Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 12, 1999 07:46pm | #8

   *
   Has anyone evaluated the cost difference between doing lathe and regular plater vs. blueboard and hardcoat. I was thinking about the differnce now that the cost for 4x8 board is $7.50 per sheet plus the installation labor. Would the cost for metal lathe and a full plaster job be cost effective?

   Looking for other opinions and comments....

   - John

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 09, 1999 09:21am | #1

   *The lath would be way more expensive! The blueboard is only up a buck or two a sheet -- pennies per sf. In materials alone, the lath job would cost more.

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 11, 1999 06:00pm | #2

   *Andrew,Thanks for the reply - I too think that the board with hardcoat would be cheeper - but I am not sure and was just thinking.....- John

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 11, 1999 07:20pm | #3

   *Do you have labor sf quotes for either? I'd like to hear what this works goes for. Incidentally, USG says their blueboard system can be used as a one- or two-coat system, the latter being tougher thanks to the scratch coat but also harder to trowel smooth. Be sure which you're pricing.

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 11, 1999 08:44pm | #4

   *John. As andrew suggests, get quotes from each trade. As an alternative to both you might consider FiberBond manufactured by Louisiana-Pacific. Fiberbond is layered with a central core of perlite between two layers of fiber-reinforced gypsum. One of fiberboard's advantages is no taping is necessary. tjhe finished FiberBond wall is much harder and more like a plastered wall. It is free of the settlement cracks typical of a plastered wall. I hjave a section on this product in my book,_Complete_Building_Construction, 4th edition published by Macmillan. GeneL.

2. 
   Damon_D. | Oct 12, 1999 12:35am | #5

   *John, I recently used blue board and a two coat process on a home in south Texas.Cost of the board at the time was $5.50. The labor was the kicker.The plaster we used was a white scratch coat with a pigmented top coat at a labor cost of $ 4.00 sq. foot and material cost of $1.25. Turned out beautiful, customers loved it.My labor cost were for a crew I brought out of Austin. I dont know what area your in or what the cost comparison woul be in you area.

3. 
   Guest_ | Oct 12, 1999 01:10am | #6

   *Ouch! For me, at those prices, it would be DIY or Do-It-Never! But it is a heck of a lot of labor, and requires skill.As Damon points out, the white coat can be tinted, or even left natural white. Blueboard allows painting the next day; true plaster require 60 days or more to cure.

4. 
   Guest_ | Oct 12, 1999 07:04pm | #7

   *Gene - I believe that USG bought the rights to this product from LP. It's a great product to use in schools - very abrasion resitant. It may also have improved acoustical isolation performance - haven't seen lab tests but seems promising. The schools I'm familiar with use the 5/8" fibre bond on both sides and fill teh cavity with k35 - basically a cellulose. They report very good acosutical separation.Still doesn't quite have the appearance of wet plaster or veneer systems though....

5. 
   Guest_ | Oct 12, 1999 07:46pm | #9

   *Bill. Good hearing from you. Did you see my post on a new gyupsum board? GeneL.