Plasterboard and suspended ceilings

Plasterboard linings

To line an existing wall, identify the area and the reason for the work: creating a new surface for finishing, accommodating services or incorporating an insulation solution specified for the location. The condition of the wall and junctions with doors, windows, skirting boards and ceilings should be considered. A lining should not be used to present problems with the concealed element as resolved.

Internal partitions

A new partition should be considered in relation to the use of the spaces on both sides. Its position, door openings, junctions with walls and ceilings, and planned equipment need to be defined. Details of furniture or other items to be fixed to it should be provided before the construction is finalised, alongside service and insulation requirements.

Suspended ceilings

For a suspended ceiling, the brief should clarify the area, intended layout and relationship with lighting, ventilation and other existing or new elements. Equipment positions and maintenance access should be coordinated before installation. The proposal should identify the intended finished ceiling height, edge details and areas that will remain unchanged.

Lighting points, sockets, pipes, ducts, grilles and equipment access should be considered alongside partitions and ceilings. The proposal should distinguish the plasterboard work from installation or alteration of these services and equipment, even when both form part of the same project.

Also identify items you intend to mount, such as cupboards, televisions or accessories. How these are to be supported needs to be defined for the intended arrangement; it should not be assumed simply because a new surface is being installed. Where access to a service needs to be retained, its location and form should be identified.

If a design already exists, send the relevant drawings and note any changes you want. Where decisions are outstanding, preparation should establish who will develop and confirm them before surfaces are closed up.

Describe your objectives for comfort, privacy or use in the enquiry. Where there are thermal, acoustic, moisture exposure or fire performance requirements, the proposal should identify the construction and technical documentation to be considered. The general term ‘plasterboard’ should not be presented as a guarantee of those results.

The finish also needs a clear definition. Establish whether joint and edge finishing, preparation for the next covering, and painting or another final finish are included. If another contractor will carry out that stage, the condition in which the surface will be handed over should be identified.

Junctions with existing elements, curved areas, ceiling recesses and other features should appear in the drawings or work description where they form part of the brief. A reference image helps explain the intention but does not replace dimensions and details that need to be confirmed.

Preparation should confirm the areas and existing conditions, bring together layout and equipment decisions, and identify the work needed before surfaces are closed up. The sequence should coordinate services, specified insulation and finishes without treating one trade’s work as automatically included in another’s.

The proposal should clarify protective measures, access to work areas and the relationship with occupied spaces. Changes to equipment positions or layout should be recorded, with their effects on scope and scheduling clarified before the associated work proceeds.

At handover, the review should use the agreed layout and finish as its reference. Planned access points, finishing work still to be completed and relevant information on the use of installed elements should be identified.

Explain whether you want wall linings, partitions, suspended ceilings or a combination. Send photographs and plans or a sketch with approximate dimensions, if available. Please also include:

• The use of the spaces and the areas involved.
• Positions of doors, lighting and other planned equipment.
• Services and elements that need to remain accessible.
• Furniture or accessories you intend to mount.
• Insulation needs and any existing technical documents.
• The intended finish, access and occupancy conditions.

For a repair to an existing area, identify its extent and the reason for the opening or damage. This helps distinguish a local repair from a new construction for the wall or ceiling.

• Plumbing and electrical installations

  For coordinating services, outlets and work associated with the new surfaces.

• Heating, cooling and ventilation installation

  For coordinating equipment, ducts, grilles and access with partitions and ceilings.

• Thermal and acoustic insulation

  For identifying the insulation scope to incorporate into the interior construction.

We welcome enquiries in Lisboa, Oeiras, Cascais, Sintra, Amadora, Odivelas and Loures. Availability and the feasibility of the work are assessed for each enquiry.