Bricking It plasterer, Robert Shand, describes the process…
Cutting the plasterboard
To cut the plasterboard, the trainees first drew the section of
wall that they were boarding, complete with notes of all the measurements.
They then transferred these dimensions onto the plasterboard itself.
Cutting the board is done mainly with a razor knife by scoring one side, folding the board and cutting along the seam.
Noggins
But before we close-up we need to fit 'noggins' in between the stud
work. Noggins are pieces of timber behind the plasterboard wall
that provide a stable base for mounting fittings onto the walls
e.g. kitchen cupboards and radiators.
The noggins also ensure that all the electrical cables are in the right place, and are out of the way so that they won't be accidentally damaged during the rest of the build or afterwards.
Insulation
We also needed to put insulation into the partition walls before they were closed up.
When handling the insulation material it's essential that masks and gloves are worn because the particles released can severely irritate skin and the throat.
Fixing the Plasterboard
Now the trainees could start fixing the plasterboard. The boards were held in place and fixed with drywall screws to the metal supports.
Care had to be taken as the screw heads must not penetrate the paper surface layer of the plasterboard - this could result in the board warping or even coming away from the wall altogether. It's skilled work and not all the trainees got the hang of it straight away.
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