RachelGodfrey Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 Hi all, Apologies if this post is in the wrong place. I'm battening all the inside (block) walls of my 80s house so I can insulate them and plasterboard over. There's what I think is a metal lintel over the windows and front door which I think I need to attach horizontal battens to in order to frame the windows so the plasterboard doesn't collapse. Any ideas how I can do this please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveasteading Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 If the steel face is in line with thd wall then probably better and much easier to screw into the masonry but project the timber over the steel, and glue to the steel. If there is the typical recess in the steel, you may be able to fix vertical timber studs or ply that will pack out to the wall face. They can be wedged or glued or screwed on with special steel screws, often called tek screws. Then fix studs to that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Jones Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 megastick. make sure the timber your fitting in the web is a tight (hammer it in tight) fit and plenty of megastick. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 Self drilling screws might work if the steel is thin enough. Pilot hole helps. Out of interest, how much insualtion are you putting in? Only looks 25mm battens? Assuming insualtation boards over them, then plasterboard? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 If you buy a handful of Tek screws They will screw straight into steel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RachelGodfrey Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 (edited) 23 hours ago, Conor said: Self drilling screws might work if the steel is thin enough. Pilot hole helps. Out of interest, how much insualtion are you putting in? Only looks 25mm battens? Assuming insualtation boards over them, then plasterboard? Thanks, I'm using these to go into the concrete block - https://www.toolstation.com/masonry-torx-frame-fixing-screw/p16209 The steel is hollow so it might work, I'd need a metal bit for my SDS drill. I'm just using 25mm PIR insulation for the walls - the house has (unfilled) cavity walls anyway and has neighbours on two sides so it's not that cold anyway. It's only 45m2 so I don't want to lose too much space. I'm fitting it as airtight as possible between the battens and then plasterboarding over with acoustic plasterboard. Edited March 4, 2023 by RachelGodfrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 It would be really good to have insulation all around the windows. You could use insulated plasterboard and stick it on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 3 hours ago, RachelGodfrey said: Thanks, I'm using these to go into the concrete block - https://www.toolstation.com/masonry-torx-frame-fixing-screw/p16209 The steel is hollow so it might work, I'd need a metal bit for my SDS drill. I'm just using 25mm PIR insulation for the walls - the house has (unfilled) cavity walls anyway and has neighbours on two sides so it's not that cold anyway. It's only 45m2 so I don't want to lose too much space. I'm fitting it as airtight as possible between the battens and then plasterboarding over with acoustic plasterboard. We blast Tek screws through RSJs without any issues 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RachelGodfrey Posted March 5, 2023 Author Share Posted March 5, 2023 On 04/03/2023 at 15:14, Mr Punter said: It would be really good to have insulation all around the windows. You could use insulated plasterboard and stick it on. Yes thanks, that's the idea. Batten the walls and reveals and fit PIR insulation tightly between then plasterboard over. Lose less room than using insulated plasterboard and this was the plasterboard can also be acoustic plasterboard which helps with noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 Infill the web of the steel with rigid insulation and then affix timber over that. If you attach the wood to the steel you'll transfer a big cold bridge to the back of the plasterboard, undoing all your hard work. I would simply use 3x2 timbers to span horizontally between each vertical 2x2 ( the ones either side of each opening ) screwing sideways into the ends of the 3x2. Have one at the lowest point ( the head of the window where the plasterboard will go ) and another at ceiling height, but the one at the ceiling can also be noggin'd to affix to the 1st floor joists. That will fully secure the upper one(s) and then the lower one, which will have some movement, gets its rigidity from the plasterboard that form the head of the opening reveal ( head ). That will be insulated plasterboard which you would bond on to the underside of each lintel ( as you really do not want to have bare plasterboard affixed to the steel around the window reveals at all. Around each door / window opening will be where you have no scope for thick insulation, so perhaps look at bonding 20mm Compacfoam to the heads and reveals and then bonding plasterboard to that ( if you want to avoid having cold / damp / mould regrow in these areas ). The risk you have here is making nicer warmer walls on the main runs, but then having adversely cold sections where you need them the least, as around the windows / reveals will be naturally colder already. Fill any gaps between plasterboard and block / steel of the reveals with Illbruck 330 foam, which won't bridge damp and is airtight ( closed cell ) so is great at draft-proofing also. It would be a shame to go to all the effort and then still have these issues around each opening Plan ahead and do the job once, and well 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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