Plastering & Building Materials

Plasterboard and plaster: buying guide

Plasterboard (also called drywall or gypsum board) lines walls and ceilings and gives a surface you can tape and fill or skim with finish plaster. Picking the right board comes down to four things: size, thickness, edge and type.

Plasterboard sizes

• 2400 × 1200mm is the standard sheet and covers 2.88m². It's the size of every Gyproc and Siniat board we sell.
• Longer sheets (Gypfor 2500, 2700 and 3000 × 1200mm) suit taller walls so you avoid horizontal joints.
• 1800 × 900mm sheets are easier to handle in lofts, small rooms and overhead on your own.

See every sheet size and board type in our full plasterboard range. Our plasterboard sizes UK guide has the full chart, and plasterboard prices UK compares cost per sheet and per m².

12.5mm or 15mm, tapered or square edge?

12.5mm is the everyday board for walls and ceilings. 15mm is stiffer and heavier, and many fire-rated and acoustic systems are tested with it, so use exactly what your system specification lists. Use tapered edge if you're taping and filling the joints, and square edge if you're skimming the whole surface.

Which type of plasterboard?

• Standard (wallboard): general walls and ceilings, such as Gyproc WallBoard and Siniat Standard Board.
• Fire resistant: Gyproc FireLine, Siniat Fire Board and Gypfor Fire Resistant, for walls and ceilings built to a fire-rated specification.
• Moisture resistant: Gyproc Moisture Resistant, Siniat Moisture Board and Gypfor MR for bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms. See moisture resistant vs vapour plasterboard.
• Acoustic: Gyproc SoundBloc, Siniat dB Board and Gypfor Soundboard where noise matters.
• Vapour: boards with a vapour control layer for the warm side of insulated walls and ceilings.
• Insulated: see insulated plasterboard and how to install insulated plasterboard.

Comparing brands? Read British Gypsum vs Siniat plasterboard.

Plaster, adhesive and finishing

For skimming plasterboard use Thistle MultiFinish or BoardFinish (2mm). For undercoats, use HardWall on brick and block, and bonding plaster (Thistle BondingCoat) on smooth or low-suction backgrounds. Our MultiFinish vs BoardFinish vs Bonding guide compares them. For dot-and-dab, use Gyproc DriWall Adhesive, and finish joints and corners with the beads, tapes and fillers in this range.

How many sheets?

Measure each wall and ceiling, add the areas, take off big openings, divide by 2.88m² (for a 2400 × 1200mm sheet) and add around 10% for cuts. The plasterboard calculator does it for whole rooms, including screws, adhesive, tape and plaster, priced live. Building a suspended plasterboard ceiling? See the MF ceiling system.

Delivery: Prices are shown ex VAT. We are delivery only (no collection), with a £400 ex VAT minimum order and free delivery in England. British Gypsum plaster and plasterboard can also go to mainland Wales and mainland Scotland (£400 ex VAT minimum plus £40 + VAT delivery). Other brands, such as Siniat and Gypfor, are delivered in England only (see delivery information). Call 03330 908479 for a price on a large or mixed load.

Guide only: figures are typical values for general information. Always check the manufacturer's current data sheets and confirm Building Regulations compliance with your designer or building control. Insulation Warehouse Direct accepts no liability for decisions made using this guide.