Drywall installation remedial work

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chez

93 posts

Master Geek

#303581 20-Feb-2023 15:32

I'm sick and tired of hiring pros only to get a mediocre result. I hired a builder to put up a Gib for the shower enclosure. I pretty much installed the Gib on the half of the bathroom but since I got a back pain, I thought, I needed a rest and got a pro to continue the rest for the room. I expect the pros to do a better job than mine and not a shonky work. I raised the issues to the builder and he'd come this week to discuss the plan.

List of shonkiness:

1. Buckling and crumbling drywall by the shower area.

2. Too tight on the adjacent panel wall and floor. No gap to allow for expansion and contraction. The drywall feels too tight that it is bulging in the middle. Not plumb as I checked .

3. Fixing of screws on the Gib is either proud or too depressed. Too close to the edge of the Gib.

4. Did not allow 10mm gap between the edge and the shower tray.

5. Stuck a piece of Gib on two places where he made a mistake. One by the door and the other by the shower tray. I don't know what he's thinking.

6. Joint of tapered and non-tapered edge.

I feel like I want to rip off the two walls (there are three walls) and redo them. For the Gib by the shower, I'm thinking, cut the bottom part that is crumbling and buckling. Fix the frame. Maybe the nog is thicker than it needs shaving. Then, hang a half Gib on the bottom part. Is this acceptable and won't result on poor shower acrylic liner installation? I'm going to hire a registered shower installer.

For the side that is too tight, take off the Gib and re-fix it after cutting the edges. If the Gib is too damaged, replace.

Any ideas how to fix this? I am at my wit's end.

Tick

13 posts

Geek

#3040436 22-Feb-2023 02:30

As a fellow tradie, it's always vexing to hear about shoddy work because it hurts our collective reputation. Especially because I'm asian, I already have to try allay substatiated fears by first time customers. Im very sorry to hear about your issues. However, allow me to try put a little bit of perspective and hopefully it will help to better understand the situation you're in and perhaps see a solution.

When we come in to a home owners half finished job, it throws us off. We didn't do the lead up work and quite often, the prep work is the important stuff. We do things in a certain order because it really helps to get things done efficiently, we will know what needs doing and what is left to do. If you ask a builder to come in to finish off a gib hanging job, straightening the walls would not be considered part of the job because it is something that is either done prior to the gib, or not something important to the owner. It is something that would need to be explicitly stated. "Please straighten the walls as well as hang the gib" "Oh, you're happy for me to rip out the existing gib then"

Unless that conversation takes place, it's assumed that it's fine as is, and we'll just go on doing what we were asked to do assuming that the homeowner (someone who was capable of hanging some gib) knew about it but didn't care enough to get it sorted. Surely he knew about that out-of-plumb walls.

As for the listed points:

If it's going to have an acryliner get slapped on top of it, you might not need to redo that gib. Just make sure that there is a flat surface to mount the liner onto. Work the loose stuff off and plaster over, using tape where required. I would recommend slapping a coat of polyurethane coating to waterproof any exposed plaster, especially in a 100mm wide strip where the liner meets the tray but thats just me.
It isn't clear what is causing the out of plumb. Could be the framing or a bulge in the gib. Knocking on the gib will quickly tell if it is properly fixed to the wall. If you knock along the stud and dwang lines, you shouldn't hear a very hollow sound. If you suspect that it is indeed bulging, drive a screw in. If the gib flexed as you drove it in, there was a gap beween the gib and should probably be replaced. If it didn't flex, its the frame and should probably be shaved down a bit if it's critical (something is going in front that needs to be aligned with something else)
"Any gib stopper worth his pay will fix it up". We really do leave it to the gib stopper to tighten screws and if needed, pop another screw in because the existing has popped the paper. The ones too close to the edge are easily remedied, just need another close by as long as the gib hasn't cracked. I think this is a complaint that only homeowners make as it's more of an aesthetic issue than structural (yes I understand there is some compromise in the structural integrity)... And perhaps the gibstopper because he gets the butt end of the job to fix it up. Might be a bit much to ask for a redo.
Not sure what 4 and 5 are about. Unfortunate that they didn't leave the gap, get them to cut it and would recommend using some of that polyurethane seal on the exposed edge
Sometimes, it has to be done. Perhaps it was more important to have the bevel on a more critical join and so it was rotated. Other times, they just want to make use of that offcut instead of a whole new sheet. Easily fixed by running a rasp or knife to make a bevel

