A consistent approach to finishes

9.1

9.1.3Walls and ceilings

Walls and ceilings shall be built to appropriate tolerances and have an acceptable finished appearance. Issues to be taken into account include:

  1. plastering and dry lining
  2. blockwork walls in garages
  3. skirtings.

For walls and ceilings:

  • surfaces should be reasonably uniform, although there may be minor textural differences around lights and other fittings
  • there should be no visible gaps between fittings and the surface (e.g. around switch plates)
  • jointing tape should be fully covered and unobtrusive in the finished surface.

Plastering and dry lining

For plastered and dry lined surfaces:

  • board joints should be within a maximum 3mm deviation, measured using a 450mm straight edge with equal offsets
  • walls should be adequately flat and within a ±5mm deviation measured using a 2m straight edge with equal offsets
  • the finish should be a maximum 8mm from plumb for walls up to 2.5m
  • the finish should be a maximum 12mm of plumb for a continuous wall height over 2.5m.

Setting out of corners, duct casings, access covers and any associated framing should be:

  • square
  • neat and tidy
  • provided with an appropriate decorative finish.

Also note:

  • In plastered walls and ceilings, some tooling marks may be visible.
  • Some cracking (up to 2mm wide) may occur at wall, floor and ceiling junctions, due to shrinkage and differential movement of materials.
  • Small cracks may occur in wall finishes which pass across floors (e.g. in staircase walls).
  • Where stair strings abut a wall, a crack of up to 4mm may appear as a result of shrinkage of materials.

Blockwork walls in garages

Cracks, up to 2mm wide, in unplastered blockwork walls may be evident due to thermal movement and shrinkage.

Skirtings

Where skirtings are installed:

  • the gap between the floor finish (without coverings) and the bottom of the skirting should not exceed 5mm
  • joints should present a continuous appearance when viewed from a distance of 2m in daylight (some initial shrinkage of the skirting may already be evident at completion of the property).

Also note:

  • The gap between the floor finish and the skirting may increase due to normal drying out, shrinkage and/or deflection, particularly in timber floors.
  • Gaps may appear at joints and corners due to shrinkage, and between the wall finish and skirting due to drying out, shrinkage and fixing position.