A Brief Guide to Line Interior Walls

Are you looking into lining interior walls? If so, then you may be a good DIYer. Although this is a fair-sized job, but it still requires the skills and expertise of a professional handy person. We have given an easy step-by-step guide that you can follow to come up with an appealing finishing that will make your friends to look around and admire your work, whenever they will visit you.

Before You Begin

Before you start the work, match the linings or lath and plaster laid over the timber. These often provide framing, bracing along with an appealing wall finishing. You will require a skilled engineer or company like Interior Drywall Solutions before replacement. You can also consult a doctor, if you are unsure when removing old interior wall linings.

Note – When plasterboard is needed to offer bracing performance, it becomes a Restricted Building Work and must be performed or supervised by a Certified Building Practitioner.

Plasterboard Handling & Storage

Handling

Gib board supply should be handled with care, as it is an essential finishing material. You must not sit or walk on stacks of plasterboard. Always carry plasterboard on its edge. Plasterboard Sheets are easier to carry as well as less likely to break or crack. When taking out a sheet from the stack, make sure not to drag a sheet across the one that is placed below as it can deteriorate the face paper.

Storage

The plasterboard sheets must be stacked in a neat and clear flat stack, to prevent any damage to its edges, surfaces and ends. The stacks of plasterboard must be restricted to only 20 stacks of 20 sheets and must be stored on a non-concrete surface to reduce the risk of structural damage because of point loading. In case if the storage of plasterboard is done on a new concrete floor, it should be either placed in an elevated position or on a piece of waterproof polythene sheet so as to avoid picking up moisture from the concrete.

Preparing the Wall

Wall Preparation is more important than anything else to accomplish a good finish. So before applying plasterboard, you must take your time to ensure that the surface is as flat and straight as possible.

• Detach any old glue, nails, or other fixings that are sticking out from the timber;
• If there are any high areas or misaligned nogs, plane or straighten them;
• Make sure that the timber is dry and its moisture content must be 18% or less. Because if moisture content goes beyond this limit, it will cause issues with joint distortion;
• Check the flatness or smoothness of the wall, while using a straight edge of 1800mm. There should be no deviations in the framing greater than 2-3mm from the straight edge;
• When fixing all the joints vertically, all of them will need to be made over timber. Check where your joins will be fixed and ensure these will be over timber;
• The suggested method of fixing plasterboard is Horizontal. However, sometimes this is not possible.

Design Your Own Plan

The plasterboard must be fixed horizontally, so that the joints are below eye-level. Consequently, if there are any imperfections, it will be hardly visible. And if joints are completed slightly raised, any striking light from lights or windows will not show a shadow line. Gluing and screwing decreases the number of mechanical fixings in the face of the plasterboard, so reducing the number of possible defects or imperfections which may be caused by problems such as ‘popping’. Popping is often caused by wet timber.

Horizontal fixing of the board is done by using square edge/taper edge as it makes installation of cove/cornice and skirting very easy. Typical stud spacing must be at a maximum of 16”.  When fixing the end joints horizontally, these should be staggered a minimum of one stud apart, 600mm.

For traditional or existing homes, trimmed plasterboard sheets are required for stud spacing, when fixing vertically.

Note- Avoid making joints above, below or within 200mm of the corners of doors or windows.

Cutting & Attaching

Cutting

• When cutting the sheet, place it with the face paper side up. So you can easily measure and mark the sheet to the exact size you need;
• Use marks to line a straight edge up and hold strong against the sheet. You may use a pencil line as a guide to scoring. Score a line on the face side of the sheet and slightly in the core with the help of a craft knife or drywall;
• Securely hold the board edges from both the sides of the sore line, to break the core of the sheet and use a quick and strong movement to snap the board. Conversely, you can cut the sheet over the end of a length of timber;
• Run the knife through the back paper of the sheet and then snap back to the face, to come up with a good cutting.

Cut Outs

You must use the following method, for cutting out the openings like an electrical outlet or switch box:

• Determine from where the side of the sheet will be located to the near and far sides of the installed electrical box;
• You must measure from the top or bottom edge of where the sheet will be located in the top and bottom of the switch box;
• Sketch an outline of the electrical box at the suitable position on the sheet;
• Use keyhole saw to cut out.

Attaching

The best method of fixing Gib Board is using the plasterboard screws and glue. The Plasterboard screws should be used around the circumference of the sheet and for the rest of the areas that directly touch the wall framing, glue should be used.

