Plasterboard Repair - Big hole!

[Meatyfool]

Hi,

Watched a few videos recently, started researching purchases.

Self adhesive patch repairs only seem to go up to 20cm square or so - I'm filling in the hole left by a 10-12 inch light pipe.

Plasterboard doesn't seem to come in sizes sensible for this repair. I have chipboard to size but if 18mm still too thick to use.

Sitting the chipboard on top of the ceiling board (I have access from above) might work but then I have 12mm plus of plaster to adhere to it. Would it work?

Any ideas? Thanks!

Meatyfool..

[staffordian]

I'm no expert but have filled one or two ceiling holes left by those huge old fashioned eyeball spot lights which the previous owner of our bungalow was inordinately fond of...

I found smallish plasterboard sheets available at B&Q...http://www.diy.com/departments/gyproc-h ... 766_BQ.prd ( a 12.5mm thick one also available) I used a couple of lengths of wood I had lying around to bridge across the gap in the ceiling, which I secured by screwing into them from below through the existing plasterboard, countersinking enough to allow the holes to be filled, then I cut the plasterboard to size leaving a gap all round the hole to allow filler to adhere. The patch was screwed to the previously fixed wooden battens with a couple of screws, again countersunk. Where ceiling lights were still needed I cut a hole in the centre of the patch to thread the cable through, ensuring it was close to one of the wooden supports which would be used to screw the light fitting into.

I used a Polyfilla type filler to fill the gaps and merge the repair into the surrounding ceiling and luckily (?) as our ceilings are textured, it was very simple to make an invisible job.

Staffordian

[redsturgeon]

Perhaps a bit of local skip diving would find the piece of plasterboard you need...nip in and ask first of course!

John

[NomoneyNohoney]

Ooh - I saw this done on TV recently. What they did ...

1) Find a spare bit of plasterboard, thickness immaterial.
2) Find something circular that is bigger than the hole you want to cover.
3) Draw a circle onto your spare bit of plasterboard and carefully cut it out.
4) Draw the same circle onto the ceiling plasterboard, and then carefully cut that out.
5) Take your replacement piece from 3) and offer it into the hole.
6) I'm a bit hazy here - I think they then held it in place with some kind of -plaster tape? - and then filled the gap round the edge.

Then I think they pasted a square of lining paper over the repair, and blended it into the ceiling board.

Something like that!

[Meatyfool]

Thanks!

Method is available on a zillion and one you tube videos (although ones I have seen suggest squaring off a round hole!)

I don't want to leave a huge sheet of unused plasterboard in the shed because it will almost certainly be damp/other damaged by the next time I need it - seems a waste.

Looks like skip diving is going to be the thing then unless any other suggestions arise.

The annoyance is that if I see a piece at the municipal refuse site, I'm not even allowed to take it (AFAIAA)

Meatyfool..

[RedSnapper]

Could always try a freecycle want-ad for a plaster board offcut.

[bungeejumper]

Am I missing something here? B&Q will sell you a 1220 x 900mm chunk of Gyproc for £4.41. Why, you could probably spend more than that on the petrol for a couple of speculative trips to the tip. And if/when there's a bit left over, just throw it away. (Or give it to somebody.) Go on, you know you want to. You irredeemable spendthrift, you.

BJ

[redsturgeon]

Am I missing something here? B&Q will sell you a 1220 x 900mm chunk of Gyproc for £4.41. Why, you could probably spend more than that on the petrol for a couple of speculative trips to the tip. And if/when there's a bit left over, just throw it away. (Or give it to somebody.) Go on, you know you want to. You irredeemable spendthrift, you.

BJ

Think of the planet!

John

[bungeejumper]

A propos of nothing, a quick and dirty cheat. Some decorators put us onto something called Artex Easifix plaster last year, and we've found it useful for plugging big holes in a hurry.

It's rather grainy, which gives it extra grab (meaning it doesn't fall out of the hole and land in your eye), it doesn't shrink, and it sets quite soft (initially), meaning that amateurs have a better chance of scraping and sanding it into the right sort of flatness before it goes solid. http://www.diy.com/departments/artex-ea ... 778_BQ.prd

The trade absolutely hates it. What kind of an amateur would use sandpaper and suchlike on plaster anyway? (Answer, I suspect, more than would be prepared to admit to it. ) And they're absolutely right to say that Artex has no right to call it a one-coat plaster, because it's too gritty. For a really perfect finish you'd need to follow through with a wipe of something like fine surface filler, which just isn't how professionals go about things. (Dammit, f you can't finish the job to a glassy-perfect surface with just your float, then what kind of a plasterer are you?)

And so on. But when I found myself needing to fill a broken-out section of lath and plaster ceiling about the size of a wellington boot, earlier this year, it proved to be just the job. I got two coats on in an hour and a half (and none in my eye), and levelled them off with a steel ruler rather than a float, and the job was painted and done before the wife had noticed I'd got the stepladder out. Well, nearly. Looks great.

