# Forum Forum Help Desk Introduce Yourself  Hello!

## geoff70

Hello all, long time reader as they say but time for my own reno so here I am! I am knocking down a couple of walls (one already done) I need to know the best way to patch up the wall/roof with regards to gyprock, taping, screws, glue etc!

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## phild01

Welcome, pics may help get the best solutions.

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## OBBob

Welcome! Classic first post! I've knocked out a wall and need to know how to patch it up again.   :Biggrin:   
I get what you mean though. As Phil said,  pick may help. There's plenty of help here.

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## geoff70

Hello, thanks.
I wasn't sure if I could post photos yet but here we go. I have taken out 2 cavity sliders and made 2 rooms into 1 (well, sort of) I am reasonably good with small to medium patching and taping etc but am not sure about this one. I have added a wall stud to bring the wall back out slightly to fit a cabinet along that wall. I have placed a cut off piece of gyprock there ready for me to screw it in. I screwed in the existing piece to the wood last night. I plan to screw it to the wall then using multi purpose joint compound, fill in the gap with a trowel and put some tape on. I then want to cover all sides of the new stud and whack an angle on it etc. 
Now for the ceiling, probably best to get a plasterer in I am just not sure. The roof is horse hair plaster and there's hair hanging out all along where I removed the old cornice. In the ceiling.jpg pic I want to have both rooms flowing into each other from the ceiling, in other words no bulkhead etc. I want to place a piece of gyprock over the gap as there is a batten on either side where the cornice attaches. Also a top plate which I will remove of course. I want it to look good though as the ceiling sags a tad near the batten, perhaps it needs screwing in too. It's not too bad but noticeable from the side. old cornice sags, the bit I have yet to remove. Anyhow, hopefully you get the gist of it! More photos to follow but this will get me started! 
Cheers, 
Geoff

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## phild01

Photos are bit big and I am scrolling the screen to see, but seems you have started a bit of sheeting.  That piece hasn't been screwed on so can it be moved away, just interested in what is there.  You have a 90mm stud in a 4inch frame, so some packing out may be necessary, though the corner profiles can take the error out. 
In preparation, what I do is drive many small nails into a timber block so the nail points just penetrates maybe half a mm.  I use this to rough up the existing paint before setting.  Use GB45 bagged base-coat and fill the voids and scrape flat.  Use paper tape  and get a couple of plaster blades the biggest being a 300mm broadknife.  You will use quite a bit of basecoat as you need to spread well into the existing wall and continue all the way to the corner profile.Before starting, ensure the new plasterboard does not sit proud of the existing wall alignment, and that the profile's edge is aligned to the whole wall slightly out. 
I am just going by the pics so hope I am reading this right. 
Hopefully Rod will be along to offer better information/clarification.

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## geoff70

The piece that hasn't been screwed in site in front of a wall stud where the existing sheet screws onto. I have attached a new photo showing this. By packing out you mean the new piece of gyprock so that it sits flush (ish) with the existing wall? What do I pack it out with? It's only out by a few mm?

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## phild01

I'm guessing it is out by a few mm because the existing wall is 13mm and the new sheet is 10mm, or maybe the original 3/8 is somehow a bit thicker, don't know!.  Thin plywood might pack it out flush but for this join, it is not that important as it can be levelled out using base-coat.

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## geoff70

Thanks Phil. I suspected the old plasterboard was a tad thicker. Any reason I should be using GB45 and not the pre-made stuff? Just wondering really if it's better or more suited to the task then I'll go grab some? Never used before. Also I now have a largish gap between the cornice and top of wall. The rest looks pretty good though. No more gaps or is that dodge?!

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## phild01

> Thanks Phil. I suspected the old plasterboard was a tad thicker. Any reason I should be using GB45 and not the pre-made stuff? Just wondering really if it's better or more suited to the task then I'll go grab some? Never used before.

  Just my preference and you will using quite a bit.  You will be feeding the finish well into the existing wall which is why the corner profiles play their role in achieving a seamless finish.
My feeling is that the bagged stuff has better strength but probably wrong, have had a bad experience with pre-mix but that was likely the product I was using.  Other than that, the multipurpose is slower to set, I'd rather quicker drying.

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## geoff70

I have a bit of a problem after screwing in the new gyprock. There seems to be a bulge in only a small section of the old plasterboard. This "seems" to be coming from along the wall behind the lounge. Hard to tell but it looks kind of swollen. The rest of the new plasterboard lines up nicely. So, I have drawn in red where this is and in black where I could roughly remove the old plasterboard and replace with new gyprock? Or, since I am opening pandoras box, should I bite the bullet and remove the old 1968 cornice from the whole bloody room as it is different to the rest of the house (such was the style) and replace this section to the wall (as I want new skirting board too) then just patch up the ceiling???? What do you reckon 5 minute job? ha-ha. The two rooms I am working in have 2 different cornice profile. The old wavey one and the new cove profile. Part of me would like a totally new profile in these rooms anyhow.  
Geoff

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## plum

Looks like you've been cutting your plasterboard with a chainsaw. Sharp new Stanley blade, cut, snap then cut the back.