Gluing

For appropriate and smooth surface, use GIBFix® All Bond or GIBFix®. Check that the framing is neat and free from both oil and dust. Make sure to apply adhesive at suitable spacing by using a gun. Use a glue daub of approx. Same diameter like that of the framing timber stud. After using glue over the sheet, install it immediately to prevent the skinning of glue, which may result in poor adhesion.

Screwing

Grasp the sheet firmly against the framing, when fixing the screws in it.  Install the plasterboard screws, below the sheet while leaving the paper intact.

GIB Board Installation

• First fix the lower panel because this will provide support the top panel during the installation process. Generally, it is preferred to fix the top sheet first, when the wall-ceiling junction is square-stopped. Because it helps in forming a clean edge at the top of the wall;
• Cut and measure the plasterboard sheet to easily install around any doors or windows;
• Use glue daubs to the studs which are 300mm apart. Never use glue where the edge of the sheet is located;
• Use some small off-cuts of plasterboard at intervals along the wall and floor junction and then place the sheet over them;
• After this, press the sheet strongly into the place at the location of each glue daub;
• Use 25mm x 6g GIB® Grabber® plasterboard screws in the tapered surface on each stud, along the top edge of the sheet, start from the center and work towards the ends;
• Screw around the perimeter of the sheet with fixings 300mm apart. Never screw the board around the doors and windows, where the glue has been placed;
• Cut the top sheet to fit around any windows or doors;
• After this, lift the sheet from the top into position and then rest it on top of the bottom sheet and fix as per the first plasterboard sheet.

When installing the plasterboard vertically, start from the window or door. First cut the first sheet to install so that all the joints are further than 200mm from the windows or doors corner. Also make sure that the joints extend to a minimum of 200mm and beyond the corner of the windows or doors edge.

Installing the Grooved Jambs

Use Architraves for the best practice. However, there are a few effective tips, if you are restricted to the use of grooved jambs and want the best results.

• Make sure to use the best practice to install the windows and doors, i.e. the back edge of the groove and the front face of the timber line up. The plasterboard should have a clearance of about 1 to 1.5mm in the groove;
• Never try to install the GIB Board into the groove forcefully;
• You must keep the joints to a minimum and usually cut an entire sheet and install it around the windows and doors;
• When measuring, make sure to allow for the groove;
• Extend the joins to a minimum of 200mm further the edge of windows and doors.

Installing the Internal Corners

For fixing the sheets at the internal corner, butt the second sheet against the first and then tighten the second sheet to the stud.

Installing the External Corners

In order to attach the sheets at an external corner, join the end of the second board over the end of the first one. Ensure that the sheets overlap each other neatly and the second board does not extend over the face of the first. You must tighten both the sheets to a common stud. Once the sheets have been installed in place, fix the plastic or metal external corners in position to provide a neat edge for stopping. It will help in protecting the edges of the board and also make the board stopping easier.

GIB Stopping

Preparation

Before commencing the GIB stopping, check that all the fixings, nails or screws are seated below the board surface. If there are some areas, which are more than 2mm deeper, fill them with a setting compound and leave it to dry.

First Coat

• Fill the gaps formed by the sheet edges with jointing compound. You may use a broad knife of 150-mm;
• Fix the paper tape at the Centre along the joint and use a broad knife of 150mm to press the tape down into the compound;
• Remove any trapped air from beneath the tape, with the use of a broad knife, held at approx. 45 degrees to the board surface along the joint. However, make sure that enough compound is left behind the tape, so as to achieve a good bond;
• After this immediately apply a thin coat of compound on the surface of the tape. As this decreases the possibility of the tape curling and wrinkling, which cause the edges of sheet to crack or break;
• Once the compound is dried and settled. Check if any build-up of compound is formed along the joint and scrape it.

Second Coat

• Use a 200-mm trowel to apply a second coat of jointing compound. Make sure that second coat covers the outside of the first coat;
• Allow it to dry properly for approximately 24 hours and make sure to scrape back any build-up of compound along the joint.

Top Coat

• Use 280-mm trowel to apply the finishing coat of compound. Ensure to feather the joint edges at least 50mm beyond the edges of the previous coat;
• Allow the finishing coat to dry thoroughly for about 24 hours;
• Now use 220 grit, finer or sandpaper to lightly sand in the same direction as the joint;

Once the sanding is done, draw the imperfections and defects with a pencil, and then again touch-up these areas with compound. Leave it to dry and sand. You may repeat this process until you get the desired finish.