Fixing the gap between the plasterboard and the beam

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chez

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#3012994 21-Dec-2022 20:44

I'm not worried about the cost. I just noticed the pricing. I want to try Sikaflex MS but specification noted that timber should be unpainted/unstained. Why is that? Of course, my beam is stained.

jonherries

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#3013025 22-Dec-2022 06:19

That is for adherence. You might need to sand the edge to get this to stick. If it has been stained for some time I would probably just try it in a small patch and see.

One other thing that hasnt come up is whether it is paintable. Last thing you want is a bright white line you cant paint if you have chosen another colour…

Jon

Dratsab

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#3013729 24-Dec-2022 10:12

jonherries: One other thing that hasnt come up is whether it is paintable. Last thing you want is a bright white line you cant paint if you have chosen another colour…

I've used Sikaflex MS in a few places, inside and outside, it's fully paintable.

chez

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#3013804 24-Dec-2022 20:22

Due to Christmas coming, I decided to do a quick remedy as I needed the living room ready. I ended up using Selley's gap filler which I currently have. I'll install timber beading next time that I have to.

MadEngineer

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#3013866 25-Dec-2022 12:38

johno1234:
wellygary:

Yip, a flexible caulking product like No More gaps is perfect for this

In that vid he caulks it then runs a finger along then wipes up the excess. I've always found that makes a poor job and much prefer to mask first against the wall with a few mm to the gap, then caulk, then wipe the finger (or use a tool) then pull the tape for a perfect finish.

Bonus points if he licked his finger first. Do you want mouldy silicon? Because that’s how you get mouldy silicon.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

jonherries

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#3013889 25-Dec-2022 15:29

Dratsab:
jonherries: One other thing that hasnt come up is whether it is paintable. Last thing you want is a bright white line you cant paint if you have chosen another colour…

I've used Sikaflex MS in a few places, inside and outside, it's fully paintable.

Yes that is true but there are a bunch that aren't. Generally the ones that are paintable say quite clearly, the ones that aren’t only tell you in the detailed instructions.

Jon

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chez

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#3014935 29-Dec-2022 08:58

That's quite right. I have to read more about Sikaflex.

However, I believe that trim beading is the ultimate answer to this gap but I'll do it when the filler cracks and becomes an eyesore.

mdf

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#3017184 5-Jan-2023 09:02

Late to the party on this one, but FWIW:

Sikaflex is an excellent product - but I find it really unpleasant to use. It sticks to everything and you need to use thinners or turps to clean it up (that is probably a good thing in terms of durability). It is also a little oozy so you need to remember to back off your caulking gun or turn around and find it somewhere it shouldn't be. You can get a really nice finish with it, but you have to work quite hard to get it.

I prefer Selley's Paint Over. Which is even more expensive but an absolute dream to use. Easy to get an excellent finish, easy to clean up and you can get a nice finish just by looking at it sternly. And you can paint in an hour (cf. next day for sikaflex). I've not independently verified this, but marketing suggests 25% flex too.

Probably not quite the right analogy, but it's like the difference in painting with oil-based versus acrylic paints.

mdf

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#3017185 5-Jan-2023 09:04

But the first best solution will be a timber bead, probably quarter round or coving. Given the beam is stained, you might want to find something nice to match (c.f. finger jointed pre painted big box hardware) and pin nail it up.

neb

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#3017444 5-Jan-2023 15:53

mdf:
I prefer Selley's Paint Over. Which is even more expensive but an absolute dream to use. Easy to get an excellent finish, easy to clean up and you can get a nice finish just by looking at it sternly. And you can paint in an hour (cf. next day for sikaflex). I've not independently verified this, but marketing suggests 25% flex too.

That's quite a price difference, how does this compare to generic Selleys/Parfix acrylic sealant? I've found that to be fine as long as you (a) push it ahead of the caulking gun rather than pulling it behind and (b) keep a tin of water handy to smooth over any irregularities.

The latter is probably the most important advice for using any of these sealants, fingers dipped in water allow you to cover up all manner of sins, and in particular cover irregular surfaces where there's otherwise no hope of getting a smooth finish.

mdf

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#3017775 6-Jan-2023 12:30

neb: That's quite a price difference, how does this compare to generic Selleys/Parfix acrylic sealant? I've found that to be fine as long as you (a) push it ahead of the caulking gun rather than pulling it behind and (b) keep a tin of water handy to smooth over any irregularities. The latter is probably the most important advice for using any of these sealants, fingers dipped in water allow you to cover up all manner of sins, and in particular cover irregular surfaces where there's otherwise no hope of getting a smooth finish.

It's definitely the best product I've used. Is it better enough to justify the price increase? I suspect that is a bit more finely balanced.

Its ease of application and clean up is amazing. I am not clear of the black alchemy and/or nanotechnology involved, but somehow it only seems to stick to what I want it to, and not anything else. It almost comes out as more of a paste than a goo (if that makes any sense - words fail me). No matter what I do, it seems to go where I want it to nicely, so only requires minimal tooling/fingering to finish, and with very little excess or wastage.

Bonuses:

- one hour paint time. Which was great when I realised I had missed one scriber just before I was about to paint

- seems to sit quite happily in the tube (with a screw on lid) for months without drying out and clogging the nozzle

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chez

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#3017821 6-Jan-2023 14:48

Good to know about Selleys paint over product. Thanks.

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