# Backblocking instead of taping



## JackF999 (Apr 9, 2013)

More questions.

I've seen a Youtube video of a man who, instead of taping,
uses strips of drywall as backblocking.
He cuts a close matching plug sheet and then uses mud
to attach the strips, lets it dry and then muds the plug sheet
right into the hole. The plug sheet butts into the "ledges"
he built with the strips.
He claims he never uses tape and this system has never developed
cracks.

The only problem is, he's in Australia and uses "cornice cement".
I don't know what that is and can't find it here in Texas.

Has anyone heard or uses this system?
What can I use to cement the strips and the plug sheet in with?

I use AcrylaPro to attach tile to green sheet in bathrooms and that
stuff is pretty good at this and just won't let go of either the tile
or the drywall. Could I use this?

Its just I have another project in which the people wan't to save
the decorative strips above the tile ( not available anymore )
but want to change the tile below.
I thought I could cut the grout and drywall below the decorative
travertine, replace the drywall with backblocking, add the tile,
and this would save me some time, and the people some money.

Thanks


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## PrecisionTaping (Feb 2, 2012)

Some of the aussies will have to answer this one.
I know allot of them use the back-blocking technique as well, but as far as I know, they still all use tape on the seems.

So I'm not familiar enough with the concept to answer this one.


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## JackF999 (Apr 9, 2013)

Here's the link for backblocking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rtF5zhye00


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## PrecisionTaping (Feb 2, 2012)

Ya....I don't know about that...
I'd use paper tape.
I know they have better hot muds (Setting compound) down there than we do here, but I still don't reccomend not using tape.

But again, I am not familiar with all of their products down there.
The gentlemen in the video looks like he does good work.


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## Mudshark (Feb 8, 2009)

Not the greatest videos. You had to go to the second one to figure out what he was going to do once he fiddled around putting all that back blocking in (and why use drywall pieces instead of wood for back blocking?) In the second video it jumped ahead from no mud to being mud on the joints, so dont know for sure what he did. Not the way I would do it. Just tape the thing and taper it out with mud. Looks like just another handyman who wants to promote himself on a video I guess and pretend he is a drywaller.


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## PrecisionTaping (Feb 2, 2012)

Here's part 2.
To better understand.
http://youtu.be/K4evD-Y2D_s


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

Backblocking is part of the Australian standards.. Any Ceiling with three joins or more must be backblocked. I would NEVER rely on the backblock without tape. And my PO is that Backblocking is a waist of time. It was never part of the code for years until one national builder lobbied the powers that be because they were having lots of problems with their ceilings. The problem was that they pitched their roofs with timber that was that green
The carpenters nearly had to remove the leaves before they could use it. Then they wanted the board direct fixed to the green lumber without Chanel.


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## Mr.Brightstar (Dec 2, 2011)

PrecisionTaping said:


> Here's part 2.
> To better understand.
> http://youtu.be/K4evD-Y2D_s


He did say he gaged it. If he gaged it, no tape needed. And if he gauaged it then why not cover the whole Area? I think he taped it.


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

I'm with Gaz on this one, definitely tape as well.
But on the other hand I'll have to partially disagree Gaz (respectfully) I've seen too many non back blocked large ceilings warp where kiln dried timber is used.... peak joins, screw pop etc, especially when they've sat vacant for a few months before heat goes on, I've never seen a backblocked ceiling do that. Metal ceiling battens and your dry climate is probably the reason you guy's don't have problems like that (guessing).

JackF999 - you can use hot mud but I wouldn't use sheetrock easysand or anything soft setting like that, don't use builders glue either.


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

That big ceiling and house i was telling you about that turned nasty, Well thats timber battens all backblocked, It still peaked and popped.


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## kcchiefsfan1982 (Oct 4, 2011)

holy crap. he just pulled a dead mouse out of the ceiling. So gross! I would have been wearing gloves! Even for the insulation (ITCHulation) alone!!!!


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## VANMAN (Jan 14, 2011)

cazna said:


> That big ceiling and house i was telling you about that turned nasty, Well thats timber battens all backblocked, It still peaked and popped.


Hey Caz, that house i was having a problem with the coving coming away a while ago,The 1 with the underfloor heating!! Well u should c the ceilings in the main rooms that there is a wood burner in also!
Its a f*ckin mess 2 say the least! Its like an oven in that place,screws r coming out of everywhere,butts look like speed humps!:blink:Some of the screws r comin out of the board about 1mm or 2mm! I nearly cried when i seen the place again! The best part of the house is the garage that has no heating! The place is moving,shrinking that much i am finding stress cracks in the board!!!:furious: Its ok its only 400sqm houseCant wait 2 fix that if it is fixable!


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## RocknRoller (Mar 4, 2011)

gazman said:


> Backblocking is part of the Australian standards.. Any Ceiling with three joins or more must be backblocked. I would NEVER rely on the backblock without tape. And my PO is that Backblocking is a waist of time. It was never part of the code for years until one national builder lobbied the powers that be because they were having lots of problems with their ceilings. The problem was that they pitched their roofs with timber that was that green
> The carpenters nearly had to remove the leaves before they could use it. Then they wanted the board direct fixed to the green lumber without Chanel.


