How to improve ceiling battens in old DIY extension?

[Charley3]

I am renovating a room that was built as an attachment on the back of my garage, probably as a DIY job in the '70s.

The plasterboard ceiling was attached to wooden battens, which were nailed to the bottom of the joists, and any gaps between the two were loosely packed with scrap masonite. 

Is there any benefit to replacing the current setup with metal furring channels? Or should I keep it as is? 

 

 

 

[EricL]

Hello @Charley3 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about ceiling battens.

I'm impressed that the D.I.Y ceiling battens have held on for this long. In the interest of health and safety, I suggest removing the old timber battens and installing modern furring channels for peace of mind. The furring channels and the clips used are designed to safely hold the furring channel along with the plasterboard that will be attached to it.  

Let me call on our experienced members @Nailbag, @Dave-1 and @AlanM52 for their recommendations. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @Charley3 

Woooo Nice! I really like the story and the age of the old timber battens.

The masonite packers are fixed solidly in place? If they are firmly attached to the joists and battens I would re-use them They have stood the test of time and as long as your removal of the old plaster was due to water damage or accident I would leave them as is.

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @Charley3 

Unless there is an unreasonable amount of unlevelness from the existing old battens, then I don’t see the need to replace them. Other than that they appear to be in excellent condition. 

Nailbag

[AlanM52]

Hi @Charley3,

Looks good... reminds me of our horse stables.

Cheers

[Charley3]

Hi @Dave-1 

The masonite packers are loosely wedged; there's a nail running through the batten and the middle of the masonite packers, but the Packers are loose enough that I can spin them around the nail. 

Given this, do you still recommend keeping the wood battens?

 

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @Charley3 

Yep Put two long screws through the timber batons, through the masonite and into the beams. I would predrill a pilot hole through if you can find a long enough one. The only reason I say leave the masonite packers there is they are a compresed wood composite so wont compress, you could replace them with a same sized timber but in reality I think you would be making more work for yourself.

Dave

[Nailbag]

They aren’t going anywhere @Charley3

The fact they are loose contributes to shrinkage of the timbers, but also means they aren’t actually doing anything. Again if the battens are level, that the important part. So, you could pack around the nails suitable (thin) extra packers just to tighten the gap in case of expansion in heat or other movement. 

Nailbag

[Charley3]

The battens are level, so I will keep them and save myself the work of replacing them. 

Thanks  @Nailbag and @Dave-1, I appreciate your advice. This is my first ever project and you've helped me understand what I'm dealing with, and options going forward.