How To Insulate Your Home With Plasterboard

Insulating your home with plasterboard comes with many benefits. It provides a slightly more cost effective and environmentally friendly way of retaining heat in the home. 

It’s important to choose the correct type of insulation to ensure the job gets done properly. Different areas of the home require different techniques! Insulating a loft or roof space with plasterboard, for example, involves a different method than insulating a cavity wall would require. 

Once you have all the relevant building regulations in place and the correct insulation materials to hand, you’re ready to begin your home improvements. Here’s how to insulate your home with plasterboard.
 

Insulating Using The Dot And Dab Method  

The dot and dab insulation method should only ever be installed on walls that already include a cavity. Thermal boards can be installed using this method (or by using the dryliner method) though remember it’s vital that they’re mechanically fixed for fire safety. Nailable plugs must be installed 300mm from the top of the board, and 25mm from each edge of the board, penetrating 25mm into the masonry wall.

1. Before installing, make sure the wall’s surface is clean, dry and smooth. Be sure to remove any debris or dirt from the wall if necessary, before starting with the installation.
2. Initially, mark the wall vertically for the row of dabs using a chalk line – do this starting from a window, internal angle or a door reveal.
3. Next, using a universal bonding compound, deposit a continuous band of the compound that’s 50mm at the top and bottom of the board.
4. Then you’ll need to place the dabs onto the wall. When doing this, ensure they’re 250mm x 75mm in size, at 300mm centres. Make sure a maximum spacing of 400mm (horizontally) is used.
5. Deposit a continuous ribbon of compound around any light fittings or fixtures and plug sockets.
6. Next, press the plasterboard in place against the dabs, and using a wedge or off-cut, fit the board tightly against the ceiling.
7. You can then tamp the board in place with the floor and ceiling chalk lines, using a straight edge.
8. Once the dabs have set (make sure you allow enough time, to avoid bending the board) use two nail-able plugs that suit the board’s depth, fitted through holes drilled into the board through the dab cavity, penetrating 25mm into masonry.
9. Allow at least 8 hours for the compound to dry before removing the wedges.

Installing Using The Dryliner Method

Installing insulation using the dry lining method should be utilised when upgrading an existing solid wall, or when creating a cavity. This method cannot be used for cavities over 130mm.

1. Using suitable fixings, fix a dryliner track at 600mm centred to the floor and ceiling – allow for the required cavity of 25mm minimum.
2. Ensure that the surface is completely dry, especially if applying directly to a concrete surface, and make sure a damp-proof membrane has been used.
3. Next, you’ll need to make sure that the large flange of the dryliner track is on the plasterboard’s side.
4. In order to fix the dryliner channels, mark vertical lines at 600mm (horizontal centres).
5. Starting at the centre of the wall, position the dryliner brackets straight onto the wall at a maximum 800mm vertical centres on the marked lines – ensure these are at shoulder and waist height.
6. Secure the brackets using the appropriate fixings and fold out the toothed wings of each one to create legs.
7. Next, cut each of the dryliner channels 5mm shorter in height from the floor to the ceiling, and then place into the dryliner track. Using a pan head self-tapping screw, make sure that the channel is secure to each bracket.
8. If you’re installing kitchen units, here is where you’ll need to install a fixing channel (or timber reinforcement) at the suitable height that the wall and floor units need to be secured to.
9. Cut the plasterboard 5mm shorter than the floor to ceiling height and butt it firmly and securely against the ceiling. Use drywall self-tapping screws at 300mm centres to fix, ensuring that they’re 10mm (minimum) longer than the board’s thickness.
10. Lightly and carefully butt the plasterboard edges against one another while centring the edges over the channels.

Installing Lofts and Roof Spaces

The roof is one of the main areas in the home that loses a great amount of heat, which is why so many people decide to insulate the area. Thermal board can be installed within the loft and roof space to achieve a suitable thermal performance. 

Instead of installing separate installations, installing both the board and insulation together at the same time using laminated board is both a simpler option and less time-consuming.

1. Firstly, if there’s any existing plasterboard, this will need to be removed.
2. Making sure there are no gaps, install the required thickness of solid foam or glass mineral wool insulation between the joists, rafters or trusses. 
3. Next, using high thread screws, fix the thermal boards (ensuring they’re the appropriate thickness and type) to the wooden joists, rafters or trusses. Make sure that the screws you use are the total thickness of the board plus at least 25mm, in order for them to be able to penetrate the timber.
4. The screws are to be fixed at 150mm centres around the perimeter and cut ends of the boards, and 230mm centres in the centre of the boards.

The above three methods are the most popular ways to insulate your home with plasterboard. With these directions in mind, every corner of your home should enjoy effective heat retention.