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Plant Room Walls


Barney12

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Just wondered what people have done in terms of lining plant room walls and ceiling? Board and skim seems entirely pointless and of no use for fixing.

So, I was going to go with 22mm OSB on the walls and ceiling and (only if I have time) a couple of coats of white emulsion?

 

What have others done?

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Mine were partially boarded then covered with fire resistant acoustic foam, the stuff used to line studios, as I thought that there might be some noise from there (it turns out this wasn't needed, really).

 

In my workshop, the walls are lined with OSB and painted.  Works well, in terms of being easy to fix things to, but OSB is a pig to paint, even with an airless sprayer.  I found I needed to go over the OSB a couple of times with a roller to get the paint to get right into the crevices in the OSB. 

 

I think lining with MDF might be a better option.  Still easy to screw stuff to, but also a lot easier to paint than OSB.

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5 minutes ago, JSHarris said:

Mine were partially boarded then covered with fire resistant acoustic foam, the stuff used to line studios, as I thought that there might be some noise from there (it turns out this wasn't needed, really).

 

In my workshop, the walls are lined with OSB and painted.  Works well, in terms of being easy to fix things to, but OSB is a pig to paint, even with an airless sprayer.  I found I needed to go over the OSB a couple of times with a roller to get the paint to get right into the crevices in the OSB. 

 

I think lining with MDF might be a better option.  Still easy to screw stuff to, but also a lot easier to paint than OSB.

 

Hmmm good point re the painting.

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I used thick MDF on one wall to hang the MVHR (I think was 28mm, cannot recall, the heaviest we could get). Logic was to minimise sounds transmission of the fans. We just emulsioned the MDF, which works OK other cracklines at the joints.

 

I should have done the same with the opposite wall where the ASHP and pumps are hung, we ended up with using fermacell, pump noise is more prominent.

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We used Fermacell in our plant room. Brilliant stuff for durability and mounting things to.

 

I'm sure it's better than the same thickness of plasterboard for reducing sound transmission, but suspect it works better for airborne noise than for preventing noise from vibration caused by things mounted to it. Our Immersun unit, for example, buzzes under load, and that sound is transmitted quite effectively through the wall. I'll be mounting it on something more resilient in an effort to reduce this.

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Plain OSB in mine. It remains to be seen if BC insist on any paint?  I wired a house a few years back where the owners wanted the whole house walls and ceiling finished in OSB. Building control insisted on a clear fireproof paint.

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5 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Building control insisted on a clear fireproof paint.

Our final BC inspection was laughable. Chap spent 15 - 20 minutes on site to "inspect" 3 floors and a garage. Half of that time was checking water flow through the underground drain. Some aspect of the build was not quite there - painting, a bit of second fix plumbing and electrics.

 

The inspection prior was before we had boarded up the walls and ceiling and first fix was still in progress, so there were a lot of works in between.

 

He did not find any issues.

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Fermacell sounds the best option as its fire resistant and you can fix into it. The plant room is one of the places where, IMO, extra  consideration should be given regarding fire, so best to completely contain it with FC on the walls and ceiling? Kills many birds with one stone, cheap as two layers ( timber + PB ) and can be painted / looks better naked. 

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Couldn't tell you tbh. I'd still use a compression type drywall anchor but it doesn't sound like that'll pull away from FC like it does with PB.

Suprised that the BCO wouldn't want at least a 3mm skim, for basic conversion of the board to 'non-combustible', same way youre not allowed to hang a combi boiler on wood, or non plastered PB. It either has to be skimmed or an Ellis board has to be screwed on first and then the boiler mounted on that, so beware anyone mounting a boiler.....it can't go on a combustible surface ;)

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30 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

 

Couldn't tell you tbh. I'd still use a compression type drywall anchor but it doesn't sound like that'll pull away from FC like it does with PB.

Suprised that the BCO wouldn't want at least a 3mm skim, for basic conversion of the board to 'non-combustible', same way youre not allowed to hang a combi boiler on wood, or non plastered PB. It either has to be skimmed or an Ellis board has to be screwed on first and then the boiler mounted on that, so beware anyone mounting a boiler.....it can't go on a combustible surface ;)

 

 

So a BCO is going to be sorely disappointed as you can skim Fermacell but it's not needed - it meets all the class requirements for flame spread as an unfinished board so a boiler can happily hang on it with nowt else ...

 

Fermacell will take around 20-25kg per screw without pull out. I've got rads on walls with no plugs, shelves are easy and I think there are some other bits all fine with no plug. 

 

Cost is the issue really as it's not cheap and also needs a special screw or staple to fix it to timber as they need a winged head to cut into the board. Very quick and easy to use though - I love the stuff ..!

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I lined our plant room wall with 25mm Exterior Ply, with loads of additional of additional studs, painted the ply with fireproof paint as I had a free tin that was sent in error when I ordered paint for our steels, this was then covered with Plasterboard and skimmed.  It was overkill, not sure why I went so over the top, probably becuase there was little else for me to get on with at the time as we had trades in but felt I wanted to be doing something.

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