Help on Replacing a New Celing Ask your questions and find answers on many subjects relating to plastering and dry lining

[Habbers]

Hi

Calling all DIY experts out there.. I have a slight dilema and here it is..

I have to replace my Celing due to it sagging i don't know if 1) Rip the old one down or 2) put the new plasterboard over the old..

I have tried to locate the joists through the old plasterboards just in case i chose to do the 2nd option but im just making hole everywhere as i know they SHOULD be space about 40 cm apart but that is not the case on some of em :evil: [b]what is the best way to locate these joists??[/b]
also I have noticed that there is thin wooden slats running the opposite way to the joists all along the celing I have not found any noggins yet so im don't know how im going to screw the plasterboard down the side of the board [b]would it be ok not to screw the boards between joist or do they have to be screwed??[/b]

Any help on this would be Appreciated :D

[kbrownie]

Hi Habbers,
common problem when replacing old lath plastered ceilings. Do you have any access from above, would be easy to locate joist that way. In old houses joist not always spaced out evenly or to board sizes as they did not use them but lathed out plastered over that.
Tearing the ceiling down is an extremly messy job and not that pleasant either. If the house is empty and nothing to damage, it's an option.
But I prefer to overboard. I'd start trying to locate your joist by firstly finding the direction which lath is running your joist will be running the opposite way at a approx 90 degrees to them.
Start at either edge of the room can't promise you, but normally one side will have a joist close by, within about 4 inch. then how far could the spaced out your in the right ball park saying 400mm, 15 to 17 inch is a bench mark I use. It important that board joint are screwed up to joist or they will also sag
Once you have located all the joist, you need to mark out drawing straight lines across your ceilings at centres of joists, so you can cut boards to ideal sizes. I generally use 2400x1200x12.5mm. but it's what you consider best for your project.
I hope you find this information of use, don't hesitate to reply if you don't understand my explainations, or any more help is needed

Good Luck with Project
KB

[Habbers]

Cheers for the info. I will be trying to locate them Tomorrow from below using the hammer & nails trick which i have been told is a ggod way to locate the joist.. but if that fails i will remove part of the floorboards upstairs to locate them that way..

Thanks again for the reply. and if i get anymore trouble i may just ask for some more advice... :D

[kbrownie]

If your going from above, you may not have to lift floorboards as joist will be indentified by nail/screw lines in floorboards but it may be helpful to locate cables/pipes.