Placeholder Content Image

Fix a Sagging Plasterboard Ceiling

<p>Tools: Chalk line; stringlines; hammer; electric drill and 5mm twist bit; screwdriver; tape measure; spirit level; straightedge; steps; panel lift (hired); plastering equipment; safety protection.</p><p>Materials: 68 x 18mm pine battens; plasterboard sheets; wedges and packers; 30, 75 and 100mm plasterboard screws; plasterboard adhesive, base coat and topping coat.</p><p><strong>Step 1</strong></p><p>Remove any cornices if they are fitted (see panel, page 230). Find the lowest spot on the ceiling using a level and a 2400mm straightedge. Transfer the location of this low spot to the closest wall by holding the straightedge level against the ceiling and marking the position of its top edge on the wall. You may need to ask somebody to help you hold the straightedge.</p><p><strong>Step 2</strong></p><p>Measure down 24mm from the mark to allow clearance below the lowest point for 18mm-thick battens plus a 6mm leeway. Use the long straightedge and a spirit level to extend this line around the room, making short tick marks on the end of the straightedge rather than a solid line.<br />If the lines don’t match when you reach your starting point, level again as necessary until they do. Then snap chalk lines between the corners to create a solid level line around the room.</p><p><strong>Step 3</strong></p><p>Locate both ends of each ceiling joist. Joists usually run parallel to one another, and are about 45mm wide. They are typically 450 or 600mm apart. Probe with a hammer and nail, locate and mark the centre of each joist at opposite ends of the room. Snap chalk lines between these marks to indicate joist locations. The thin strips of timber seen through the hole here are laths, which were used to support a solid plaster ceiling like this one.</p><p><strong>Step 4</strong></p><p>Lay out the ceiling for the 68 x 18mm battens. First make a mark 434mm from the wall, to fix the location of the far edge of the second strip. This allows the plasterboard to be fixed along or across the battens. Extend your tape from this point and mark every 400mm to locate the edges of the remaining strips. Repeat this process on the opposite wall and snap chalk lines between the marks.</p><p><strong>Step 5</strong></p><p>Cut the strips to fit between the walls and temporarily fix them in the centre with a partially driven plasterboard screw.</p><p><strong>Step 6</strong></p><p>Pack the ends of the battens down so the bottom edge of each is aligned with the level line. Fix them with plasterboard screws long enough to penetrate the ceiling and at least 25mm of the framing. Angle the screws towards the wall if necessary so that they penetrate into solid timber.</p><p><strong>Step 7</strong></p><div> </div><p>Use spacer blocks and a stringline to straighten the battens. Make sure nothing is touching the string between the two ends, and that it is pulled very tight.</p><p><strong>Step 8</strong></p><p>Pack each strip so that a scrap of 68 x 18mm timber just fits between the taut stringline and the batten. Double-check the distance between the stringline and the batten after you tighten the screws. The screws will often draw loose plasterboard up tighter onto the joists, requiring you to add more packing.</p><p><strong>Step 9</strong></p><p>Screw the battens to each ceiling joist after packing it down. Use screws long enough to penetrate the joist for at least 25mm. Double-check the spacing with the scrap of 68 x 18mm timber. Adjust if necessary and retighten the screw. Repeat these steps for each batten in turn.</p><p><strong>Step 10</strong></p><p>If there are light fixtures on the ceiling, have them removed temporarily by a licensed electrician, and ask him to poke the wire back up into the ceiling. Note the position of fittings so you can make a neat hole in the new plasterboard for the wires to be pulled through when the electrical fittings are replaced after you have finished.</p><h4>Safety tip</h4><p>Wear safety glasses and, if necessary, a good-quality P2 dustmask when cutting or drilling the ceiling.</p><h4>Tackling cornices</h4><p>If your ceiling has cornices you will have to remove them before you start. To do this, work a putty knife between the wall and the cornice to break the bond, then repeat the process along the cornice-to-ceiling joint. Some older fibrous plaster cornices will also have nails that should be removed – you can often spot these from the bulge where the framing timber has settled, exposing the nail head.</p><p>Bear in mind that ceiling repair can be an extremely dusty job, and the older the house, the more dust there will be. If your house is near a busy road, or under an aircraft flight path, this dust is likely to have a high lead content, so effective safety precautions are essential:</p><ul><li>Wear disposable overalls, and discard them when finished.</li><li>Use a cartridge-type respirator.</li><li>Protect your eyes with goggles.</li><li>Seal the room.</li><li>Clean up thoroughly, using a vacuum cleaner with an HEPA filter. Dispose of the bag when finished.</li></ul>

Art

Placeholder Content Image

Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Margot Robbie and Toni Collette in Oscars contention after SAG awards nod