Overall, I believe most of the issues are fixable or not really an issue. The one that I would never accept is an out of plumb wall where the shower goes. This is especially true of 3 sided shower installs. Please note that it was very difficult to assess the situation from your description and I'm sure it isn't going to be easy for you to make sense of mine either lol. Just remember that gib isn't usually an issue. It's just a liner and is very easily fixed. Fortunately we're no longer in the gib crisis of 2022 (though I believe we could have another soon)

SirHumphreyAppleby

2847 posts

Uber Geek

#3040441 22-Feb-2023 06:34

Tick:

"Any gib stopper worth his pay will fix it up". We really do leave it to the gib stopper to tighten screws and if needed, pop another screw in because the existing has popped the paper.

I agree with all the comments except the above. I will never leave a screw proud, except perhaps in the recessed edge where it's going to be fully covered by plaster anyway. Yes, the GIB stopper should fix this, but they shouldn't have to.

chez

93 posts

Master Geek

#3040489 22-Feb-2023 10:15

This is not the first time I had a bathroom renovated. I learned a lot from the builder I hired 2 years ago. He hang a new Gib for the shower liner. I saw him put a new nog, check the wall if it's plumb with a long spirit level. I didn't have to say, hey get the wall plumb etc. I just told him that a new shower liner is going there. I didn't have to instruct him how to DO IT. With that builder as well as reading and watching Gib installation tutorial, I learned how to hang Gib properly. It's just unfortunate that this good builder's calendar is fully booked so I had to get another builder which my plumber recommended (probably his mate from work).

The builder came back to the house yesterday. I had to INSTRUCT him to put a minimum gap 5-10mm from the floor. I had to tell him that this side is too tight, etc. He re-hang the Gib by the shower after taking it off and shaving off the nog that is sticking out. The Gib looked like a butchered surgery. I had to tell a lot and quite frankly told him what he had to do. He's a builder, not a handyman (like me). I expect that a builder knows what to do, what to assess, what to judge before hanging a Gib.

This morning, the shower installer has arrived and was shocked on the state of the Gib. The Gib is not flush to the tray. I knew this already. He has to pick up the pieces of the shonky work. Fortunately, the installer communicated with me about the plan but he requires us for additional charge: more adhesive, fixing the screws and time.

I'm going to do the Gib stopping. My back is getting better and probably after a week or so I can resume working on it. I will get a mate to give me a hand (lifting) to fix the Gib where the vanity is going. That one is bulging in the middle and one of the middle screws are already not holding up the Gib. When I push the Gib, it's bouncing. What happened here is that the builder forced the Gib to a tight place. As I analysed, the proper way of doing it is to unscrew the Gib. Check the frame if plumb, sort out if not. Cut a 5-10 mm gap on the side. Re-align and then fix to the wall.

I will move on after this. I do not intend to pay him the full price though.

chez

93 posts

Master Geek

#3041663 25-Feb-2023 08:44

What's the best way to do with the crumbling drywall? I'm going to tape the joint above the door.

Tick

13 posts

Geek

#3042010 26-Feb-2023 01:12

Shower looks good Chez! Not sure if I had mentioned a shower dome, but I would strongly recommend one for acrylic shower installs. It feels great in winter as it keeps the heat in, and prevents the walls from crying. This is also coming from someone who has had to regib several bathrooms due to mold in the ceiling. Never use those 3-in-1 type extractors either, use inline for quiet extractions or dedicated mounted extractors. A fan heater is much more comfortable compared to the heat lamps as well.

Sorry, I digress.

