Dry Wall Vs Plaster

My reno has hit a snag...the plasterer is very busy and has upped his price to the point that plasterboard is looking cost effective. My builder has put it forward as a possible solution to cladding all internal walls not yet plastered - which is most of them! The bathroom is really the only room rendered to date.

The brickwork seems pretty good, no leans or bends to speak of, so I don't think there will be much need of packing.

Interested in anyones thoughts about the relative pros & cons to both options.

Ive posted a few pics and what not here about my ongoing reno. I'm gluing gyprock straight onto rendered walls (no battens in most cases). Im just using cornice cement as glue and it's turned out fine. The first room I did - is now about 2 years post reno and it still looks fine.

Each room costs about $1000. That's me doing it and includes the cost of paints, gypock, cornices, skirting, doors and floor sanding. Personally gyprock suits me down to the ground, but I can't say how it may equate if you have a third party doing it.

Of course there is the additional $30 per room I am spending on a new CD - I plaster to music!! The kids room was Weddings Parties Anything, our room was The John Butler Trio and the hallway was the Waifs!!

I think I might do the living area to either the Pogues or ACDC - Im not sure, its a pretty big area and I need to stay focussed for a long time!!

Battening out plasterboard gives you better cabling options and it is also easier to attach hooks etc to plasterboard than solid plaster/brick (not as strong but easier if there is a cavity). Plasterboard is also pretty easy to get the hang of, solid plastering takes years to get right, I have seen an old historic building brick wall patched then plastered so well, it didnt need any further prep after the plaster went on before it was painted, not even a light sand or a trowel mark. He had been doing nothing else for 45 years.

I got a quote for plastering over bricks after removing chimney in the kitchen. Can't remember what it was - suffered memory loss after going into shock.

Ended up doing a DIY job - plasterboard over battens. Ran wiring at the same time. Looks great and has cupboards over most of it anyway.

A friend with a weatherboard house and internal plaster and batten walls has progressively done all rooms with plasterboard fixed/glued (Liquid Nails I think) to the old plaster.

The first room must have been done about 8-10 years ago and no problems so far.

My house has old lime and sand plaster (very soft) over internal bricks walls. To fix anything to the wall I cut wooden plugs from western red cedar and screw into that - got this tip from a builder who specialises in renos of old houses. Can't see why you couldn't use the same process for plasterboard glued directly to plaster.

My light switch wiring is encased in conduit which has been recessed into the wall - it's a simple job for an electrician to tie new wiring on in the roof and pull through. There's enough room underneath the flooring for access to install power points up through the floor and fix on skirting boards.

Of course, new plaster would be the ideal but it's a dying art - you have to find someone who really knows what he's doing and he's going to charge for his art.

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Originally Posted by Wildman

Battening out plasterboard gives you better cabling options and it is also easier to attach hooks etc to plasterboard than solid plaster/brick (not as strong but easier if there is a cavity).

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Agreed, Ive been battening out the walls where I needed to run wiring for lights and points (particularly on single brick walls). And it is infinitely simpler to fix to stud frames than gluing direct to walls. We were just conscious of saving the 35mm or so. Which sounds pedantic, but it makes me feel like we have big rooms!!

I've been renovating an old house and tried a few things in different rooms:

1. villaboard glued direct with cornice cement:
cons - tried using clouts to hold temporarily - kept falling out or crumbling old bricks or mortar
pros - windows doors did not need to be moved, skirtings rebated with plane.
remove the paint from the wall first and prime with bondcrete before using globs of cement, use 10mm plasterboard instead, much lighter and easier to fix.

2. plasterboard fixed to Rondo 129 furring channels.
Pros - really easy to do, use fixing clips and hammer in some ramset fixings.
pack out if needed.
Cons - takes up space.

3.plasterboard to 35mm pine battens.
Cons - same price as 2 but really hard to fix to wall, Easydrives, dynabolts etc are not really long enough and really need to be recessed.

4. fixing to false stud wall.
Pros - plenty of space for plumbing, allowed vents to be run inside and through colorbond roof.
Cons - big waste of space


Go for the rondo channels, you get thinner ones too which take up less space.

Cheers
Pulse