I'm trying to learn, so these might be pretty daft..

1) On fresh plasterboard, I think I'm supposed to tape over the gaps
between boards, and internal corners. What's better to use ... the
'paper' tape, or the slightly-sticky mesh stuff?
And how to secure it? A bit of plaster underneath? Or wet it? Or filler
in the gap, then the paper tape, then let it dry? Or just press it on
and hope. (First attempt - it fell off!)

2) How many coats over fresh plasterboard? Thistle multi-finish seems to
work OK.. Should it be 1 coat then dry a bit then polish, or 1 rougher
coat then dry a bit then another coat then dry a bit more then polish?
What tends to work best?

Cheers!

"AJ" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to learn, so these might be pretty daft..

1) On fresh plasterboard, I think I'm supposed to tape over the gaps
between boards, and internal corners. What's better to use ... the
'paper' tape, or the slightly-sticky mesh stuff?
And how to secure it? A bit of plaster underneath? Or wet it? Or filler
in the gap, then the paper tape, then let it dry? Or just press it on
and hope. (First attempt - it fell off!)

2) How many coats over fresh plasterboard? Thistle multi-finish seems to
work OK.. Should it be 1 coat then dry a bit then polish, or 1 rougher
coat then dry a bit then another coat then dry a bit more then polish?
What tends to work best?

http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index....nner%27s_Guide
is a great source of information.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/11376/...-Tape-48mm-90m
is the tape my plasterers used when I had some work done. It is self
adhesive so sticks to the plasterboard.

Steven.

In article ,
"Steven Campbell" writes:

"AJ" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to learn, so these might be pretty daft..

1) On fresh plasterboard, I think I'm supposed to tape over the gaps
between boards, and internal corners. What's better to use ... the
'paper' tape, or the slightly-sticky mesh stuff?

Mesh tape, scrim tape.

And how to secure it? A bit of plaster underneath? Or wet it? Or filler
in the gap, then the paper tape, then let it dry? Or just press it on
and hope. (First attempt - it fell off!)

Smear plaster along it with the trowel, and it will go through the holes
and hold it.

2) How many coats over fresh plasterboard? Thistle multi-finish seems to
work OK.. Should it be 1 coat then dry a bit then polish, or 1 rougher
coat then dry a bit then another coat then dry a bit more then polish?
What tends to work best?

Two coats. On plasterboard, if the first coat seems to have gone on
particularly well, I might decide to polish it up as the final coat,
but I always start with the intention of two coats.

You put the second coat on when first has almost or just set, but
whilst it's still wet. If it dries, you have to treat as for a
reskim (i.e. PVA before second coat). Setting and drying are quite
different -- it needs to be wet to set (will go darker), and it
dries out afterwards (will go back ligher).

http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index....nner%27s_Guide
is a great source of information.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/11376/...-Tape-48mm-90m
is the tape my plasterers used when I had some work done. It is self
adhesive so sticks to the plasterboard.

It's slightly self adhesive when the roll is new, but after it's been
around plaster dust, it's not anymore. Doesn't matter anyway -- just
smear plaster down it and it will stick. (Didn't used to be self
adhesive anyway.)

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

"AJ" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to learn, so these might be pretty daft..

1) On fresh plasterboard, I think I'm supposed to tape over the gaps
between boards, and internal corners. What's better to use ... the
'paper' tape, or the slightly-sticky mesh stuff?
And how to secure it? A bit of plaster underneath? Or wet it? Or filler
in the gap, then the paper tape, then let it dry? Or just press it on
and hope. (First attempt - it fell off!)


Fill the gap first with builders caulk then apply tape over filled gaps.
This helps to reduce hairline cracks later on after the plaster has dried.


2) How many coats over fresh plasterboard? Thistle multi-finish seems to
work OK.. Should it be 1 coat then dry a bit then polish, or 1 rougher
coat then dry a bit then another coat then dry a bit more then polish?
What tends to work best?

Cheers!

The thicker the coat on first application the better,again this reduces the
risk of hairline fractures appearing.

On 17 Mar, 13:57, (Andrew Gabriel) wrote:
In article ,
"Steven Campbell" writes:



"AJ" wrote in message
. ..
I'm trying to learn, so these might be pretty daft..

1) On fresh plasterboard, I think I'm supposed to tape over the gaps
between boards, and internal corners. What's better to use ... the
'paper' tape, or the slightly-sticky mesh stuff?

Mesh tape, scrim tape.

And how to secure it? A bit of plaster underneath? Or wet it? Or filler
in the gap, then the paper tape, then let it dry? Or just press it on
and hope. (First attempt - it fell off!)

Smear plaster along it with the trowel, and it will go through the holes
and hold it.

2) How many coats over fresh plasterboard? Thistle multi-finish seems to
work OK.. Should it be 1 coat then dry a bit then polish, or 1 rougher
coat then dry a bit then another coat then dry a bit more then polish?
What tends to work best?

Two coats. On plasterboard, if the first coat seems to have gone on
particularly well, I might decide to polish it up as the final coat,
but I always start with the intention of two coats.

You put the second coat on when first has almost or just set, but
whilst it's still wet. If it dries, you have to treat as for a
reskim (i.e. PVA before second coat). Setting and drying are quite
different -- it needs to be wet to set (will go darker), and it
dries out afterwards (will go back ligher).

http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index....g_Beginner%27s...
is a great source of information.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/11376/...Tapes/Building...
is the tape my plasterers used when I had some work done. It is self
adhesive so sticks to the plasterboard.

It's slightly self adhesive when the roll is new, but after it's been
around plaster dust, it's not anymore. Doesn't matter anyway -- just
smear plaster down it and it will stick. (Didn't used to be self
adhesive anyway.)

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

For what its worth, none of the plasterers I have had have ever done 2
coats on plasterboard, and get a perfectly good finish. I board and
tape for them (no gaps between board, mesh tape).
Simon.

Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
"Steven Campbell" writes:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/11376/...-Tape-48mm-90m
is the tape my plasterers used when I had some work done. It is self
adhesive so sticks to the plasterboard.

It's slightly self adhesive when the roll is new, but after it's been
around plaster dust, it's not anymore. Doesn't matter anyway -- just
smear plaster down it and it will stick. (Didn't used to be self
adhesive anyway.)

Yes, the adhesive is only to hold the tape in place for convenience
while applying it, ie for as long as it takes to cover over with plaster.

David

On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:24:45 GMT, Lobster
wrote:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/11376/...-Tape-48mm-90m
is the tape my plasterers used when I had some work done. It is self
adhesive so sticks to the plasterboard.

It's slightly self adhesive when the roll is new, but after it's been
around plaster dust, it's not anymore. Doesn't matter anyway -- just
smear plaster down it and it will stick. (Didn't used to be self
adhesive anyway.)

Yes, the adhesive is only to hold the tape in place for convenience
while applying it, ie for as long as it takes to cover over with plaster.

Slightly OT because I've never had any luck plastering but if you wish
to put plasterboards up and not plaster them, what is the best way to
disguise the joins between them? I think there is a special tape to
cover the join but I'm not sure what it is called. The only tapes I
have found are the ones mentioned here that are non-adhesive or have
raised patterns. These may be great when you are plastering on top but
are not suitable when you are painting the naked board.