BJ

[csearle]

Any ideas?

My (totally amateur) thoughts are that it makes a more solid job to cut out a rectangle to include your unwanted hole in such a way that you expose half a joist on opposite sides. You can then fix a new square of appropriately sized plasterboard to these joists. Getting hold of a 50cm square of plasterboard is not unlike getting hold of a 20cm square.

Chris

[sg31]

Any ideas?

My (totally amateur) thoughts are that it makes a more solid job to cut out a rectangle to include your unwanted hole in such a way that you expose half a joist on opposite sides. You can then fix a new square of appropriately sized plasterboard to these joists. Getting hold of a 50cm square of plasterboard is not unlike getting hold of a 20cm square.

Chris

I've done a lot of remedial plasterwork over the years. If one does cut back to the joist for a small repair there is a tendency for the unsupported sides to bounce making it difficult to spread the finish coat and get a good surface. The OP was talking about a 20cm square patch, cutting that back to joists would create a patch <> 20 x 40cm. That would possibly be just about ok in 12.5mm board but not in 9.5mm.

Personally I'd follow the technique of Staffordian posted earlier in the thread and fix a couple of battens across the hole and then screw the plasterboard to that. I used this technique to repair a ceiling which had those massive old down lighters removed from it. It was a fair sized room and there were a dozen of then, rather than overboard the lot I just patched the holes and spread the whole ceiling.

The main problem with repairing small holes is that it is necessary to tape across the joints between new and old to stop cracks appearing at some future date. The scrim is proud of the old surface so when you plaster over the repair it ends up a slightly different level. Not much but it can show up noticeably in certain light conditions. It doesn't bother some people but it would annoy me if I had to sit and look at it.

[csearle]

I've done a lot of remedial plasterwork over the years....

I bow to your experience old bean.

[Halicarnassus]

For once I feel confident about what I'm actually talking about here!

#1. Cut your hole to a square or rectangle shape.
#2. Cut a sturdy strip of plasterboard (or two depending on the size of the hole) to act as a support, and fix them using plasterboard adhesive, to the inside of the wall, so that the strips form bar(s) across the inside of the hole. These strips should be cut a couple of inches longer than the hole itself so that they have plenty of inside wall to stick to. The width of the strip should be a couple on inches wide. For hole that is 6" wide, I'd probably cut a plasterboard strip that was 10" long and 2" wide. Let them dry and adhere to the inner wall. This is important.
#3. Cut your new plasterboard to fit snugly into the original hole. Paste plasterboard adhesive minimally but thoroughly on the bars that you have secured across the hole. Use some adhesive on the edges of your new plasterboard cut and gently place the piece in the hole resting up against the bars. Ensure the new piece is flush with existing wall.
#4. Fill any gaps in edge of piece. Leave to dry.
#5. Skim over the whole repair and sand back.
#6. Paint.

[csearle]

For once I feel confident about what I'm actually talking about here!...

It's his ceiling rather than his wall but apart from that 100% applicable

Chris

[Halicarnassus]

For once I feel confident about what I'm actually talking about here!...

It's his ceiling rather than his wall but apart from that 100% applicable

Chris

Hi Chris. Sorry about that. Ceilings can be different especially when big holes are concerned. If possible cutting the hole across an adjacent joist and securing plasterboard screws into the joist can make all the difference when really big pieces of repair work are needed.

But with your everyday, foot through the ceiling repairs, my method is sound.

[sg31]

For once I feel confident about what I'm actually talking about here!...

It's his ceiling rather than his wall but apart from that 100% applicable

Chris

Hi Chris. Sorry about that. Ceilings can be different especially when big holes are concerned. If possible cutting the hole across an adjacent joist and securing plasterboard screws into the joist can make all the difference when really big pieces of repair work are needed.

But with your everyday, foot through the ceiling repairs, my method is sound.

It can be sound but it depends on the age of the property and whether you have access from above. There is a lot of dust and general crud that collects on top of plasterboard ceilings, if you can get access from above you can clean the area (sometimes) so that the adhesive works. If you are working from below you have no chance unless it is a very recent build.

Working from below has the benefit that you don't need to disturb the room above. Saves time and aggravation.

On the other hand if something works for you stick with it.

[Halicarnassus]

It can be sound but it depends on the age of the property and whether you have access from above. There is a lot of dust and general crud that collects on top of plasterboard ceilings, if you can get access from above you can clean the area (sometimes) so that the adhesive works. If you are working from below you have no chance unless it is a very recent build.

Working from below has the benefit that you don't need to disturb the room above. Saves time and aggravation.

On the other hand if something works for you stick with it.

Oh yes, that is undoubtedly true. Every job is unique and some can be straightforward or a bleeding nightmare. If possible I like to have a ceiling joist to work with as mentioned earlier. Access is a big thing in flats and you make the best of it.