How to cover a toilet installation with plasterboard?

Both the bathroom’s appearance and use are frequently improved during renovation. Plasterboard is a common material used to cover toilet installations. It can help create a clean, modern look by concealing unsightly pipes and fixtures. This process creates a smooth surface for tiling or painting, which not only enhances appearance but also simplifies maintenance.

Getting the necessary supplies and equipment together before you begin is crucial. Plasterboard sheets, screws, a utility knife, a measuring tape, a screwdriver, and a drill are required. A professional finish can also be guaranteed by keeping joint compound and spirit level on hand. A successful project requires preparation, so be sure to measure precisely and cut the plasterboard to the right size.

After assembling your supplies, you can start by erecting a frame around the toilet installation. This frame will give your work a strong foundation while supporting the plasterboard. Using metal studs or wooden battens, build a structure that fits tightly around the toilet. As you fasten the frame to the walls and the floor, check that it is stable and level.

Now that the frame is in position, you can begin plasterboard attachment. Take great care when cutting the plasterboard sheets to fit the frame’s dimensions, making sure to leave gaps for any access points that may be required, such as maintenance panels or the flush plate. Using screws, firmly fasten the plasterboard to the frame, making sure it sits level and flush.

Now that the plasterboard is fastened, the surface needs to be finished. To achieve a smooth, seamless look, cover the screw holes and seams with joint compound and joint tape. To get a smooth surface, sand the compound after it has dried. The plasterboard can then be painted or tiled to match the rest of your bathroom’s decor.

Plasterboard covering a toilet installation may seem difficult at first, but with careful planning and close attention to detail, it can be a simple do-it-yourself project. You can improve the appearance of your bathroom and guarantee a high-quality finish that will last for years by following these steps.

How can you cover the installation?

Lathing and sheets of building material, such as gypsum board or gypsum fiber board, are required to construct a false wall. The frame can be put together using a metal profile or well-dried block that was made especially for hanging drywall.

Because of its high hygroscopicity, which causes even small changes in humidity to dramatically alter the wood’s linear dimensions, wood is not a good choice for a combined bathroom. After a few years, the effect of these variations becomes apparent when cracks start to show at the points where the box joins the walls and floor, and eventually the screw heads pierce the gypsum board further and deeper. The tiles fall off as the fake wall starts to "breathe."

In conclusion, wood does not provide structural rigidity when it is highly humid.

The solution is straightforward: the lathing is fixed to a metal profile that is insensitive to temperature and humidity variations. Furthermore, it

• provides increased rigidity of each frame element;
• has fixed dimensions;
• correct geometry;
• right angles.

You can lather in the toilet with both materials in apartments that have a separate bathroom. Their quality is the same. Here, additional elements become apparent:

• the price of the lathing elements;
• the skill of the craftsman to work with the material.

Experience has shown that assembling a frame made of metal is more convenient.

Drywall is a more technologically advanced and easier material to use when covering a suspended toilet under tiles, decorative plaster, or painting. Only the humidity parameters need to be considered, just like in the lathing case. Simple gypsum board will not hold up in a combined bathroom with its steam and water splashes on the wall. Here, moisture-resistant gypsum plasterboard (light green color) is what you need to purchase.

The humidity level in a separate restroom is essentially the same as it is in living areas. Consequently, you can affix regular drywall to the sheathing there.

The nuances of installing the installation for further trouble-free cladding

You must adhere to a few basic guidelines when operating the installation to prevent damaging the recently installed false wall:

• choose the right installation location. After all, the future screen may limit access to important objects in the bathroom;
• correctly align the plane of the supporting frame so that the false wall has right (90 o) angles with adjacent walls, ceiling and floor. This is especially important if two structures are installed in a line. For example, for toilet and bidet. It will not be possible to level installation defects with a frame or gypsum board, since the frame forms the plane of the false screen. Therefore, during marking, the vertical and horizontal of the frame structure is carefully checked. At this stage, the problem can be corrected without great expense;
• The functionality of the installation is checked several times. If necessary, adjust the drain.

