Gaps between boards

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coldman

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Hi all

I have just plasterboard over a ceiling but unfortunately some of the boards aren't as close as i'd like them to be, i would say the worst gaps are about 5mm wide. This is because I did it by myself which is not an easy task. Im just wondering if gaps of that size will be acceptable when we get the plasterer in?

I don't really want to have to take them down to reline them.

Thanks for reading
 
I did think about filling them in with some filler or bonding but im worried that may just crack and fall out.

It's in a bungalow so haven't got to worry about movement above.
 
megamix said:
Was taught to leave gaps in between board joints so the skim would go inside then gap and make the joints more resistant to expanding. This is true not something I’ve made up
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I've heard they used to put a couple of screws by the side of the first sheet of board on the ceiling, fit the next board in place then take the screws out so there was a couple of mm gap for this reason and so on for the rest of the ceiling.
 
coldman said:
I did think about filling them in with some filler or bonding but im worried that may just crack and fall out.

It's in a bungalow so haven't got to worry about movement above.
Click to expand...

@Tinytom speaks truth. Expanding foam won't fall out. Top tip, go and buy a professional foam gun....you'll thank me for that when you see how easy they are to use.

Else it might be a new hairdo for you.

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Keegan88 said:
I've heard they used to put a couple of screws by the side of the first sheet of board on the ceiling, fit the next board in place then take the screws out so there was a couple of mm gap for this reason and so on for the rest of the ceiling.
Click to expand...

I was taught never to fit boards tight, but not specifically to leave gaps.
 
megamix said:
Was taught to leave gaps in between board joints so the skim would go inside then gap and make the joints more resistant to expanding. This is true not something I’ve made up
Click to expand...
I always aim for 3mm gaps. And like keegan said screws are good for this. The plaster can get into joint creating a thicker bridging over joint, and helps bond both boards together. I have also double skrimed joints, because skrim seems to be cack now. I always run in joints first pushing gear right in there. The jobs where I have done this never seem to crack out, same with walls.
 
Can always put fibres into mix as well. I haven't used them long enough to see the lasting results but seems good in theory. And not extra effort at little cost.
 
I remember when i started gyproc ceilings would get all the joints dubbed out for jute scrim then thick first coated to get upto the dubbed scrim then brushed to create a key for the finish coat. Even using bandage scrim it would still get the same treatment.
 
coldman said:
I did think about filling them in with some filler or bonding but im worried that may just crack and fall out.

It's in a bungalow so haven't got to worry about movement above.
Click to expand...
My Mrs tells me I'm I bit of a bungalow don't know what she on about
 
essexandy said:
You can disagree all you like @Feck this but all the board manufacturers state 'butted joints' and have done since before you had to screw the boards up. They even say that any gap over 3mm should be pre-filled.
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They say a lot of things that don't work in the real world. I am going from past experience and that of others. But I guess some things are just personal preference. I don't think 2mm of skim over a joint is substantial enough. The amount of cracked ceilings out there. Something can't be right.
 
Feck this said:
They say a lot of things that don't work in the real world. I am going from past experience and that of others. But I guess some things are just personal preference. I don't think 2mm of skim over a joint is substantial enough. The amount of cracked ceilings out there. Something can't be right.
Click to expand...
But are cracked ceilings caused by the joints or the wood the boards are on moving because of different humidity levels, settlement or by whats going on upstairs? Usually the wood moving is the cause for cracks. One way of stopping some of it is to board it out with ply first.
 
essexandy said:
You can disagree all you like @Feck this but all the board manufacturers state 'butted joints' and have done since before you had to screw the boards up. They even say that any gap over 3mm should be pre-filled.
Click to expand...
I fill any gaps . And but em up. Though I can see the science behind it. Though I know with artex your allowed no gaps
 
satan said:
But are cracked ceilings caused by the joints or the wood the boards are on moving because of different humidity levels, settlement or by whats going on upstairs? Usually the wood moving is the cause for cracks. One way of stopping some of it is to board it out with ply first.
Click to expand...

One expensive way that I've never seen anybody do,
 
Feck this said:
They say a lot of things that don't work in the real world. I am going from past experience and that of others. But I guess some things are just personal preference. I don't think 2mm of skim over a joint is substantial enough. The amount of cracked ceilings out there. Something can't be right.
Click to expand...
I'll be honest I don't think that the thickness of the skim over a joint has got anything to do with whether they crack or not. I'm sure that we've all seen plenty of cracked ceilings where there's 5-7mm of skim encasing hessian scrim? I do believe that the quality of the scrim has more to do with it. From talking to various suppliers I know that most spreads buy scrim on price, not on quality.
On the big one off houses we will offer to paper tape the ceilings and they virtually never crack using paper. That said we hardly ever get a joint crack using decent scrim with a 2mm skim.
All that said I believe that the modern drive to finish plots faster and faster has got to lead to more cracks, of all sorts.
 
John j said:
I fill any gaps . And but em up. Though I can see the science behind it. Though I know with artex your allowed no gaps
Click to expand...
Actually John it was back when Artex was common that the spec was for a 'penny gap' or 2-3mm and the boards were nailed up.
 
megamix said:
Was taught to leave gaps in between board joints so the skim would go inside then gap and make the joints more resistant to expanding. This is true not something I’ve made up
Click to expand...
Probably when we used to butter up the joints to take dute or cotton scrim but not now you would never get enough skim through the tape now to fill big gaps .
 
beader said:
Probably when we used to butter up the joints to take dute or cotton scrim but not now you would never get enough skim through the tape now to fill big gaps .
Click to expand...
Did a council job around 15 years ago . The spec was to leave a 3mm gap around all board joints on ceilings using scrim tape . Was on day work so didn’t mind . I can see the sense in it though. I see a lot of cracks in new ceilings and on mf ceilings too . I also remember using a knuaf ceiling board that had A beveld Edge on all 4 edges you just filled the edge with this special filler they designed and sanded it and filled screw heads job done and you don’t scrim them .
 
satan said:
But are cracked ceilings caused by the joints or the wood the boards are on moving because of different humidity levels, settlement or by whats going on upstairs? Usually the wood moving is the cause for cracks. One way of stopping some of it is to board it out with ply first.
Click to expand...
We've done a few eco builds that are lined out with OSB and I can't ever remember seeing or being told about a crack on one.
 
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