: I'm going to stuggle (my girlfriend will be helping) fitting massive boards into place - could I really get away with the smallest of boards (bit more expensive and little more wastage but far easier on first attempt to install). If I mesh tape then skim the joins these shouldn't show right....?

Muletide of thanks in advance!!

Basically the 2200 x 1800 sizes are going to be a royal pain to put up (having my girlfriend hold up one end whilst I drill holes and screw in the appropriate screws will be dam tricky).

Regards.

 

[gcol]

You can hire a plasterboard lift like this:
http://www.toolmart.co.uk/catalogue/detail.asp?id=401
It'll save you shouting at the girlfriend.

 

[jbonding]

Thought I'd create a new thread just in case the 'plastering over halogen spots' got lost in the ether (hope nobody minds?)
...

...Sorry to drag this thread from whence it came, but I'm about to finally start the ceiling/s (just about completing the house 'refurb' in the process.
Established the joists have 16" between each other and what appropriate plasteboard sizes I should use, but still have a couple of niggles (even though noseall kindly posted a great deal of help before I finally did his/her swede in!!):

1: The length of the boards should be placed at 90degrees to the joists above?
2: Would a joist usually be directly across the edge of the walls below?
3: *noseall Quote:
start from both ends, and put your cut in the middle. you should stagger the joints too.

I read this as 'brickwork' pattern as you would with laying floorboards?
4: I'm going to stuggle (my girlfriend will be helping) fitting massive boards into place - could I really get away with the smallest of boards (bit more expensive and little more wastage but far easier on first attempt to install). If I mesh tape then skim the joins these shouldn't show right....?

Muletide of thanks in advance!!

Basically the 2200 x 1800 sizes are going to be a royal pain to put up (having my girlfriend hold up one end whilst I drill holes and screw in the appropriate screws will be dam tricky).

Regards.

theres no need to drill holes the screws go straight through, get a screw in each joist and you will be able to let go

 

[Northbeach]

Hmmm, like the idea of the lift...there's a tool hire store just down the road.

theres no need to drill holes the screws go straight through, get a screw in each joist and you will be able to let go

Like that also!
Still not sure how I fit noseall's technique intp this:

start from both ends, and put your cut in the middle. you should stagger the joints too.

2 lengths of 2200 will span across the entire ceiling (with possibly another 4 to complete down the ceiling).
I'm also reading scew lengths of anywhere between 25mm and 50mm (the joists are around 4"s thick).

many thanks.

 

[noseall]

if youre overboarding then 50- 60mm screws should do.
if youre fixing directly to the joists then 30-40mm screws will do.


when a builder sets out the joists on a build, he will try and make it so there is a joist against the wall at each end.
this makes plasterboarding and floor boarding easier.
in some instances the builder will set out the joists according to centres i.e. 400,450,600mm etc. even if this leaves a large gap at one end.
if youre plaster board happened to finish on this joist, then you would have nothing in which to nail the final piece of plasterboard.
hence my suggestion to start at each end and work to the middle.

the board sizes should be 900x2400mm, 900x1800mm and 1200x2400mm.

 

[jbonding]

start at one end, like you say 2 boards long, then start boarding from the next row from the other end, starting with half a board and work back, then start the next row like the first this should stagger the boards

 

[Northbeach]

Excellent advice folks.

when a builder sets out the joists on a build, he will try and make it so there is a joist against the wall at each end.
this makes plasterboarding and floor boarding easier.
in some instances the builder will set out the joists according to centres i.e. 400,450,600mm etc. even if this leaves a large gap at one end.
if youre plaster board happened to finish on this joist, then you would have nothing in which to nail the final piece of plasterboard.
hence my suggestion to start at each end and work to the middle.

Completely understand now - the house is fairly old but I assume the these techniques were used back then also.

Will stagger the boards as I did with my flooring then (this is to minimise the chances of having a huge crack showing across the entire ceiling right?).

On the phone to the hire centre now (plasterboard lift) - cannae take another row with this the missus this week!
Anything I should bear in mind come the day of the skim? I've skimmed a small partition wall a short time ago (better than the cowboy builders who did my kitchen) but noticed one a few blemishes - not the glass smooth you'd get from an expert. Would this be part bad mixing part bad appliction?

Many thanks.

 

[noseall]

blemishes get easier to see the more the plaster dries out.
its not until its completely pale pink that you will see most of the little imperfections.
and once the first mist coat of thinned emulsion goes on then you will see EVERY imperfection, especially in natural light.
by this time its far too late for the spread to do anything!

 

[Northbeach]

^^ Sounds about right to me from my experience!
Any tips to cut down on these blemishes?

 

[jbonding]

^^ Sounds about right to me from my experience!
Any tips to cut down on these blemishes?

practice

 

[Northbeach]

^^ Yeah I guess so!! Trying to determine if I should concentrate more on the mixing as opposed to the application (slothlike at best!).

Just another query has been thrown up on me (like kids this DIY business!) - I've received the plasterboards from the local supplier ready to fit. Not sure if I mentioned this but the current ceiling (a right old state) is badly artexed inspersed with filler when I dug out the ceiling for the spotlights. Above this are slats (the hardened plaster pushed through these on the original application) then the joists. Unfortunately due to children, time constraints and the upheaval I won't be able to take off the original ceiling up to these slats...sooo I've been using a stud detector to find the joists (has a little trouble finding these so you have to be blinking patient!). I measured the joists upstairs (over a different room) to be 16" apart - this matches on the majority of them in the room I'll be plasterboarding...however...one or two seem to be sized at 14" - especially at the end of one wall where the joists go - 16" - 15" - 14" - is this normal doctors?
What I've planned to do is take the horizontal measurements across (eah 16 or so inches) then use a 'chalked plumb line' to snap the joist line - sound about right folks?

Many thanks.

 

[noseall]

it may sound crude, but when we overboard a ceiling, we get a claw hammer, tap the ceiling along the wall, roughly where we think the joists are.
when you hear a solid sounding noise, strike hard with the hammer and make a hole either side of the joist, just big enough to identify its size and location.
mark with a pencil joist centre.
do the same down the other side.
you can then join up the marks on either side with a pencil line to give you a nail run indicator.

 

[Northbeach]

Often 'crude' works the best noseall. Certainly would've done me a few favours - the stud detector works when it can be a*sed
Took an age to find (and pencil in) the joists above - I will still use your method to double check mind (drill a hole either side to check the joists - bear in mind I'm going through wooden slats also?)

Also....(there's always seemingly an also with me!)...the drywall screws I have been advised to use seem like normal screws to me - the others I used for the partion wall were a dark grey (galvanised?) in appearance - do state dry wall screws on them though. I got 75mm in the end as I'm going through two sets of plaster and the wooden slats before hitting the joists. The screws are posi (ph2 bit) /bugle headed - ok?

Many thanks.

 

[waynes]

two sets of plaster and wooden slats already? what sort of beams have you got? that sounds like a lot of weight

 

[Northbeach]

^^ No - just one plaster/slat then joists.
Sorry about the confusion.
Screw in every 30 cm sound ok?