Frequently Asked Questions
What is plasterboard?
Plasterboard is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate, which is usually pressed between a face and backer, and is used to make interior walls and ceilings.
How much plasterboard do I need?
To work out how much plasterboard you will need, you will need to work out the square meters by measuring the height by the width of each wall. You will have to add the square metre calculations from all the walls or ceilings together to get the final measurement.
Do you need to plaster over plasterboard?
No, you do not need to plaster over plasterboard. You can joint and fill the gaps with filler and then paint the plasterboard, which will leave a perfectly smooth wall that will look just as good as a wall that has been plastered with a skim layer.
What thickness plasterboard for ceilings?
The most common plasterboard thickness is 9.5mm and 12.5mm. For ceilings, it is 9.5mm, and for walls, 12.5mm.
Which side of plasterboard do you plaster?
The dark side goes inside so that you skim the outside, which is the white side. If the wall you are boarding is an outside wall, you will still put the dark side inside and against the inside of the outside wall.
How many screws per plasterboard?
We would recommend using 28 screws for attaching an 812mm sheet of drywall. If it’s 1219mm, it’ll take about 36 screws. When screwing drywall sheets (812mm to the studs vertically, use four screws and start at the top. Give each of the screws about 16 inches apart from one another.
What does insulation mean?
Insulation means covering and surrounding something with a material or substance to stop heat, sound, or electricity from escaping or entering.
What is cavity wall insulation?
Cavity wall insulation stores the heat within the inner walls, bouncing it back into the room and holding it for longer. This gives you a more even temperature and gets rid of the draughts that come down from the walls.
How much insulation do I need?
Firstly, you will need to decide how thick you want the insulation to be. Since the 80’s, building regulations stated that homes should have as much as 100mm of loft insulation. This gradually increased to 200 mm and now stands at 270 mm for new builds and is recommended for other properties. Therefore, you must check how much insulation you currently have in your loft before purchasing more. You may find that you have anywhere from 25 to 200 mm up there and knowing this and the insulation values will help to determine how much more you need to purchase. Some modern materials can provide the same thermal insulation whilst not being as thick. Next, you should measure the total area of your loft. This can be done by measuring both the length and width of the space in metres and multiply the length by the width, which will give you the square metre area (m2) of your loft.
What is thermal insulation?
Thermal insulation is the process of insulating material from transferring heat between the materials that are in thermal contact.
