Just about to embark on renovating the bathroom and could do with some
advice please. The ceiling is covered with those horrible poly tiles and
theyre well stuck down. Tried elbow grease, tried steamer, even tried
cursing at it but they are well and truly stuck down.
I had a thought of just covering the tiles completely with a sheet of
plasterboard. Is this ok or not with regards to fire risks?
Any ideas or pointers?
Thanks
Pete

I had a thought of just covering the tiles completely with a sheet of
plasterboard. Is this ok or not with regards to fire risks?

Expanded polystyrene can be used as building insulation (i.e. Jablite), so
I'd be surprised if you weren't allowed to just board over a few mm of
tiles. Don't take my word for it, though.

Christian.

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
t...
I had a thought of just covering the tiles completely with a sheet of
plasterboard. Is this ok or not with regards to fire risks?

Expanded polystyrene can be used as building insulation (i.e. Jablite), so
I'd be surprised if you weren't allowed to just board over a few mm of
tiles. Don't take my word for it, though.

Christian.

I'dve thought plaster board over them would be fine as well. Make sure you
get the joist marked on either wall so that screwing the plaster board up is
easy. Don't mark the joist on the ceiling, cause you won't see the marks
once the plaster board is in the way. :-)

On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 16:43:56 GMT, PeteZahut wrote:

I had a thought of just covering the tiles completely with a sheet
of plasterboard. Is this ok or not with regards to fire risks?

I'd scrape as much of the tiles off as possible. I don't like the idea
of them possibly smouldering away possibly un-noticed producing rather
toxic fumes...

ISTR that the fire risk from them was a combination of the fumes/smoke
when they actually burn't and the dripping burning plastic spreading
the fire rather effectively. Being on the ceiling, thus the hottest
part of a room, the chances of them catching is quite high.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.com...
On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 16:43:56 GMT, PeteZahut wrote:

I had a thought of just covering the tiles completely with a sheet
of plasterboard. Is this ok or not with regards to fire risks?

I'd scrape as much of the tiles off as possible. I don't like the idea
of them possibly smouldering away possibly un-noticed producing rather
toxic fumes...

ISTR that the fire risk from them was a combination of the fumes/smoke
when they actually burn't and the dripping burning plastic spreading
the fire rather effectively. Being on the ceiling, thus the hottest
part of a room, the chances of them catching is quite high.

--

Thanks for the opinions guys. Im not sure I understand Daves thinking
though. As I see it, the tiles would be squashed between the original
plasterboard ceiling and the new one which I was considering putting up. I
could have sworn that fire can only spread if there is air to feed it, given
that fact and as far as I know plasterboard doesnt burn very well, wouldnt
that mean the tiles would not burn? I'd love to get the tiles off but I
think each individual ball of polystyrene is welded, then superglued, fixed
with a 6inch nail and finally covered with an anti diy paint. :s
Pete

In message , PeteZahut
wrote
Just about to embark on renovating the bathroom and could do with some
advice please. The ceiling is covered with those horrible poly tiles and
theyre well stuck down. Tried elbow grease, tried steamer, even tried
cursing at it but they are well and truly stuck down.
I had a thought of just covering the tiles completely with a sheet of
plasterboard. Is this ok or not with regards to fire risks?
Any ideas or pointers?

I've had a lot of success getting these type of ceiling tiles off (plus
the tile cement) with a sharp 4 inch scraper - the type with a
replaceable blade.

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...5UWIQSTDATCJO2
C1SJ0Q?id=16530&ts=42963

You will probably find that the tiles were hiding a cracked ceiling.
--
Alan

On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 19:33:00 GMT, PeteZahut wrote:

Im not sure I understand Daves thinking though. As I see it, the
tiles would be squashed between the original plasterboard ceiling
and the new one which I was considering putting up. I could have
sworn that fire can only spread if there is air to feed it, ...

Air can get to the edges. If something starts it off smouldering, say
heat from a light fitting or poor electrical connection it's quite
possible for it or anything else flamable concealed in a similar
manner, to smoulder away undetected for days...