<p>The Hollywood award season continues on and this year will once again acknowledge Australia’s A-listers, with Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Russell Crowe and Toni Collette nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards.</p> <p>The SAG Awards are one part of ceremonies that occur before the Oscars, and nominations provide a significant boost to actors' campaigns.</p> <p>Voters snubbed Kidman in the lead actress in a TV drama series category for her TV show<span> </span><em>Big Little Lies.</em></p> <p>It came as one of the biggest surprises on Wednesday during the SAG nomination ceremony.</p> <p>However, she received a supporting actress nod for her role in<span> </span><em>Bombshell</em>,<span> </span>a movie that centered on sexual harassment at US news channel<span> </span><em>Fox News.</em></p> <p>Kidman will go head to head with her <em>Bombshell</em> co-star Margot Robbie in the SAG category.</p> <p>The Australian actress is in the running for SAG’s top award along with Robbie and the rest of the<span> </span><em>Bombshell</em> cast, including Malcolm McDowell.</p> <p>McDowell played Rupert Murdoch in the film.</p> <p>Kidman also received a nomination with her <em>Big Little Lies</em> cast in the TV drama series ensemble category.</p> <p>New Zealand-born actor, Russell Crowe, has received a nod in the outstanding actor in a TV movie/limited series category for <em>The Loudest Voice</em>, which follows closely behind his Golden Globe nomination.</p> <p>The actor, who recently opened up about the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/heartbroken-russell-crowe-shows-bushfire-damage-to-multimillion-dollar-property" target="_blank">damage done to his multimillion-dollar property due to the NSW and QLD bushfires</a>, plays <em>Fox News</em> boss Roger Ailes.</p> <p>Toni Collette received a nomination in the outstanding actress TV movie/limited series category for her role in<span> </span><em>Unbelievable</em>.</p> <p>Unfortunately, Kidman was snubbed for a supporting actor nod for<span> </span><em>Bombshell </em>at the Golden Globe nominations but did receive a nod for<span> </span><em>Big Little Lies.</em></p> <p>Robbie, Crowe and Collette all received the same Globe nominations  as they did with SAG in the same categories.</p> <p>The SAG Award winners will be announced on January 19 in Los Angeles.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see the Australian A-listers. </p>

Movies

Placeholder Content Image

Why you should never wear a bra to bed

<p>For years, women have pondered the dilemma – to wear a bra to bed or not to wear a bra to bed? While for some it may be an issue of comfort, for those looking to keep their breasts from sagging, it may seem like a no-brainer. However, according to one doctor, not only does wearing a bra to bed fail to prevent gravity doing its job, it can actually be harmful to your health.</p> <p>“Breast sagging is an inevitable fact of life for women as they age,” Dr Seth Rankin from London Doctors Clinic explained to <a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/body/health/news/a49678/what-happens-body-sleep-with-bra-on/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cosmopolitan</span></strong></a>. “When you're lying down flat, the effect of gravity pushes the breast tissue back towards your chest, instead of down towards your toes. So wearing a bra (the purpose of which is ultimately to support breasts from below) is essentially redundant in bed, as breasts naturally compress back down onto the chest.”</p> <p>Additionally, wearing a bra to bed can block the lymph glands, which are essential in filtering out waste products from the breasts and sending hormones like oestrogen down to the liver or kidneys to be broken down.</p> <p>“If your bra is too tight, you may be restricting your blood supply to the breasts and surrounding areas,” Dr Rankin said. “The same goes for the lymphatic system: a tight bra may restrict the flow of lymph to the many important lymph nodes around the breast and armpit, hindering the system's vital function of flushing toxic waste-products from the body.”</p> <p>Professor Mokbel confirmed the theory to the <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/wear-bra-to-bed-sleep-perky-breasts-lymph-glands-a7584346.html" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Daily Mail</span></strong></a>, highlighting some of the potential health issues which can be caused as a result of wearing ill-fitting bras to bed. “Wearing a constrictive bra to sleep affects the physiology of the breast,” he said. “It can impair the blood flow and lymphatic drainage, which, at worst, can lead to chronic inflammation, oedema (fluid retention) and discomfort.”</p> <p>So, you might want to rethink wearing your bra the next time you grab some shut-eye. If you can’t sleep without one, try swapping it for a less-constrictive crop top.</p>

Beauty & Style

Placeholder Content Image

5 home remedies for sagging skin

<p>It can be a hard truth to swallow, but sagging skin is inevitable for all of us. Here are some of the things that cause our skin to give in to gravity.</p> <ul> <li>Ageing</li> <li>Sun exposure</li> <li>Excessive smoking</li> <li>Drinking alcohol</li> <li>Obesity</li> <li>Weight loss</li> <li>Poor diet</li> <li>Dehydration</li> <li>Harsh chemicals</li> <li>Certain skin care products</li> <li>Pregnancy</li> </ul> <p>In other words, life! Sagging skin is the sign of a life well experienced. However, if the look of it is bothering you and you want some natural solutions, here’s a handy infographic from <a href="http://www.top10homeremedies.com/home-remedies/home-remedies-sagging-skin.html" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">top10remedies</span></strong></a> that gives you five different options for naturally treating saggy skin at home.</p> <p><img width="500" height="600" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/18893/home-remedies-for-sagging-skin.jpg" alt="Home Remedies For Sagging Skin"/></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/03/6-beauty-uses-for-cucumber/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">6 ways to use cucumber in your beauty routine</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/03/foods-as-beauty-products-for-face/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">7 foods to use as beauty products for the face</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/03/natural-remedies-to-cure-dandruff/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">12 natural remedies for dandruff</span></em></strong></a></p>

Beauty & Style

Our Partners