Your standards = so much extra work!
Must be the wimpy 10 mm board.
Why not lobby and go to 1/2 board and be done with all that extra work:blink:


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

cazna said:


> That big ceiling and house i was telling you about that turned nasty, Well thats timber battens all backblocked, It still peaked and popped.


Holy crap it must have been bad, in theory it should be impossible to peak a join if it's back blocked properly, I'm guessing there was sunken tape showing as well?


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

Kiwiman said:


> Holy crap it must have been bad, in theory it should be impossible to peak a join if it's back blocked properly, I'm guessing there was sunken tape showing as well?


Sunken tapes but they wernt to bad, Peak down butts, They were quite bad, Popped screws, Lots of them.

There biggest complaint was really popped screws.

14 X 7 metre ceiling with on expansion join at around the 10m mark, Timber battens, all seams and butts backblocked and glue spacings where they should be so it wasnt a glue issue.

I shoud add its clear this big ceiling has had a lot of movement yet no cracks, The backblocking would have saved it from cracking.


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## cazna (Mar 28, 2010)

VANMAN said:


> Hey Caz, that house i was having a problem with the coving coming away a while ago,The 1 with the underfloor heating!! Well u should c the ceilings in the main rooms that there is a wood burner in also!
> Its a f*ckin mess 2 say the least! Its like an oven in that place,screws r coming out of everywhere,butts look like speed humps!:blink:Some of the screws r comin out of the board about 1mm or 2mm! I nearly cried when i seen the place again! The best part of the house is the garage that has no heating! The place is moving,shrinking that much i am finding stress cracks in the board!!!:furious: Its ok its only 400sqm houseCant wait 2 fix that if it is fixable!


Nasty isnt it vanman, That sounds extreme, chitty work trying to fix that as well.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

RocknRoller said:


> Your standards = so much extra work!
> Must be the wimpy 10 mm board.
> Why not lobby and go to 1/2 board and be done with all that extra work:blink:


We have to do some work, after all we don't have screws to coat or top angles to run .


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

gazman said:


> We have to do some work, after all we don't have screws to coat or top angles to run .


But what thickness of drywall are you lads using down under:blink:


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## keke (Mar 7, 2012)

2buckcanuck said:


> But what thickness of drywall are you lads using down under:blink:


 WE'e got 10, 13, 16, 24 mm thickness

depends on specs 

domestic jobs 99% is 10 mm wall and ceilings
commercial jobs usually 13 mm walls and fire rated ceilings, 10 mm ceilings


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

The majority of ours are 10mm walls and 13mm ceilings, if 10mm is used on the lids then batten spacing must be a lot closer.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

Our normal 10mm (3/8) board will span 450mm (18 inches) between battens. We also have a 10mm board (3/8) with reenforcing fibers throughout, it will span 600mm (24 inches) between battens.

http://www.gyprock.com.au/our-products/products/plasterboard/gyprock™-plasterboard-cd.aspx



http://www.gyprock.com.au/our-products/products/plasterboard/gyprock-supaceil™-plasterboard.aspx


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## mudslingr (Jul 18, 2010)

keke said:


> WE'e got 10, 13, 16, 24 mm thickness


Wow. Never seen or heard of 24mm or almost 1" thick drywall before. Where would you use that ?


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## mudslingr (Jul 18, 2010)

gazman said:


> Our normal 10mm (3/8) board will span 450mm (18 inches) between battens. We also have a 10mm board (3/8) with reenforcing fibers throughout, it will span 600mm (24 inches) between battens.
> 
> http://www.gyprock.com.au/our-products/products/plasterboard/gyprock™-plasterboard-cd.aspx
> 
> ...



We definitely wouldn't get away with that around here.


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## chris (Apr 13, 2011)

mudslingr said:


> Wow. Never seen or heard of 24mm or almost 1" thick drywall before. Where would you use that ?


 Ive seen it in school and hospital corridors. We also have hung it on ceilings in a high school locker rooms:blink:


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## mudslingr (Jul 18, 2010)

Come to think of it I just may have seen some. I believe it was called abuse board and used in a halfway house.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

mudslingr said:


> Wow. Never seen or heard of 24mm or almost 1" thick drywall before. Where would you use that ?



Party walls and shaft liner, are the main uses.


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## mld (Jul 2, 2012)

Shear walls in a bank around vault room. Dont ask me why.


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## Deezal (Mar 9, 2013)

Only ever seen it used for building shafts, I-beam, 1" board etc. only abuse board I've ever put up was 1/2 and. It was significantly heavier than a normal 5/8 sheet.


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## gazman (Apr 29, 2011)

mld said:


> Shear walls in a bank around vault room. Dont ask me why.




Years ago we had to do two layers of 16mm fire check over the top of 1/8 th steel plate. So the walls consisted of timber studs, 3mm steel plate, two layers of 16mm fire board. It was the records room for the Australian Tax Office. We would not want them to loose track of how much tax we owed them would we.


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## Deezal (Mar 9, 2013)

Did an RCMP holding cell one time. 16g stud on 8"centres, 16g diamond mesh on both sides ( all the way up to the top!) 2 layers on each side and then covered in steel panelling


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## spacklinfool (Sep 23, 2011)

he of course using no tape with VARIO IF HE KNOWS WHATS GOOD FOR HIM!!!LOL


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