Every now and then, it's possible to avoid massively costly mistakes by carrying out the simplest and cheapest of DIY tasks
Don't think you're in the right place? This is Step 3 in a 6 part course covering re-plastering.
Start at Step 1 - How to Remove Plaster From Brick Walls
Watch the video for the main points, read below to get more...
What is Scrim Tape?
Scrim tape comes in a reel, is sticky on one side and is made of a glass fibre mesh. A 50m roll would set you back £2-£4.
What's it for?
It's used to reinforce the joint between two sheets of plasterboard. Once skimmed over, the scrim tape becomes embedded in the plaster and reinforces the joint. This greatly prevents cracking that would otherwise occur along the joint lines of the plasterboard underneath.
What tools will I need?
A pair of sharp scissors and the scrim tape, that's it! Maybe a cup of tea to keep you going!
How and where do you use it?
Once the plasterboard is fixed to the wall (screwed, dobbed or mushroom), the scrim tape can be applied easily by sticking the tape directly along the join between two plasterboards. It should be applied along the join where plasterboards butt up against each other, and in the internal corners when two boards meet perpendicular to each other. It will stick and stay in position until the plasterboard is skimmed. It's easy to cut with a good pair of scissors. For external corners (around window recesses), you should use corner anglebead.
Helpful Tip
Don't overlap scrim tape, it might get in the way when skimming.
As well as along the flat joints, as shown above, Scrim Tape should be applied to all internal corners.
To do this, use the back end of a pair of scissors to push it into the corner. Don't leave it cutting across the corner, or the Scrim Tape would just get in the way when skimming the boards, really push it in.
Helpful Tip
When it comes to skimming the plasterboard and scrim tape, make sure you squash the plaster into the joints, so that the mesh becomes surrounded with plaster. Thistle Multi finish is fine for skimming over plasterboard, scrim tape doesn't require a special type of filler.
This is Step 3 of my 6 part course on re plastering a wall, the next step covers using Anglebead on corners, and goes into detail on different ways to attach it. The previous step is all about putting up the plasterboards.
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