Replacing an old plasterboard ceiling is a messy task, but can often be necessary one. Ceilings, especially those on the ground floor, can be subject to a lot of stresses over time and can often crack. You can patch smaller cracks with filler, but this is only a short-term fix.
Removing the Existing Plasterboard
As we have mentioned, removing an old plasterboard ceiling is a messy and dusty job, so a mask and goggles are essential. Clear the room you are working in and open all the windows and external doors. If possible, keep internal doors closed to stop dust and debris spreading to the rest of the house. Ideally work like this should be done before any carpets are laid, but if they are already down, cover them with dustsheets. Using a chisel or crowbar, make holes in the plaster to locate the joists. It is likely that the old ceiling will be lath and plaster, so start to pull the laths free of the joists and let them drop to the floor. Make sure you remove any nails from the joists, and then inspect them for damage or rot, etc. Assuming they are all sound, you are ready to start fixing the new plasterboard.
Preparing to Fix New Plasterboards
If your joists are up to 450mm apart, you can use the thinner 9.5mm plasterboard, if the joists are further apart, it is better to use the thicker 12.7mm boards to avoid sagging. If you are replacing the plasterboard in a top storey room, consider buying insulated plasterboard. Fitting plasterboard alone is a hard task, so get someone to help you. However, even with an extra pair of hands, it is a good idea to make yourself a "deadman". This is a piece of batten, etc, slightly longer then the height of the room with a cross member nailed to the top to form a T shape. This can be used to hold the plasterboard in place after you have lifted it up against the joists.
The First Board
Start in a corner of the room and with your helper and the Deadman ready, lift the first board up against the joists and slide it firmly into the corner. Use your Deadman to hold it in place and start to nail it to the joists using galvanised plasterboard nails. Leave a 3mm gap between this and all subsequent boards.
Plasterboard Nails
Plasterboard nails have a jagged shank to grip the material and are coated in Zinc to stop corrosion. If you are using the thinner type of plasterboard, you can safely use 30mm nails. The thicker type of board will need 40mm nails. Once a board is in place, start nailing the board to the joists in the middle. Working your way out to the edges in this way will help to avoid sagging in the boards. Space the nails out by about 150mm all the way along the joist. The boards should always end in the middle of a joist to give the ends support. Try to keep any nails at least 13mm back from the edge.
Filling the Joints
Once you have all the boards firmly nailed in place, you need to start filling the joints. For this you should use joint filler covered with 53mm paper jointing tape (both av...
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