You can start covering the installation if the aforementioned requirements are satisfied.

Required tools and materials

You will need a set of tools and the proper materials to complete the installation. Supplies you must buy:

• plasterboard (for a combined gypsum board unit, for a plasterboard toilet);
• gypsum-based putty;
• metal guide profile, galvanized (according to the international classification UD, Russian PN) with a cross-section of 28*27 mm;

• ceiling profile PP (CD) size 60*27 mm;

• self-tapping screws with dowel 6*60 mm (8*80 mm);
• hardware for fastening profiles to each other (9 mm);
• self-tapping screws for attaching gypsum boards to the sheathing (35 mm);
• serpyanka (reinforcing mesh).

Tools are used in the performance of work. They are available for purchase, rental, or borrowing from friends and neighbors. Required:

• a hammer drill or electric drill with a drill for concrete or brick;
• screwdriver with a cross-shaped bit;
• a grinder with a cutting wheel or a hacksaw for metal;
• stationery (construction) knife with replaceable blades;
• plumb line;
• level;
• roulette;
• construction corner;
• pencil;
• narrow and wide spatula.

Sheathing instructions

There are multiple sections in the instructions on how to cover a toilet installation with plasterboard. This:

• frame installation;
• covering the installation with gypsum plasterboard sheets;
• inspection hatch device for access to communications.

Creating a wireframe

Prior to installing the installation, work must be done to repair the surfaces of the walls covered by the false panel and, if necessary, replace the water pipes. Should this not have been completed for whatever reason, the installation won’t be sheathed until the flaws are fixed. After all, if the mounted screen isn’t taken apart, you won’t be able to access leaking pipes or a collapsing wall.

A protective screen can be created in a few different ways:

• sew up the entire space around the installation, from wall to wall, from floor to ceiling – this is a false wall;

• mount the box only around the frame;

• install a protective screen from one wall to the outside of the installation;

• sew the box from wall to wall and along the top of the frame.

Let’s use the example of a box that is wall to wall plasterboard lined to examine the subtleties of installing a protective screen. The option to use this example to take into account all the nuances of the technology won out over the method’s popularity (false walls are the most common). The following order is followed in performing the work step by step.

Step 1: Mark the guide profile fastenings. It takes a few minutes if you have a laser level. When dealing with merely a level, a plumb line, and a construction angle, you must exercise caution and adhere to the marking sequence.

In the majority of articles about covering an installation with plasterboard, starting the marking process from the walls is advised. To accomplish this, take a picture of the distance in centimeters from the outside of the frame to the wall, and then mark the corresponding spot on the walls next to it.

On the other hand, the false wall will collapse in the same direction as the wall if it collapses.

Markings made from the floor yield more accurate results. A lengthy strip (a rule would work just as well) is applied to the frame’s legs. Drawn flush with the frame, a line runs the length of the floor. It rises onto the walls using a plumb line (here, wall defects do not affect the measurement results). Subsequently, a line is drawn parallel to the top of the installation and along the rear wall.

Step 2: A grinder is used to size the profiles. Required:

• 4 vertical guide profiles (PN) along the length of the frame – attached to the walls and frame;

Note: Some professionals shorten the installation’s vertical profiles without adding a CD profile at the bottom (see photo). We advise against doing this because, in many cases, the side walls of the drywall go inside the box when drywall sheets are affixed to the guide profile from below. This prevents the hardware from screwing in.

• one guide profile per floor. Cuts shorter by 56 mm (taking into account the size of two PNs on the walls). In addition, grooves are cut into it for the legs and guide profiles installed on the frame;
• one UD profile for the entire width of the wall for mounting on top of the frame along the rear wall;
• 4 CD profiles on each side of the frame. Should be 2-3 mm shorter (by the metal thickness of the guide profile 0.5-0.6 mm);
• 4 short jumpers to create rigidity in length to the depth of the installation – for fastening gypsum boards laid on top;
• one ceiling profile for mounting on the frame body from the bottom of the tank (at the discretion of a specialist).

