Plasterboard
Plasterboard, or ‘drywall’ is the most common internal wall material. It is fixed to the hidden structural wall behind and gives a smooth and aesthetically pleasing finish. Plasterboard can be fixed over a wide range of structural walls, including a timber frame (commonly referred to as ‘Studwork’ or ‘Studwall’) or masonry.
When fixed over masonry, a method known as ‘Dot & Dab’ is usually used. This is where the board is bonded to the structural masonry using blobs of adhesive. Refer to the separate help topic for further details of this construction method.
Stud walls are widely used, particularly for internal walls and are constructed using timber uprights, usually with a spacing of 400mm or 600mm, these uprights are joined and strengthened by horizontal pieces referred to as ‘Noggins’.
Due to the space of the timbers within the stud wall, the majority of the plasterboard will be unsupported, with a void behind the board. As a result fixing to a wall of this type will usually require a fixing that can pierce the plasterboard and spread out, helping distribute the load behind the board to provide a secure anchor. If there is a convenient timber stud in the fixing position then a conventional wood screw can be used to screw through the plasterboard and directly into the timber stud.