Resilient Bar Installation Guide
It is extremely important to install Resilient Bars correctly. Improper installation will nullify any advantage gained from using it in the first place.
There are a few simple procedures that need to be followed when using Resilient Bars. On walls, the Resilient Bars should be mounted at 600mm centres perpendicular to the framing with the narrow flange along the bottom. This allows the plasterboard's weight to draw itself away from the framing. For ceilings, the bars should be spaced at 400mm centres and fitted across either the joists or battens to which they are to be fixed and also around the perimeter. See diagram below.
Cut-away ceiling plan alongside (12.5 x 1200 x 2700mm plasterboard over 19mm plasterboard plank fixed to Resilient Bars)
Cutting of Resilient Bar can easily be carried out with either tinsnips or a hacksaw.
If fitted to the underside of an existing ceiling, 50mm battens should first be screwed to the ceiling at 600mm centres, right angled to the joists. Care must be taken to ensure the battens are fixed through to the joists and NOT just to the plasterboard. On walls, the bars should be similarly mounted at 600mm centres and at right angles to the framework with the narrow fixing flange at the bottom and the webbed flange topmost. This allows the plasterboard to flex away from the studwork.
Resilient Bar is made from hot-dipped galvanised steel incorporating a corrugated web to which plasterboard is screwed. The base flange has rectangular holes which enable the bar to be screwed directly to the substrate.
Resilient bar System on a wall before plasterboard layers.
Bar Installation:
The bars should be fixed to the underside of joists/battens/studwork using 25mm drywall screws at 400mm centres below ceiling joists and at 600mm centres on timber stud walls.
Plasterboard:
A double layer of 12.5mm (or thicker) plasterboard should be used and fitted to within 3mm of the surrounding walls/ceiling and all joints should be staggered. All joints should be secured to the resilient bar with the appropriate length screws at 230mm centres.
Fixing:
Secure the first or thickest layer of plasterboard to the resilient bar using the Appropriate length drywall screws or ideally our self drilling screws. Screw the second layer of plasterboard using the correct length screws and taking care to overlap the joints of the first layer. It is essential that the screws securing the plasterboard are fixed between the joists and do not come into contact with the joists or battens. It is best to mark the position of the joists and resilient bars by placing marks indicating their position on the walls.
Edge Sealant:
After fixing the two layers of plasterboard, our Acoustic Sealant should be applied to fill the gaps around the perimeter edges and tooled smooth before decorating.
Finishing:
All plasterboard joints should be finished with traditional jointing methods and plaster skimmed, if desired, before decorating.
When resilient bars are properly installed, it should be possible to slightly flex the wall or ceiling surface. A lack of flex indicates that the channels are shorted out by screws fastened into the wood framing. Also, it usually does not matter which side of the wall is resiliently hung when insulating walls only.