P/board height from floor?

[Waldo]

G'day,

Well the sparky cam around to day to do the rough wiring for my office, the next step is to do the insulation then the internal walls with plasterboard.

Which brings me to my question. At what height from the floor (concrete) should I allow a gap for the carpet plus underlay?

Thanks in advance for help. :)

[Wood Butcher]

When Dad and I did the plasterboard at his house we put the board to the floor. I also have a mate that is a pro plasterer and I'm sure that he does that too. May a couple of mm off the floor but no more.

Are you planing on putting skirting board around the walls?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

?? Whuffo? The only clearance you'll have to worry about is the bottom of the door... and it's best to trim/rehang that after laying the carpet.

Just run your plaster down 'til it overlaps the bottom plates for support, all the way to the floor if you want but if the conc. is subject to damp it can be wicked up by the plaster. Any gap'll be covered by your skirting... which I also wouldn't fit until after the carpet's laid. Why make work for yourself? ;)

Don't forget, ditto for the top gap and cornice.

[Wood Butcher]

Skew, I can't see how the moisture in the plaster board is a concern, considering the timber frame is on the floor too:confused:

Is it normal practice to put the skirting board on after the carpet now? I always thought it was the other way around? (I'm hoping to build my next house so this sort of stuff is of interest to me! )

[Waldo]

G'day,

Strewth you lot were fast!

Thanks for answering my little question. As Skew said I wasn't going to put the skirting down until the carpet had been laid.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Skew, I can't see how the moisture in the plaster board is a concern, considering the timber frame is on the floor too:confused:

Is it normal practice to put the skirting board on after the carpet now? I always thought it was the other way around? (I'm hoping to build my next house so this sort of stuff is of interest to me! )

It's going on his shed floor. I expect that any spill on the outside against the wall will be quickly mopped up, but if the external plaster (if any) is down to the floor... too late. The same holds true for internal plaster to a lesser degree, all it needs is a bit of fluid to run under the lower plate. If the floor was in a permanent damp state, then I'd be more concerned about it passing through the timber to the plaster, but it's not so I ain't. ;)

I'm not saying it will be a problem, but if the potential can eliminated altogether...

As for carpetting, on a wooden floor it's normal to put... [Aaargh! Major mental blank! :o ] ummm... "tack-boards" (the right name'll come to me later. :rolleyes: ) along the edges to stretch the carpet onto. Not the most convenient on a concrete floor. Without stretching, carpet can move a bit and leave ugly gaps along the walls... putting the skirting on last can alleviate this.

I've also seen people add brads every inch or so in the bottom of the skirting, then clipping the heads, so the skirting itself "locks" the carpet edges, but I've never tried this for myself. Probably never will, either. :D

Inside a house I'd do things differently, but for an office in a working shed, well... I'm more inclined to offer "shed" type solutions. ;)

[Waldo]

I expect that any spill on the outside against the wall will be quickly mopped up;)

G'day,

There are three things that could get spilt on the floor that'll seep under the external wall:

1. Paint, but I do my painting at the other end of my bench 3m away from the office wall, so if I've done that I've spilt a stack load of paint - so chances of that not likely.

2. Blood, and if I've spilt that much then I'd most likely be dead - chances possible.

3. You've spilt your beer which is a cardinal sin and that's the last you get from me and as it's a cardinal sin - then you're dead.

:D

[Wood Butcher]

As for carpetting, on a wooden floor it's normal to put... [Aaargh! Major mental blank! :o ] ummm... "tack-boards" (the right name'll come to me later. :rolleyes: ) along the edges to stretch the carpet onto. I know the stuff, I've heard it called smooth edge which is BS cause it's anything but smooth!!

Thanks for the info too!!

[rod@plasterbrok]

Hi all plasterboard should be kept 10mm from the floor.

The reason for this is to allow for expansion or compression.

Just use and off cut and sit the board on this.

The performance of plasterboard will not be covered by warranty if there is not a 10mm gap between the floor and the bottom edge of the board.

It is essential to have this gap.

Cheer

Rod Dyson

Plaster Brokers

[Sturdee]

I know the stuff, I've heard it called smooth edge which is BS cause it's anything but smooth!!

Thanks for the info too!!

It's called Smooth Edge because when the carpet is laid the carpet has a smooth edge instead of being turned over and nailed down as they used to do before the use of Smooth Edge.

Also it is normally nailed down into the concrete and for it to work properly the carpet layer will require the skirting board to be in place otherwise their edge cutting tool will not work properly.

Peter.

[Wood Butcher]

Cool, thanks for the insight Sturdee!

[Waldo]

G'day,

Thanks for the confirmation on the 10mm Rod, I had a niggling thought that was the case, but this was dispelled by others - you live and learn. :)

So with the skirting board needing to be in place before the carpet is laid, does it sit flush with the bottom of the p/board, i.e. 10mm fron floor? Or does it sit on the floor (in this case concrete)?

[rod@plasterbrok]

I'm not a carpenter but I would imagine they would keep the skirting board up a bit to allow for any ups and down in the floor level.

Cheers.

Rod Dyson

[Waldo]

G'day Rod,

Thanks. To keep the skirting level I'll have to do that since the floor falls away a bit towards the edge of the slab.

[Sturdee]

G'day Rod,

Thanks. To keep the skirting level I'll have to do that since the floor falls away a bit towards the edge of the slab.

As long as it doesn't have too much fall. It can't be more than the thickness of the Smooth Edge (approx 10mm) and the thickness of the carpet you're using else there will be an ugly gap.

Peter.

[Waldo]

G'day Peter,

So it looks like I'm back to my original question. Are you saying the skirting board needs to be 10mm from the floor + allowance for carpet and underlay? Or just the 10mm from floor to allow for expansion as Rod posted?

[Wood Butcher]

I think the skirting board normally rests on the concrete or maybe a few mm up but no more.

[Waldo]

G'day,

OK, I thought I'd search for a gyprock site and found one, and as Rod said and quoting the Gyprock site: http://www.gyprock.com.au/technical/diy/gyprock/B2AC44E9503C48B9831F72958A4CE598.pdf

It says:

"• Lift the sheet about 10mm from the floor by placing
a few off-cuts of plasterboard beneath your sheet".

Thanks everyone for your help. :)

[ThePope]

G'day Peter,

So it looks like I'm back to my original question. Are you saying the skirting board needs to be 10mm from the floor + allowance for carpet and underlay? Or just the 10mm from floor to allow for expansion as Rod posted?

Lift your gyprock 10mm.
Skirting goes hard onto floor, no gap.

[Waldo]

G'day Pope,

Thanks.

[Sturdee]

G'day Peter,

So it looks like I'm back to my original question. Are you saying the skirting board needs to be 10mm from the floor + allowance for carpet and underlay? Or just the 10mm from floor to allow for expansion as Rod posted?

As the Pope said.


To keep the skirting level I'll have to do that since the floor falls away a bit towards the edge of the slab.

If your floor falls away towards the edge of the slab more than the thickness of the carpet and underlay you will have to scribe your skirting board to avoid unsightly gaps when the carpet has been laid.

Peter.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Smooth edge. I knew I'd remember, eventually. :p

I've never heard of 10mm as being "the standard" but it's about what we use anyway... give or take 5mm. [shrug] Enough overlap over the plate for support, not so short that the skirting "rocks" off vertical when tacked. Actually, it depends on how wide the offcuts are and whether some dangerous bugger with a framing gun :o got the wall-height spot on.

Not that I'm a plasterer, mind. God forbid! I'm just the silly bugger they co-opt 'cos they're in my way. "Oy! You're not doing anything, come 'ere and give us a hand!"

Chosen the carpet colours yet? You got free rein or has SWMBO decided she wants a say? Sawdust colour with blood-red spatters hides a multitude of sins. :D

[Waldo]

G'day Skew,

Nope, I've got free reigns to it all, except for the "you said we were going to stop spending for abit!", to which I reply "you want me out of the house and into the shed don't you?. Right" ". :p

Looking at a deep colour for the carpet, the feature wall will be an ochery colour which should hide any blood stains. :D

See the bloke on Medical Emergency who put a nail gun through his knee cap into the bone? :eek:

Did I let some dangerous bugger into my shed? :eek: (probably no more dangerous than I am to myself :) )