Tape and Jointing Plasterboard

Sleepy · 18-05-2021 9:59am #1

Recently had the mother-in-law ask if I could finish off a job a handyman friend of theirs had started for them 2 years ago and plasterboard out the attic. I've no experience with it but watched a few youtube videos and have managed to board out the space at this stage. There are a few of the joins I'm not entirely happy with (2 to 3mm off level with the adjoining boards in places due to uneven joists etc) but as it's only an attic space I'm thinking I should be able to make it "good enough" when filling the joins.

I've been watching the Home Renovision "How to Drywall - Complete Step by Step Guide" and found it easy enough to follow. I certainly don't think there's anything in it I can't do but as a Canadian youtuber, the products he recommends aren't readily available here. So, handimen and women of Boards.ie who've tackled this job before, can you recommend:

Jointing Tape - I'm guessing this Diall stuff will be fine?
Joining Compound

Jointing Compound - I'd prefer something that doesn't cure too quickly - as I'm doing an attic, it was done using the smaller 4'x2' boards so I have a lot of joints to do! This stuff looks interesting in that it claims it doesn't need the tape?

And finally, while I won't need the level of finish you'd want in your living room, I'd like to finish this as well as possible as a learning exercise for myself, is there a particular primer I should be using before painting or would something like this Lelyand Trade Acrylic do the job for me?

Phil.x · 18-05-2021 10:19am

Less is more when applying the plaster, I found it better to do a few layers rather than one big layer as you still have to sand it down.
An expert would probably do it in one go though.
I done a ceiling and I was impressed with the results, but it's very messy. Knauf fill & finish is what I used.

Idioteque · 18-05-2021 9:49pm

Joins not flush - you might get away with what you want to do but really you want the tape pressed pretty tight against the boards leaving only very thin amount left and you might struggle to do that. What I'd do is prefill the lower side to make flush, allow to dry then fire ahead as normal.

Taping General - Probably covered in the vids you're watching but make sure the bedding layer is wetter than the subsequent layers as the boards will absorb more water initially and it can cause the tape to not adhere properly.

Tape - Yeah the stuff you picked is fine.

Compound I use Gyproc Easifill 45 or 60 (setting time is usually less than stated though, depends on how much you work the compound.). You can also buy pre-mixed but just watch out as many are air-drying (rather than chemical) and you've to wait a lot longer for them to dry.

Priming Just use cheap Matt Emulsion watered down 20-30% as a mist coat then undiluted as final coat. Most will tell you on the tub they can be used as a primer for bare walls etc. - no need to go buying a specialist product.

Finally, make sure you've a good taping knife that's flexible and not a ridig scraper - it'll allow you to feather the edges much better.

WildCardDoW · 18-05-2021 10:59pm

Idioteque has it right from my experience.

I used pre mix stuff just fine so another rec on that.

policarp · 18-05-2021 11:00pm

I would be inclined to scrim and skim 4' x 2' boards because AFAIK they don't have the jointing rebate that the 8' x 4' boards have.

Sleepy · 19-05-2021 9:32am

policarp wrote: »

I would be inclined to scrim and skim 4' x 2' boards because AFAIK they don't have the jointing rebate that the 8' x 4' boards have.

The rebate is on two sides of the boards but obviously with some being cut to fit, there's probably less than 50% of the joins where two of the rebates meet.

I did suggest a skim coat rather than tape and join but as it's an attic rather than a room the in-laws will be happy with a less than perfect finish.

19-05-2021 10:11am

For the joint compound look at proform lite blue, I had it reccomended to me by a plasterer before and found it easy to work with myself when doing some bits like yourself and patching holes ect. It's premixed already, goes on easy and is very easy to sand too

listermint · 19-05-2021 10:15am

Having done a few rooms in the house with just joint and tape and one skim. Solo I think you can get absolutely seem less results with joint and tape if the boarding is done right..

One word of advice. Get a plaster Sander tool. Lidl were doing a great one a few weeks back with led lights and vaccuum attachment. I bought mine from Amazon evolution brand. Tremendous machine and vital for that seemless finish.

basill · 19-05-2021 10:22am

OP - Plastering for Beginners would be a better European centric Youtube channel if you decide to plaster the entire wall as opposed to just tape and jointing which would be the traditional method in this part of the world.

https://www.youtube.com/c/PlasteringForBeginners

Sleepy · 19-05-2021 12:32pm

Fantastic looking series - just watched one or two of them. Wish there was something akin to the City & Guilds introduction courses available in Ireland. I reckon the intensive 5 day courses would be well worth the money for a DIY'er.

BrokenArrows · 19-05-2021 3:18pm

I used that make good stuff and its good for small joins. Doesnt crack, at least over the 6 months i had the boards exposed. (They eventually got plastered over). Its also very nice to sand after it dries.

However its terrible for larger gaps as it sags when placed in larger gaps.

Edit: I should add that you can build up multiple thin layers if necessary.

GreeBo · 21-05-2021 3:17pm

100% use a premix tub, its a pain in the arse to keep mixing up small batches if you are only doing on hour at night etc.
It's more expensive, but less waste.

GreeBo · 21-05-2021 3:20pm

Also, it massively depends on what paint you are using.
A gloss or satin finish will require a much better wall finish (and really needs a skimmed wall) whereas a matt finish will hide a multitude of issues and has the bonus of being easy to spot touch.

Tape and Jointing Plasterboard

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