Can you Gyprock an existing brick wall?

[bhushan154]

Hello community,

I have recently bought a 100 year old terrace house and there are many walls with cracks on the render. I am getting it inspected by a structural engineer to make sure these are not structural. Assuming they are just cracks on old render, I am considering the option of stripping down the render to brick, and using Gyprock. I feel like the finish would be much better, and can add wall insulation too. 

Is this common and a good option to consider? Understand I will lose ~90mm on each wall with new studs installed etc. Or is it better to apply new render?

Assuming Gyprock is a good option, do I need separate trades for installing the studs or does a Gyprocker manage both installing the studs and Gyprock to existing walls?

[EricL]

Hello @bhushan154 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your existing brick wall. 

Because of the age of the house, I strongly recommend having the render checked for asbestos first before you begin any renovations. If it turns out to be negative, you can then begin to remove the old render.

Having the frame and insulation is definitely a plus, but it is more economical to just have the walls rendered again. If you feel that the house needs more insulation, then having the frame built and insulated is the way to go.  

If you were to engage the services of a professional builder, it is usually a package deal as the builder have their own team of plasterer, painter, plumber and sparky. 

When you speak to the builder you can ask them if they have their own team or contacts. This will save you from having to organize trades and scheduling as the builder will do it for you.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric