Some repair Dos and Don'ts

Winstone Wallboards, who make Gib Board, have produced a two page leaflet The Dos and Don'ts for Cosmetic Repairs.  It is a very useful little checklist to compare against what repairs have been recommended for your house.

An essential point made in the brochure is that cosmetic repairs can only be carried out after house strength and stiffness have been reinstated. Has this been assessed for your house?  Is it mentioned anywhere in the documentation you have received?

Got lath and plaster? Check the third and fourth points below.

Here are some of the DOs and DON'Ts:

• DO carry out a structural assessment and re-instate strength and stiffness before committing to cosmetic repairs.
• DON’T ‘ hide’ damage by plastering and painting over cracks.
• DON’T install gypsum plasterboard over damaged lath and plaster wall and ceiling finishes.
• DO remove all plaster from the lath. Only leave timber slats if they provide a solid and level surface for gypsum plasterboard fixing.
• DON’T direct fix gypsum plasterboard over stipple ceilings.
• DON’T plaster over wall paper.

The leaflet with the full checklist can be found here.