In this particular case, the gap is near the top edge of the wall so I wouldn't be too fussed. Normally, I would cut out a bevel to accommodate the tape so that it's easier to get a nice straight finish. However, as it is above head height (no one really looks up) and it is near a corner (it's hard to see bumps from the one angle you can look at it from) i would simply cut away any loose bits, both plaster and paper, and carry on with the tape. I always add a bit of water to make a slightly runnier mix for the first filler coat so that it really fills the voids and has good surface contact. I use paper for corner joints but find fibreglass tape better for taping over holes/voids as bubbles tend to occur more often. Just use what you have on hand I reckon.

If you're doing just the vertical bit above the door (they're all above the door so wasn't sure) then I would definitely run a blade to make a bevel on both sides, wide enough that your tape can fit below the paper level. Looks like they already helped you get started 😂 If you want to avoid mess at the bottom end of it, put a bit of masking tape across the gap on the bottom edge, that will help a little bit with the goop. At the very least, it will drip further out and hopefully miss the door. It's easy enough to clean off with water, but it tends to stick in unsealed wood and leave a mark when you do seal it.

itxtme

2102 posts

Uber Geek

#3043136 28-Feb-2023 10:45

I would be annoyed too. Assuming he was to supply the plasterboard (not you) he has cheaped out on pieces to make a tetris version of gibing. I dont know how big your room is, but I would have assumed whole pieces would have been doable given where the door is. Not to mention there is no way you will be square stopping that wall to ceiling so I hope you are planning to cove..

chez

93 posts

Master Geek

#3043546 1-Mar-2023 12:07

itxtme:

I would be annoyed too. Assuming he was to supply the plasterboard (not you) he has cheaped out on pieces to make a tetris version of gibing. I dont know how big your room is, but I would have assumed whole pieces would have been doable given where the door is. Not to mention there is no way you will be square stopping that wall to ceiling so I hope you are planning to cove..

I supplied the Aqualine. Frankly, there are several Tetris version he did. Some of them are appalling that I told him to patch correctly the second time he came around. The tight Gib that I mentioned. He did not do anything. Also, the sink drain pipe was lifted up due to it. Fortunately, he did not apply Gib adhesive at all. I took the Gib off and re-hung it. I also cut around the hole of the Gib to accommodate the pipe better. Above the shower, I will need to make some changes on the design including not using scotia due to that Gib. I use square or single bevel mouldings around my ceiling on other rooms due to having timber shiplap on some adjacent walls and ceiling too. Cove wouldn't be aesthetically and practically compatible overall. I will get the wall above the shower tiled. Tiles may extend further along depending on what I see it suits. Thinking outside the box on the designs now. There'll be more costs but that's it. I have to move on and turn the negative to something positive.

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chez

93 posts

Master Geek

#3043555 1-Mar-2023 12:26

Tick:

Shower looks good Chez! Not sure if I had mentioned a shower dome, but I would strongly recommend one for acrylic shower installs. It feels great in winter as it keeps the heat in, and prevents the walls from crying. This is also coming from someone who has had to regib several bathrooms due to mold in the ceiling. Never use those 3-in-1 type extractors either, use inline for quiet extractions or dedicated mounted extractors. A fan heater is much more comfortable compared to the heat lamps as well.

Sorry, I digress.

In this particular case, the gap is near the top edge of the wall so I wouldn't be too fussed. Normally, I would cut out a bevel to accommodate the tape so that it's easier to get a nice straight finish. However, as it is above head height (no one really looks up) and it is near a corner (it's hard to see bumps from the one angle you can look at it from) i would simply cut away any loose bits, both plaster and paper, and carry on with the tape. I always add a bit of water to make a slightly runnier mix for the first filler coat so that it really fills the voids and has good surface contact. I use paper for corner joints but find fibreglass tape better for taping over holes/voids as bubbles tend to occur more often. Just use what you have on hand I reckon.

Thanks. Shower dome is included in my plan. I cut the loose bits, vacuumed and taped. I don't know if it will work but I brushed the exposed gypsum with diluted PVA glue before applying compound and taping the joint. I saw this technique on YT so I thought, why not. I normally use Fibafuse on taping and patching and paper for corner joints too.