Plasterboard & gypsum... Lime??

[Lexington]

Hi all,

Whilst I have been an avid lurker of this form, this will be the first time posting anything, so thank you all in advance for sharing your knowledge and experiences in order for us to hopefully learn from your mistakes

So to my question ...

Whilst my understanding is that lime is the best product to help with breathability, would it be ok to use plasterboard and gypsum plaster on certain walls such as ceilings and internal stud walls or should we be looking to use lime throughout the property?

The current upstairs ceiling is/was gypsum but is badly damaged from leaks in the roof where the lead has been stolen from the chimneys (house has been empty for a long time)

Thoughts on best to replace this with?

Again, thanks for the great forum!

 

[Cubist]

Hi there Lexington,
You'll almost certainly get some differing views to mine but you needn't worry too much about internal walls and ceilings, it's the external walls you need to be capable of breathing as efficiently as possible. Assuming the loft space above this room is well ventilated and insulated in my opinion you can safely go with a gypsum plaster.
Cheers,
Cubist

 

[Lexington]

Thanks for the quick response Cubist

That was the vibe I was getting from the reading that I have done.
Regarding the insulation, the current horrible yellow stuff will be removed (not looking forward to this task!)
What would be the best replacement for this?

 

[Kearn]

Technically you can, and it will be quicker/cheaper.

It won’t look as natural in my opinion as lime on lath for example, which can follow contours more. Plasterboard tends to straighten everything out. Not to say you can’t obviously have mirror finished lime.

The one beneficial reason for lime on non-external walls, is that it’s great as moisture management unlike modern stuff, so creates a healthier living environment. Kitchen/bathrooms would benefit the most…

 

[Lexington]

I was wondering about the Bathroom and Kitchen areas..

Is tiling on top of lime plaster ok? Or does this defeat the objective of the lime in the first place?

 

[Lacan07]

Hi all,

Whilst I have been an avid lurker of this form, this will be the first time posting anything, so thank you all in advance for sharing your knowledge and experiences in order for us to hopefully learn from your mistakes

So to my question ...

Whilst my understanding is that lime is the best product to help with breathability, would it be ok to use plasterboard and gypsum plaster on certain walls such as ceilings and internal stud walls or should we be looking to use lime throughout the property?

The current upstairs ceiling is/was gypsum but is badly damaged from leaks in the roof where the lead has been stolen from the chimneys (house has been empty for a long time)

Thoughts on best to replace this with?

Again, thanks for the great forum!

Old houses are often a compromise and I see no problem in gypsum plastering ceilings, upper floor walls, and even ground floor internal walls if absolutely necessary. The circumstances of each individual house will dictate the correct course of action and any leaks, etc should be dealt with first. Gypsum does have some breathability, as indeed does standard plasterboard, but has no structural integrity when faced with moisture ingress.

The only issue I find with mixing lime and gypsum in the same room is the conundrum of what paint to use when trying to maintain a consistent colour.

 

[Cubist]

I'll leave the insulation to others more knowledgeable on that topic but regarding you tilings questions then Yes, tiles over lime is OK and Yes, it does defeat one of its breathability.

 

[lizziecupcakes]

I’ve learnt a lot from the forum too, i’ve also contacted building control in my area who have been super helpful about insulation. I think they are more understanding and lenient with period properties.

It’s just external walls that will be getting wood fibre boards and lime plaster in my house (i hope to do this myself). All internal walls will be gypsum plastered with plasterboards. I would still like to see what options there are to prevent condensation with the latter though. My party wall will also have the latter, but i am strongly considering adding sound proofing too (i need to look into this). I can hear my elderly neighbour sometimes and she is lovely so we don’t mind. But she might sell it to a family so it’s something i want to think about earlier.

Ceilings wise, they will be plasterboarded with gypsum. I have another couple of threads about that if you want to look through my profile history, incase that’s helpful.

 

[Lexington]

I’ve learnt a lot from the forum too, i’ve also contacted building control in my area who have been super helpful about insulation. I think they are more understanding and lenient with period properties.

It’s just external walls that will be getting wood fibre boards and lime plaster in my house (i hope to do this myself). All internal walls will be gypsum plastered with plasterboards. I would still like to see what options there are to prevent condensation with the latter though. My party wall will also have the latter, but i am strongly considering adding sound proofing too (i need to look into this). I can hear my elderly neighbour sometimes and she is lovely so we don’t mind. But she might sell it to a family so it’s something i want to think about earlier.

Ceilings wise, they will be plasterboarded with gypsum. I have another couple of threads about that if you want to look through my profile history, incase that’s helpful.

Thanks Lizzie
I will certainly take a look