Tenement Alcove

[joneech]

Hello there,



We've just bought our first flat and have been doing work to it. It's a top floor 1905 tenement flat with lathe plaster throughout.

There's an alcove in one of the bedrooms which has a few layers of wallpaper on top of plasterboard; as it's so old some of the plasterboard is crumbling away. We're not sure how to proceed with it; behind the plasterboard is a big gap with a bit of a draught and then it's brickwork. From what I can tell, there's a wooden frame around the sides which the board has been nailed on to; the nails are pretty rusty now and the rust has seeped through the paper.

I'm really not sure where to go from here; do we need to fill the big gap at the back, should we just pick up new plasterboard and attach or should we go for plywood and try to use insulation for the gap?

Hope this makes sense, and thanks for any help you can give!

 

[OwainDIYer]

There needs to be a gap between the masonry and the plasterwork to prevent damp from crossing.

You can get insulated plasterboard which is backed with polystyrene, use that to line the alcove (which in Edinburgh would be called a press) but allow an air gap between the back of the pllasterboard and the masonry.

A cupboard across the lower half of the press and then some glass shelves above to display Mrs Nicholak's collection of wally dugs would be braw.

 

[joneech]

Haha wally dugs...how did you know?!

Do we then have to skim the plasterboard or is lining paper sufficient? And is there anywhere I could pick this up which isn't trade only?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[OwainDIYer]

you can use square edge plasterboard and skim it, or taper edge plasterboard, tape it and just skim the edges (Ames Taping)

You can buy plasterboard from Wickes but I don't think they do insulated board.