Step 3: Markings for self-tapping dowels are made in 40 cm increments on the guide profiles. Using a small drill, holes are drilled along the marks. The locations of the holes in the walls, floor, and frame where the metal screws and dowels will be inserted are marked. For a dowel size of 6*60 mm (8*80 mm), holes are drilled in the wall, the floor, and the frame for the diameter of the "bug" (1 mm less).

Crucial: metal self-tapping screws are now obtainable. Since they pass through the installation frame’s thickness, no holes need to be drilled for them.

Step 4: Attach the damper tape to the wall and frame by adhering it to the back of the guide profile.

Step 5: Guide profiles are installed with jumpers made of CD profiles. They should be no more than 60 centimeters apart. fastened with metal self-tapping screws. For every connection, two pieces.

For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with plasterboard, we would like to clarify that the larger profile, or ceiling, is placed into the guide posts so that the profile’s shape, the letter "P," rests on the rear wall and faces outward via a crossbar.

Step 6: The frame’s formed surface is examined. It ought to be positioned parallel to the installation frame. If mistakes are made, they have to be fixed.

Installation of the cladding

It is much simpler to figure out how to cover an installation with plasterboard over finished sheathing. Here, cutting gypsum boards and creating openings for pipes, studs, and control panel windows present the biggest challenges.

You will need two crowns of different diameters (for cutting pipe holes), a drill (for drilling stud holes), and a construction knife (for installing a window beneath a button panel). Since the finishing will conceal everything, round holes don’t have to be as big as they should be. However, the window’s size ought to be as near to the panel as feasible.

Another crucial detail that you should be aware of is that, in order to avoid having to figure out where to screw in the screws by trial and error, you need to mark the gypsum board of the installation frame’s contact line and provide jumpers from the ceiling profile with plasterboard. However, things can get much worse when it comes to frames: if you randomly drill a hole in the wall-hung toilet’s frame for a self-tapping screw, you risk damaging the cistern.

After that, everything is easy:

• the sheet is attached to the frame;
• Using self-tapping screws (35 mm), the plasterboard is screwed to the ceiling profile and frame profile. Step 20-25 cm. The heads are slightly recessed (some craftsmen make a countersunk one in advance). To avoid over-twisting, the screwdriver should be set to slow speed;
• finishing of the surface under tiles or decorative plaster is carried out.

Step	Description
1	Measure the area to be covered
2	Cut plasterboard to size
3	Install a metal frame or wooden battens for support
4	Attach plasterboard to the frame with screws
5	Fill gaps and screw holes with joint compound
6	Sand the surface until smooth
7	Apply primer and paint

Plasterboard covering a toilet installation is a workable way to give your bathroom a seamless, clean appearance. This technique provides a surface that can be easily painted or tiled to match the rest of your bathroom decor, in addition to concealing the plumbing and cistern.

Building a strong frame around the installation is the first step in making sure it is level and secure. After the framework is installed, careful plasterboard attachment is necessary to prevent any plumbing components from being harmed. For a clean finish, the plasterboard must be cut to fit around pipes and fixtures.

Tape and joint the seams once the plasterboard has been fastened. In order to create a smooth surface that is prepared for the final finish, this step is crucial. Whether you decide to paint or tile, sanding down the joints and priming the surface gets the surface ready for the finishing touches.

By doing these simple steps, you can improve the appearance and usability of your bathroom and get a polished finish. For any do-it-yourselfer, covering a toilet installation with plasterboard can be an easy and satisfying project with careful planning and execution.

Plasterboard covering a toilet installation is a simple process that can improve the appearance of your bathroom by producing a smooth, polished finish. In order to accomplish this, precisely measure and cut the plasterboard to fit around the installation, making sure to leave access points for upkeep. Sand the surface for a smooth finish, cover screw holes and seams with compound and joint tape, and fasten the plasterboard to a strong frame. Lastly, tile or paint the plasterboard to blend in with the design of your bathroom. You can achieve a polished and clean look with a few simple tools and close attention to detail.

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