I have a plaster ceiling that is cracked pretty bad. The owner wants to wallboard over it instead of taking it down and replacing with wallboard (cost and mess issues). Is it okay to cover? What size wallboard should be used (1/4, 3/8, or 1/2)? Does it matter? Is there another solution that would work better than wallboard? Thanks,

To start, I have redone my Garage and turned it into a play room for my kids. I have two problems though. The hot water heater and Heat pump. They are located in the left and right front corners (looking at it as if you were in a car parked straight in the garage). Currently I have temporary partitions up to hide them. Nothing more than panel board on hinges and screwed into the wall. Quite tacky for a finished room. I'd like to actualy build a closet around each one, something permanant that looks good. Problem is, a regular closet with regular door would make it a real hassle for either maintenance or replacement of either pump or heater, no? I'm looking for some ideas of how to put up what appears to be permamnat but isn't. Or is it really that bad to have only one sided access to either. If I do make actual walls and add an oversized door, how much space should I leave between the new enclosing wall and the pump/heater? I've got an odd idea of like two walls that are actually doors and can both be swung open. But not sure how that would work if it's even possible. Thanks in advance.