Description of tongue-and-groove plates and their varieties

Having decided to make a major overhaul with the redevelopment of the living quarters, the question arises concerning the search for a material suitable for this purpose. And once you find yourself in the construction market, your eyes completely run up from the variety of products from which you can build a new wall. Each respective material has certain advantages, but at the same time has some disadvantages.

The brick partition will be durable, but it takes a long time to install. The plasterboard wall will be flat but flimsy. However, there is a material that combines both strength and evenness. These are tongue-and-groove slabs.

Tongue slabs are a modern building material that won public recognition in the first month after its appearance. The structure of each slab is equipped with grooves and ridges, which are locks similar to a laminate. Thanks to this fastening, the GWP canvases are connected to each other as tightly as possible. And the smooth surface of the resulting structure does not require additional processing in the form of rough plaster or gesso. After installing the partition, you can immediately glue the wallpaper.

Tongue slabs can be called a versatile building material. They can be used in home improvement, apartment and industrial premises. GWP allow you to build both interior partitions and load-bearing walls inside rooms.

Construction professionals have long identified the positive and negative qualities of tongue-and-groove slabs. Well, those who have never come across this material should find out what its advantages are and whether there are disadvantages. You should start with the pros:

• fire resistance - GWP does not ignite or burn;
• environmental friendliness - this material does not emit substances harmful to the human body;
• moisture resistance - tongue-and-groove plates are not afraid of water;
• noise reduction - GWP-partitions practically do not allow extraneous sounds to pass through.

In addition, this material does not rot, is not susceptible to attack by parasites and does not deform when exposed to high temperatures. However, the list of pluses, unfortunately, is supplemented by several minuses:

• things and objects with a large weight must not be hung on the GWP-partitions;
• with frequent earthquakes and a sharp shrinkage of the house, there is a high probability of cracks on the slabs.

To understand the basic properties of the presented building material, you need to know its composition. And by the way, each individual manufacturer fills the blocks with different additives, thereby ensuring the competitiveness of the material. But if you do not consider the issue of additives, the main elements of the composition of the boards are gypsum and Portland cement. In this case, the gypsum used is divided according to the strength class. Mainly used grades G-5, G-6, G-7. The higher the grade of gypsum, the greater the density of the block.

The additives mentioned earlier improve the performance of the material and help lower the price of the product. Their list includes:

• caustic dolomite;
• chloride magic;
• cellulose;
• magnesium salts.

GWP-material is a monolithic gypsum board with a rectangular shape and joint grooves at the edges. On the construction market, this material is most often presented with dimensions of 66.7x50x8 cm. The weight of each individual slab does not exceed 30 kg. The front side of the product can have a wide variety of finishes, ranging from a flat surface to decorative design. But most importantly, GWP panels are low cost.

Another important characteristic of tongue-and-groove slabs is simplicity and ease of installation. And the natural elements of the composition of the GWP material guarantee comfort for future living. Among other things, gypsum can regulate moisture exchange in enclosed spaces. That is why, in rooms with high humidity, moisture-resistant boards with hydrophobic inserts are used.

Further, it is proposed to consider the characteristics of GWP in a digital meaning:

• the gypsum variety has a density ranging from 1150-1300 kg / m2;
• the water absorption rate is 5-30%;
• moisture resistant boards are accompanied by 5% water absorption and a density of 1100 kg / m2;
• the noise insulation indicator ranges from 35-40 dB;
• thermal insulation of slabs with a thickness of 80 mm corresponds to concrete walls with a thickness of 400 mm.

In the modern construction market, you can find GWP in several forms:

• gypsum;
• moisture resistant.

The choice of a suitable option depends on the humidity of the room being repaired. For example, when reconstructing a hall or bedroom, it is worth using gypsum boards. And if we are talking about a bathroom, you should purchase a moisture-resistant variety. When purchasing partition plates for the first time, you need to know their external differences. The gypsum variety has a grayish tint, and the moisture-resistant slabs have a greenish tint. However, the GWP divisions presented are not a complete list of the available varieties. There are other parameters by which the presented building material differs.

Today, gypsum and silicate GWP panels are on sale, and each individual option is characterized by certain parameters. In the manufacture of the gypsum variety, a molded casting method is used, where, in addition to the main components, additional elements are used to reduce the moisture absorption rate. By its characteristics, gypsum is a pure building material. That is why the finished gypsum blocks comply with GOST standards, which is why they are used in medical premises, kindergartens and schools.

Gypsum blocks also have thermal insulation and fire resistance properties. In the manufacture of silicate boards, dry lime is used together with quartz sand. The mixture is poured into molds, put under a press and sent to an autoclave.

GWP blocks are also divided into subspecies:

• full-bodied;
• hollow.

The first subspecies, due to the maximum internal filling, is distinguished by a high level of strength and weight. It is preferable to install such blocks as partitions where the door will be located. Through-holes are present in the construction of hollow slabs, which reduces the weight of each slab by 20% and increases its thermal insulation. But with such filling, the strength of the material is significantly reduced, and the bearing capacity disappears.

In this characteristic, GWP blocks are divided into several types:

• ordinary;
• moisture resistant.

Normal should be installed in rooms with acceptable humidity, such as a living room or children's room. The moisture-resistant variety is suitable for the arrangement and renovation of premises where the humidity indicator always has a high bar, for example, in the kitchen or in the bathroom.

Today there are many companies engaged in the production of tongue-and-groove plates. A thanks to consumer reviews, it was possible to compile a rating of the 5 best manufacturers of GWP material.

