-
*Considering the amount of time we spend indoors, it’s easy to understand how the quality of our indoor living environment can have...
-
** *As with building a new home there are a large number of decisions you will need to consider when undertaking any renovating...
-
*To get the finish you really want for your walls, nothing beats removing old wall linings and relining with new GIB® plasterboard....
-
*Thinking of renovating? Your free Renovation advice book . Knowledge is the key to getting it right first time. *
Solve Old Home Problems
Renovating is the best time to address the inherent problems of an older home.
The information below will help you identify any shortcomings in your home and decide what to do about them.
Health and Comfort
| Draughty, cold, no insulation (common in pre 1980s homes) |
Install insulation in walls, ceilings and underfloor. Consider installing wool carpet on floors. Block gaps causing draughts. |
| Mildew, mould, dampness condensation | Install insulation in walls, ceilings and underfloor. Install adequate heating. Ensure good ventilation including extractor fans in bathrooms and rangehood in kitchen |
Convenience
| Insufficient power points, TV, phone outlets, light switches etc. |
By removing linings, installation costs of new outlets can be reduced by as much as 70% compared to installation with existing linings in place |
| Noise Problems | Install a GIB Quiet Zone including GIB Noiseline, Pink Batts Silencer and appropriate door and windows, such as Pilkington Hush Glass in the affected areas. |
| Low hot water pressure or noisy plumbing | Replace old crusty plumbing and install a high pressure water system. |
Appearance
| Cracked joints in walls or ceilings due to unreinforced joints (common for plasterboard installed pre-1908s). Sagging ceilings |
Remove and replace wall/ceiling linings with new GIB Plasterboard. Ensure joints are reinforced. On ceilings, use thicker 13mm GIB plasterboard. |
| Scrim and paper wall coverings over timber sarking (common pre 1920s houses not already renovated) | Remove scrim and paper, ensure timber sarking is sound, install 13mm GIB plasterboard directly over timber sarking. |
| Outdated wall coverings poor finish quality (eg. old wallpaper/colour scheme, multiple layers of wallpaper). |
Remove and replace linings. Stripping the wallpaper, skimcoating the old surface and repainting or wallpapering are possible, but the results are often dissapointing. |
| Damaged or unattractive decorative fibrous plaster or pressed metal ceilings (common in pre 1940s houses) | For a modern look, remove and replace with 13mm GIB plasterboard. |
| Unattractive or out of character skirting boards or ceilings trims | Replace with more suitable skirting boards and ceiling trims (such as GIB-Cove) |
| Textured Ceilings | Specialists are required to remove the textured surface. In some cases asbestos materials may have been used. Installing new linings may be necessary |