You've obviously not seen the attention the fire service put into to
ensuring a fire is *really* out. The inital blaze in a single room
will be quelled within minutes of them arriving but they'll be there
for and hour or more damping it down and making sure that there are no
hidden pockets of fire to spring back into life. Apart from the waste
of resources if they have to re-attend it's a tad embarrasing. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On Thu, 2 Jun 2005 21:17:08 +0100, Alan
wrote:

In message , PeteZahut
wrote
Just about to embark on renovating the bathroom and could do with some
advice please. The ceiling is covered with those horrible poly tiles and
theyre well stuck down. Tried elbow grease, tried steamer, even tried
cursing at it but they are well and truly stuck down.
I had a thought of just covering the tiles completely with a sheet of
plasterboard. Is this ok or not with regards to fire risks?
Any ideas or pointers?

I've had a lot of success getting these type of ceiling tiles off (plus
the tile cement) with a sharp 4 inch scraper - the type with a
replaceable blade.

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...5UWIQSTDATCJO2
C1SJ0Q?id=16530&ts=42963

You will probably find that the tiles were hiding a cracked ceiling.

Seconded with the blade/scraper.

Took a layer of tiles, artex/woodchip and several layers of paint of
my bathroom ceiling.

Hard work and most people would proabably have just boarded over it
all but I'd know it was under the plasterboard everytime I looked up
there. ;-)

Mark S.

I had a bedroom ceiling that was covered in poly tiles and I thought
they'd never come off.

Removing the tiles with a scraper did most of the job.

The glue was removed by using a wallpaper steamer. It softened the glue
nicely and the scraper made a very good job of totally removing the
glue from the ceiling.

I was really surprised at just how effectively it was all removed and
it only needed painting afterwards. It looks great now.

PeteZahut wrote:

Just about to embark on renovating the bathroom and could do with some
advice please. The ceiling is covered with those horrible poly tiles and
theyre well stuck down. Tried elbow grease, tried steamer, even tried
cursing at it but they are well and truly stuck down.
I had a thought of just covering the tiles completely with a sheet of
plasterboard. Is this ok or not with regards to fire risks?
Any ideas or pointers?

I wopuld definitely say that fire hazard was reduced by skinning with
plasterboard.

I think any sane BCO would accepot that as an improvement: With
alterations you have to make sure they are no worse than the original,
and if new structure goes in, to current regs.


Thanks
Pete

PeteZahut wrote:

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.com...

On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 16:43:56 GMT, PeteZahut wrote:


I had a thought of just covering the tiles completely with a sheet
of plasterboard. Is this ok or not with regards to fire risks?

I'd scrape as much of the tiles off as possible. I don't like the idea
of them possibly smouldering away possibly un-noticed producing rather
toxic fumes...

ISTR that the fire risk from them was a combination of the fumes/smoke
when they actually burn't and the dripping burning plastic spreading
the fire rather effectively. Being on the ceiling, thus the hottest
part of a room, the chances of them catching is quite high.

--


Thanks for the opinions guys. Im not sure I understand Daves thinking
though. As I see it, the tiles would be squashed between the original
plasterboard ceiling and the new one which I was considering putting up. I
could have sworn that fire can only spread if there is air to feed it, given
that fact and as far as I know plasterboard doesnt burn very well, wouldnt
that mean the tiles would not burn? I'd love to get the tiles off but I
think each individual ball of polystyrene is welded, then superglued, fixed
with a 6inch nail and finally covered with an anti diy paint. :s
Pete


If it was superglued, it would have dissolved. DAMHIKT.

"PeteZahut" wrote in message
. uk...
Just about to embark on renovating the bathroom and could do with some
advice please. The ceiling is covered with those horrible poly tiles and
theyre well stuck down. Tried elbow grease, tried steamer, even tried
cursing at it but they are well and truly stuck down.
I had a thought of just covering the tiles completely with a sheet of
plasterboard. Is this ok or not with regards to fire risks?
Any ideas or pointers?
Thanks
Pete

My dad loved these, it all depends how they are put up :-

wallpaper paste - steam 'em off
tile cement blobs - rip & scrape
tile cement combed - sell the house

Regards Jeff