# Forum Home Renovation Structural Renovation  Lining ceiling with plywood

## melbournehouse

Hello to all, I'm renovating an older cottage and keeping the traditional style.
I'm looking to line the ceiling in plywood rather than plaster and welcome feedback re fitting standard 2400x 1200 mm ply sheets.  Thankfully, battens (approx 300m centres) have already been installed over 450 centred rafters.  
I will have to strengthen the battens I suspect but need advice on whether to fit 6mm, 9mm or plus ply.  I was going to fit 9mm and fit cover strapping over joints.  I would welcome knowledge re fixing. Nail or screw and what size? Does anyone have advice about glues?  was going to simply use a construction adhesive between nails or screws.  I don't want to have the ceiling riddled with fixture marks but also need to feel secure.  Naturally I will have to fix through battens to rafters when possible.  Battens (pine?) appear to be 50mm x 25 thick but only lightly fixed as previously covered in caneite. Thank you everyone, would welcome any feedback or experience.  rooms sizes vary but generally 4 sheets per room.
 John   :Confused:

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## SilentButDeadly

I'd use 9mm.  Plain old bugle screws (same as for gyprock will be fine.  Construction adhesive will be fine too. A fix pattern as for gyprock will be the go. Fill fix holes with pine putty.  Refix battens with 65 to 75 mm batten screws - or replace battens with Rondo or similar. 
This will be expensive compated to gyprock though!

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## ScroozAdmin

> Plain old bugle screws (same as for gyprock will be fine.

  Think I'd go with a thicker standard chipboard (multi pupose) screw personally, the head is a lot stronger as they have a lot more steel around the countersink and often they are reinforced for the self sinking action. 3 x fixture thickness is a general rule of thumb but overhead I prefer 5 x  so I'd be going around 8 x 45 (1 3/4) skewed outward slightly and staggered. 
Bugles are supposed to be for dywall only (although I cringeingly see them used for allsorts) the bugle shape is slender on purpose with a rounded arc so it just gently deforms the plasterboard paper without breaking it, the large flat head profile is designed to get a good hold on the board, a well driven board screw should leave a hole no bigger than the shank dia. and sit just a gnats below the paper surface  :2thumbsup:

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