Installation Instructions:

Transport and Storage: The blocks must be stacked to protect them from water and moisture during transportation and storage. Building work is preferably done once the structure is weather tight.

Preparation: After the base floor has been cleaned and set out the required number of profiles should be positioned between floor and soffit. The walls will abut these profiles.

Preparation of the adhesive: The gypsum Promontine powder is mixed with clean water until homogenous slurry is obtained after about 3 minutes. The consistency of the slurry must be such that the adhesive is extruded at the joints of the blocks during assembly and the joint thickness is minimal. Adhesive that has become too thick cannot be used.

Construction of the Promonta walls:

Where there is a risk of rising damp it is advisable to provide a polythene sheet for beneath the wall.

The first course - If the base floor surface is too rough, the area under the first course can be leveled using mortar, gypsum or a gypsum adhesive mixture. The first course must be laid absolutely level to prevent subsequent vertical joints from opening. The blocks must be laid with the tongued edge at the top and the vertical faces fitted together after they have received the adhesive. The blocks must be pushed firmly together so that the excess adhesive is forced out of the joints. The last block must be sawn to size so that it acts as a keystone. Prior to laying the second course, the first course must be checked with a spirit level to ensure it is true and, if required, corrected.

The second course & subsequent courses - The first block must be laid to allow for proper bonding. Sawn surfaces must be free from dust. The blocks must be laid in a tongued and grooved fashion so that the excess adhesive is extruded from the joints on both sides of the wall. The special tongue and groove shape of the Promonta blocks allows the excess adhesive to be forced through the opening. After placing the second and subsequent courses the wall will be checked for flatness.

The top course - The blocks must be sawn to size so that the joint at the soffit is ca. 15 to 20mm. The sawn edges should be free of dust.

To reduce wastage it is possible to place the blocks in the top course vertically and to utilise sawn off-cuts in the wall. Once the wall has been checked for plumb and flatness, it will be provisionally fixed at the ceiling. The excess extruded adhesive is used to fill joints and any imperfections are trowled smooth.

Where gypsum blocks have to be built between columns in concrete or brickwork, the walls must be built ± 15mm outwards in order to make the plastering of the columns on the same surface possible.

Any walls to be built in other than the traditional manner for gypsum blocks, such as freestanding walls, long walls, walls without lateral support, expansion joints, abnormal heights etc. should be properly studied beforehand. Intersecting walls such as cross-walls, corners, T-junctions etc. must be bonded every two courses with a minimum of two per storey height.

Door Frames:

Normal timber frames: The blocks of the first floor courses must be laid either exactly to the size of the opening or a few centimetres further.

If the door openings do not continue completely to the soffit, the fifth course must be placed in such a way that the relevant blocks are supported at each end and they must have temporary supports during further building.

Once the adhesive has hardened the doors openings are sawn to size. Small lintel heights must be properly catered for. Openings wider than 1,000mm must be strengthened.

Door assembly sets: Special attention is needed to saw the openings to size. It is strongly recommended that the lines of the openings are stopped to be carried out after the correct levels have been established - possible tolerances should be determined beforehand. More...

Metal Doorframes: These are usually installed first. Once they have been placed at right angles, checked for plumb and are level and properly supported, they are anchored into the block wall. If they are placed afterwards they can still be anchored by filling up the frame with mortar. Attention should also be given to supporting the opening. More...

Building in pipes etc. to the walls:

Chasing and forming openings in the block walls must be carried out using the correct type of tools, such as chasing machines, drills etc. Crowbars and other tools that are likely to cause vibration must not be used. In no way should chasing and drilling affect the structural integrity of the wall. The chases and holes must be filled to within ca. 2mm of the wall surface with plaster or adhesive mortar.

Junctions at the soffit: When the structure is rigid, the top joint should be filled with plaster - the joint should be free from dust.

Finishing of surfaces: Metal arris strips should be used in order to protect the corners. The corners can be slightly hacked away to form a sound base for applying the strips using plaster or adhesive. After it has hardened, the corner can be finished properly to give a good surface.

Building and Finishing:

• promonta gypsum blocks should be used as far as possible after the building is clad and watertight.
• the gypsum blocks are connected together in stretcher bond into a continuous whole, using a gypsum based adhesive (Promontine)
• once the wall is set out on the floor all rough areas should be leveled before construction begins.
• the blocks are built so that the 50cm sides are vertical, with the tongue facing upwards. As the blocks are fitted together, the gypsum adhesive is forced out of the upwards. As the blocks are fitted together, the gypsum adhesive is forced out of the joints. It can be wiped away and the joints smoothed off later.
• the top joint against the ceiling is filled with a mix of plaster and gypsum adhesive or a flexible joint filler such as Elasto WP12 or PU foam.
• after the openings for electricity etc. have been drilled they must be sealed with plaster to a depth of ±2mm.
• walls are finished with gypsum adhesive or alternatively a finishing adhesive such as Superpromontine.
• by carrying out the above, a smooth finish is obtained ready for painting or papering.
• prominent corners should be finished with a fitted corner profile.

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