Hi,

I want to fireproof a wall to half-hour standards. Seems like a good idea
and keeps the BCO happy.

I believe that I can use double thickness plasterboard with the joints
staggered.

The question is... can I use tapered-edge board?

The supplemental question is... does the board need to be skimmed
afterwards? (I have had good success using tapered-edge and simply painting
the boards after - I was wondering if skimming was a requirement for
building regs.)

TIA Colin