Hi! I have an old house where some of the rooms have thin masonite (about 3mm) and a few layers of wallpaper over the rustic boards. I was thinking of putting up renovation plasterboard to tidy up, should I take down the masonite first or should I appreciate the extra layer of insulation?
I don't think moisture is an issue if the wall doesn't have an unusual construction. The only reason to remove the masonite and wallpaper is if you need those extra millimeters for some reason.
If you know there's no vapor barrier, which is less important if it's worked so far, you might consider adding plastic before installing the drywall. Without having seen the wall or knowing what it looks like, my position is that you should skip it and just install the drywall.
I'm pretty good at plastering, so I would do that instead and then paint or wallpaper. This is because some layers of wallpaper and glue help to prevent cracks that can occur in walls with some movement. What I'm trying to say is that if you screw drywall into a plank wall that might have some movement, it could crack at the drywall joints. Unlikely but possible.
If you know there's no vapor barrier, which is less important if it's worked so far, you might consider adding plastic before installing the drywall. Without having seen the wall or knowing what it looks like, my position is that you should skip it and just install the drywall.
I'm pretty good at plastering, so I would do that instead and then paint or wallpaper. This is because some layers of wallpaper and glue help to prevent cracks that can occur in walls with some movement. What I'm trying to say is that if you screw drywall into a plank wall that might have some movement, it could crack at the drywall joints. Unlikely but possible.
According to a friend who works with inspections, mold doesn't have a strong smell; you need to put your nose close to where the mold is to sense the odor. However, other chemical reactions can occur in materials when they have been in contact with moisture over time. Similar to the emulsion smell from sills on houses from the 60s and 70s. For example, I had to remove the gym floor that the previous owner had installed in the outbuilding on an uninsulated concrete slab, and then the smell disappeared.
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· Korpilombolo
· 3 722 posts
There must be backing under the renovation plasterboard where you place the screws only. Otherwise, it will never be good no matter how much you fill the screw heads. If there are patterned wallpapers on top, it won't be visible, of course.