Drylining glossary
Plain-English explanations of the terms you will come across.
- Angle bead
- A galvanised or plastic profile fixed to external corners and reveals to give a straight, protected edge for jointing or plastering.
- Deflection head
- A deep head track detail that leaves a gap at the top of a partition so the structure above can move without crushing the wall, while keeping fire and sound performance.
- Dot-and-dab
- A method of fixing plasterboard directly to masonry using dabs of gypsum-based adhesive, with the board pushed back to a straight line. Also called direct bond or dab and dot.
- Metal stud
- A galvanised steel C-shaped section used as the vertical members of a lightweight partition, fitted into floor and ceiling track and boarded with plasterboard.
- MF ceiling
- A suspended ceiling system of steel primary channels and ceiling sections hung on hangers below the structure, boarded with plasterboard to give a level ceiling and a void for services.
- Noggin
- A short horizontal piece of timber or steel fixed between studs to stiffen a partition and give a solid fixing point for boards, radiators, shelves or cabinets.
- Overboarding
- Fixing new plasterboard directly over an existing ceiling or wall, screwing through into the joists or studs, rather than removing the old surface first.
- Pattress
- A board, often plywood or timber, fixed within or behind a stud wall to provide a strong fixing for heavy items such as basins, wall-hung toilets, TVs or kitchen units.
- Resilient bar
- A thin, flexible metal bar fixed across studs or joists before boarding, which partly separates the plasterboard from the structure to reduce sound transfer.
- Skim
- A thin coat of finishing plaster, usually 2 to 3 mm, applied over the whole surface of plasterboard or existing plaster to give a smooth, hard finish.
- Square-edge board
- Plasterboard with flat, full-thickness edges, mainly used where the whole surface will be skimmed with plaster rather than taped and jointed.
- Tape and joint
- Finishing plasterboard by bedding paper or mesh tape into the joints and feathering jointing compound over joints and screw heads, leaving the board face ready to prime and decorate. Also called dry jointing.
- Tapered-edge board
- Plasterboard with long edges that are slightly thinner than the rest of the board, forming a shallow recess at each joint to take tape and jointing compound so the finished joint sits flush.
- Track
- The U-shaped galvanised steel channel fixed to the floor and ceiling that holds the metal studs in place in a partition wall.
- Vapour control layer
- A membrane or foil, often built into insulated plasterboard, placed on the warm side of insulation to limit moist indoor air reaching cold surfaces and condensing inside the wall.
Last updated 6 November 2026