Belarusian manufacturer engaged in the production of two types of solid GWP panels. But despite the modest assortment, these products are of high quality. And after the acquisition of the plant by the Volma company, the recipe of the manufactured boards changed.

GWPs of this manufacturer are distinguished by excellent geometry, due to which the installation process proceeds without any difficulties. Due to the completely smooth surface of the front side of the boards, there is no need to cover them with plaster mixture or gesso. After installing the partition, you can immediately glue the wallpaper or lay the tiles.

PGP blocks produced by PGZ have significant advantages:

• raw materials for slabs are obtained from our own mines;
• a correctly chosen logistics policy greatly simplifies the method of delivering goods to the consumer, while setting minimum prices;
• thanks to its own production technology, GWP panels from the Peshelan gypsum plant are of high quality;
• and the most important thing is a wide range of products.

Large producer of GWP blocks in the Russian Federation. Volma offers its customers solid and hollow versions with a high level of strength and sound insulation. However, the manufacturer recommends using its products when arranging rooms with low humidity.

International company engaged in the production of building materials. An important advantage of the brand lies in the use of environmentally friendly components for the manufacture of products, for which the company has received recognition all over the world.

People who first encountered tongue-and-groove plates have no idea how they can be cut to fit the required dimensions. But everything is as easy as shelling pears. This material lends itself to cutting with a variety of tools.

• Hacksaw. To cut the GWP, you need a special hacksaw with a hard material blade. In this case, the teeth of the blade are self-sharpening during operation. However, this process requires a lot of professionalism from the master. Gypsum, in principle, is not easy to cut, and the work of an amateur will be expressed in a curved cut.

• Plane. Special tool designed for working with tongue-and-groove plates. You can buy it at any hardware store.

• Electric jigsaw. A quality wood processing device is an excellent option for separating GWP material into pieces.

• Bulgarian. This tool will be able to cope with the task of separating GWP panels. The key is to use the correct cutting wheel. But even when favorable working conditions are created, a huge amount of gypsum dust is generated during the cutting process.

First you need to calculate the number of plates required for the partition. Today it is very easy to do.On any building Internet portal, you can find an online calculator, indicate in the cells the size of the selected block, the length and height of the walls, as well as the area of ​​door and window openings. Then click "Calculate". The calculator will give a total of the total area in cubes and the required number of slabs of the specified sizes.

It is necessary to start raising the PGP-partitions after carrying out rough work on finishing the walls and ceiling, but before pouring the screed. It is important to take into account that the humidity in the room where the GWP-walls are being installed should be 55-60%, and the temperature should not be lower than 5 degrees. Before starting the installation of the slabs, you should prepare the base. The adjoining elements must be even, located strictly in a horizontal and vertical position. If there are flaws, concrete or a cement-sand mortar will help to fix them, which, after drying, will need to be primed.

Marking is made on the basis of the floor. The coordinates of the future door are also set there. Using a level, floor markings are transferred to the ceiling and walls. To increase the sound insulation parameter, an elastic cork gasket is glued to the adjacent partitions, and a backing is attached to the floor. It is important not to forget about purchasing special fasteners. They are fixed with self-tapping screws, anchors or dowels.

If the ceiling height is 2.8 m, it is sufficient to fix the partition at three points. In the horizontal direction, the distance between the fasteners should be 70-100 cm. Corner plates should be connected to each other with perforated tape. Next, the laying of blocks begins. The panels can be laid up or down in grooves. In the first case, the solution should be evenly laid at the point of contact of the elements, while the lower protruding ridge will have to be carefully cut off.

Then you can start editing. When building an interior partition with your own hands, it is very important to adhere to the installation technology, otherwise the work will have to be redone.

• To begin with, the glue solution is mixed.
• The adhesive mass is applied to the walls and floor according to the markings made.
• The first block is placed. A level is applied from above. When irregularities are detected with light knocks of a mallet, flat horizontality and verticality are adjusted.
• The protruding excess of the solution must be immediately removed.
• If necessary, the slab can be fixed to the enclosing structures.

After the first row has been laid, subsequent slabs can be installed. And here the technology for the construction of GWP blocks requires paying attention to some nuances. The connecting seams should not line up with the contact points of the top rows. To do this, you need to cut one block exactly in the middle. One part of it will be the beginning of a new row, and the second will be the end. Otherwise, the principle of operation is similar to the installation of the first row of blocks.

Particular attention should be paid to the formation of the doorway. If an opening of less than 90 cm is required, additional supporting structures can be omitted. But we must not allow a whole slab to hang over the doorway. For such situations, it is recommended to draw up a plan in advance and set the lines correctly. In the process of raising the wall, it is necessary to install a temporary lintel. It can be made of wood or profile. When the adhesive is completely dry, the lintels can be removed.

It remains to make the top row. It is inconvenient to lay the slabs close to the ceiling, which is why it is allowed to change the direction of the installed blocks from a horizontal position to a vertical one. The fastening system of the plates does not make it possible to put the blocks close to the ceiling - a small gap is required. 2-3 mm will be enough.If you plan to arrange a stretch ceiling, the gap can be filled with polyurethane foam.

Fastening to ceilings should be done with brackets or corners, otherwise the upper part of the structure will loosen. As it became clear, GWP panels are the best material for building new walls. With them, the construction of load-bearing partitions takes very little time.

For information on how to build an interior partition from tongue-and-groove slabs, see the next video.