Drying times for sticking plasterboard to plasterboard

[Random Orbital Bob]

I've got a shower fixing job to do tomorrow where a shower tiled wall has been damaged right through to the studwork. Basically there's a hole in the plasterboard. I'm going to patch it because I don't have enough spare matching tiles to do anything else. I'm planning on cutting a patch of plasterboard and glueing it to the back of the existing, letting it dry then plastering the resultant dip before re tiling. I had assumed I'd use gripfill to glue the patch on but its cure time is long.

Is there a better adhesive to glue plasterboard to plasterboard with a fast set time? (I'm talking minutes rather than hours).

 

[Ghengis]

dry wall adhesive, sets quite quickly, say 1 hour

 

[porker]

Not sure if this would work in your case but I have repaired holes in plasterboard before by cutting the hole to a neat rectangle then getting a couple of wood battens longer than the width of the hole and screwing through the edge of the existing plasterboard so that they span the hole and give you something to screw a patch in cut just slightly smaller than the rectangle you have made. Hard to describe but I've used this method to fill in holes from large old fashioned downlighters. If I had to stick it I would probably use gripfill or similar.
If I wanted it to cure quickly probably try holt melt glue from a glue gun.

 

[blackrodd]

I'd use spray tack(almost instant) or a gorilla, polyurethane glue, all fast and easy to use.
I don't need remind you to wipe the dust off the glueing area.
With plasterboard bonding adhesive you will easily "blow" the joint, and you will buy a bagful and use a handful too.
Rodders

 

[No skills]

5 minute epoxy - couple of tubes from the poundshop.

 

[RogerS]

Plasterboard in a shower ? Isn't that a recipe for disaster ?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Vast majority of showers I've ever worked on have been PB. I suppose if you're repairing PB you'd just as well use PB.

 

[gregmcateer]

Not sure if this would work in your case but I have repaired holes in plasterboard before by cutting the hole to a neat rectangle then getting a couple of wood battens longer than the width of the hole and screwing through the edge of the existing plasterboard so that they span the hole and give you something to screw a patch in cut just slightly smaller than the rectangle you have made. Hard to describe but I've used this method to fill in holes from large old fashioned downlighters. If I had to stick it I would probably use gripfill or similar.
If I wanted it to cure quickly probably try holt melt glue from a glue gun.

+1 for this, especially as tiles over top so not need to make it pretty for painting

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've done it with a batten (or two) spanning the inside of the hole, a quick drying adhesive, another batten spanning the outside of the hole and a Spanish windlass between the two. Done carefully when the patch is put in it will be in virtually the same plane as the original board so you don't have a problem with the replacement tiles being in a hollow. Good for stud walls where sockets and switches have been moved.

 

[RogerS]

Vast majority of showers I've ever worked on have been PB. I suppose if you're repairing PB you'd just as well use PB.

That doesn't mean to say they were best-practice by whoever put them in. Surely all it takes is for a crack to develop in the grouting and then water gradually seeps in. I know. I used plasterboard 20 years ago before I knew any better! Disaster.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Certainly. It's daft.

 

[AndyT]

I used to have a shower over the bath with plasterboard behind the tiles.
After water got through the grouting and the tiles started to bulge as the wall absorbed the water, I replaced it!

At first, I was going to use a really heavy waterproof cement based board from Wickes.

Then I found - in our local tile shop - a lightweight, waterproof tile "construction board" from Marmox. Brilliant stuff. Stiff, lightweight and easy to work with.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

well....it's 3pm and I've just got back from the job. Thanks for all the comments. In the end I hadn't realised the left hand edge of the blown tiles/plasterboard butted the shower cubicle wall which made screwing impossible. I could see the studs though just hidden on either side of the hole. So I carefully cut a series of plasterboard patches and gripfilled them. I would have used epoxy or a high tack type but when I examined it the back surface wasn't even so it required a gap filling type adhesive hence gripfill. I holed the patches and strung a nail through then used the string to seat them in the glue. Once I had only a small gap remaining I filled it with expanding foam and I've just left it to cure. Doubtless when I return tomorrow to do the tiling there will be a veritable "tree" of cured foam poking out into the room! I'll spend the next 4 hours cutting it back so I can fit the tiles in!!

 

[MMUK]

Personally I'd have used decorators caulk. It sticks like poo to a blanket, sets in about ten minutes, doesn't go off in the cartridge so lasts ages and costs under a quid!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

that's a good tip...I'll remember that

 

[chippy1970]

Vast majority of showers I've ever worked on have been PB. I suppose if you're repairing PB you'd just as well use PB.

That doesn't mean to say they were best-practice by whoever put them in. Surely all it takes is for a crack to develop in the grouting and then water gradually seeps in. I know. I used plasterboard 20 years ago before I knew any better! Disaster.

Plasterboard technology has changed in that time. The green boards have fibres running through them so they are designed for wet areas.

Personally I prefer to use Wedi board or cement board

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

the house I live in now we built in 2007 and when we did the showers we used cement board (first time for me) and its been bullet proof. The shower in question is in my deceased mothers house which we rent and the shower was built by my Father with me helping as a lad in circa 1978. This is the first time its let water in and got damaged so, although only plasterboard that's not a terribly bad record is it ie somewhere in the region of 37 years to first fail. And in fairness its the grout that failed. I wonder how cement board would perform even if it did have water drip drip dripping over many months? I guess it would remain intact and the water might collect elsewhere?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've always been amazed by the people I've seen over the years spend a fortune on tiles, days and days planning and preparing - then buying the cheapest adhesive and grout they can find.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

What fortuitous timing Phil. I'm about to go out and buy guess what...tile adhesive and grout! What should I be getting? I want ready mixed adhesive if possible (does ready mixed grout exist also?????) Because the job is tiny and there's little space to work.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The specialist shops around here tend to sell Mapei and Bal grout - they won't sell rubbish because of their reputations. (unlike sheds). Don't forget if it's an epoxy it doesn't give you much wet time. My mate and his mate grouted about 12 square metres of tiles using grout supplied in a plain bag by someone else without having been told it was epoxy - it took them days to clean it off. Do your homework - I suspect you get much what you pay for. You can get small tubs of ready mixed although you might not get them in coloured, but be wary of running out if it's coloured. A two or three inch stainless filling knife, small throw away sponges and your index finger are your friends.