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## geoff70

Yeah bit rough I had trouble with the Stanley knife, I will try a new blade, blade is new-ish. Still should I cut back where I marked out in black or go the whole hog to the wall? It bulges about 4-500mm from the chain-sawed edge.

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## Spottiswoode

Think you've answered your own question. You would like new cornice, redoing the whole will will end up being an easier job to finish nicely.

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## geoff70

Hello again. I have progressed a little since a month ago, I mean a little. I need to know what sort of screws can I use to attached a temporary piece of gyprock to the ceiling? Normal plasterboard screws (longer than normal of course) which I was going to get tomorrow. Or is there something else to use given the weight of the gyprock and the temp nature. The piece is 2.4 long by 230mm wide, so not massive, covering a gap until I can fix it properly but even then do I use the 32mm plasterboard screws? Cheers, 
Geoff

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## OBBob

Plasterboard screws will be fine.

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## geoff70

Thanks, will do. Also I cut a piece from an external wall today which had sarking or foil etc. Do I need to replace it or use a batt instead? It is about 100 wide between the wall studs, this was a sliding door cavity wall but I removed it. Or put nothing in? Just the gyprock?

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## OBBob

Ideally reinstall foil. You won't have the chance to go back in there.

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## geoff70

I bought some concertinaed  foil stuff from Bunnings today. But I was wondering is this suitable (looks ok) but I would perhaps like to do some more also and if so, given I have sarking behind the gyprock what to use? Batts or this foil stuff double layered? It's a 1968 house in Canberra so some wall insulation would be good. I don't want to get the blown in little blocks just yet but I want to replace the cornice and skirting in 2 rooms (lounge/dining) so whilst I am there I was going to maybe do the walls?

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## OBBob

You'd have to completely open the walls to get bats in there.

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## geoff70

That's the plan OBBob. To remove the sections I have drawn (see photo) I want to also replace the window architraves, skirting and cornice. So remove that piece, insert insulation (Batts?) and put new gyprock up. The lines are where the studs are. Thoughts? I don't plan to do the whole house but "whilst I'm there" kind of thing... or is this more trouble that what it's worth? Why do a small section of wall and not the rest.  All good points!

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## OBBob

Well,  if you're taking it out then you may as well ensure there's foil in there and add bulk insulation. Insulation sounds like the easy bit of that project!   :Biggrin:

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## geoff70

Hmmm yeah! So brick veneer, how does this work? Brick, R2? batt and then foil over the bat? Then gyprock?

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## OBBob

Foil as in building wrap, which I thought you had already? It should be behind the brick I guess. You can retrofit by stapling between the studs if need be (silver side in). Then the bulk insulation then plaster.

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## geoff70

I have brick, studs, silver stuff then plasterboard. Therefore the bricks are just uncovered bricks. The foil is on the inside of the studs. Not on the outside.

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## OBBob

Oh... I've never had a brick veneer house, perhaps that's how it's done?

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## geoff70

So it "should" be like this but it is reversed. This was built in 1968 so...

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## OBBob

Yes, that diagram is more like what I'd expect.

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## geoff70

From a search I found this: "Hence in colder climates it is essential to place the vapour barrier  (this can be foil sarking or even builders plastic - it must NOT be  vapour permeable - on the warm side of the wall. It must be directly  behind and as close to the plasterboard or wall lining to stop moisture traveling thru. Needs to be properly lapped and tape sealed - you are  aiming to have a complete barrier to moisture directly behind and as  close to the internal wall lining"  
So now I am not sure! Makes sense I suppose but is this the case? Always something to throw a spanner in the works!

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## geoff70

Found another one too which makes sense
"Vapor  barriers are put on the inside face of wall studs in cold climates and  they're put on the exterior of homes in hot and humid climates. You want  the vapor barrier as far away from the cooler wall surface as possible.  In hot humid climates, the cool side of the wall is the inside of the  home that's got air conditioning operating."

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## OBBob

Ha ha, which one are you... doesn't Canberra get both! Someone else with more knowledge on this will hopefully be along soon.

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## geoff70

Yes indeed! Gets bloody hot and and pretty cold too! However the existing sarking in on the inside of the house! So does the batt go against the brick wall then internal sarking over that! I know, too many questions and too many options! Which one is right I wonder.....

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## geoff70

Hello all, still ongoing with my walls and ceilings. I am off tonight to grab some Gyprock and screws and a metal batten to replace a warped wooden one. I would like to know what screws to screw the Gyprock into the metal with? Standard plasterboard screws or will they strip etc? Also my house is 1968 and I recall from looking at the old battens that they were thicker than 20mm (size of metal ones) Can anyone confirm this? Were battens of old thicker than 20mm? Cheers. 
Geoff
Update just measured batten (it's all covered up with spare gyprock ATM) and its 45x35 and the new steel battens/furring are 28 or 20 etc so how does one attach these? 15mm spacers?! Doubtful.

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