Drywall is a flexible building material commonly used for constructing or covering walls and ceilings. It comes in various forms, such as mold-resistant, plasterboard, and VOC-absorbing types.
From plaster to plywood, there are a number of different materials we can use for our walls and ceilings. However, one of the most commonly used is drywall â and for good reason. In this guide, discover 10 types of drywall you can use in your home improvement project together with the history of drywall, what itâs made of, benefits.
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What is drywall?
Drywall is a versatile building material made from gypsum, used to cover walls and ceilings. It's eco-friendly, offering fire resistance and soundproofing. Also called gypsum board or sheetrock, drywall is screwed onto framing, with gaps and screws concealed using joint compound. Once sanded, the surface can be textured or painted for the desired finish.
Drywall thicknesses
Drywall is available in various thicknesses, each suited for specific applications:
- Âź inch: The thinnest, ideal for curved walls due to its flexibility when wet.
- ½ inch: The most common thickness, used in most residential and commercial walls, offering 30 minutes of fire protection.
- â inch: Thicker drywall used for enhanced fire resistance (up to 60 minutes) and soundproofing, often installed in layers for added protection.
Multiple layers of drywall can be installed to further increase fire resistance and soundproofing.
What is Drywall Made of?
The term, drywall, refers to the dry form of plaster being applied on sheets rather than the wet form. Drywall is mainly made of gypsum and can be seen in modern buildings. It comes in large panels that consist of gypsum cores placed between two heavy sheets of paper. These sheets are often made from recycled paper, with one side being smooth while the other side is more like a paper-backing. Raw gypsum is a mined material thatâs mixed with many additives, including paper pulp, starch, and a thickening agent. It is then blended with water to form a thick paste. This thick paste is spread onto the paper in thick layers.
An additional sheet of paper is then laid on top before the entire board is placed in an oven to heat at temperatures of up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the oven heat has dried the material, it is prepared for cutting. The most typical sheet sizes vary from 4Ă8 feet to 4Ă12. These are the most popular as they allow quicker installation on taller walls.
Interestingly, drywall boards contain a large amount of water in gypsum. This water is in crystal form, hence the reason why the gypsum molecules are dry. These water molecules play an important role in providing the drywall its fire-resistance qualities. As the board gets hot, the water crystals start destabilizing and vaporizing until the water reaches its boiling point. The evaporating water crystals prevent the drywall from heating up, thus protecting the structure itâs built on.
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Why Choose Drywall?
Aside from being inexpensive, easy to work with, and flexible, drywall has many more advantages over plaster. It is readily available and can be painted to match a wide range of interior finishes. The sheets are easily cut with a sharp knife and sanded before getting painted. Whatâs more, drywall is noncombustible.
Eager to know more about the reasons to choose drywall? Here are some of the top advantages of this material:
- Affordable: drywall is affordable for all budgets. Its cost-effective benefit is what makes this material such a popular choice for homeowners. After all, itâs more affordable than plywood and plaster.
- Aesthetically appealing and elegant: the simple elegance and beauty of drywall make it an ideal choice for both offices and homes. The boards can be painted multiple times whenever you want to change the look of your rooms. If properly installed, drywall can be one of the most attractively looking materials, so if youâre not a DIY fan, be sure to hire an expert contractor for the installation task.
- Insulating properties: there arenât many materials out there that are both affordable and have insulation properties. Drywall helps retain its temperature no matter whether itâs warm or cold. The improved insulation not only makes your rooms more comfortable, but it will also lower your energy bills throughout the year. You wonât need to use as much heating or cooling to keep your indoor temperatures consistent.
- Fire-resistant: since drywall slows the spreading of fires, it makes an ideal material for offices and homes. This safety feature is thanks to the crystallized water within the gypsum, which can potentially save your home from fire damage â or even save your familyâs lives!
- Easy to install and repair: drywall is super easy to install for both DIYers and professionals. This is perhaps one of the biggest reasons for its popularity. Unlike plaster, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming to install, the installation of drywall is fast and easy. Whatâs more, the panels can be installed in large sections to save time and money. If repairs are required, you wonât have to replace an entire section. An expert contractor will easily fix the dents or repair the cracks without having to take down the entire panel.
- Eco friendly: modern versions of drywall panels consist of compressed fiber from waste materials like newspaper or agriculture, thus making them eco-friendly. There are also drywall panels that are composed of recycled industrial waste products, such as fly ash, kiln, and slag. These byproducts are mixed with water and filler to bind them into a thick, pourable paste. The biggest benefit of these eco-friendly materials is their resistance to termites and mold, which is why many homeowners opt for drywall instead of wooden panels.
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What are the different grades of drywall?
Drywall finish levels are graded from 0 to 5, indicating the extent of finishing required:
- Level 0: No finishing. The drywall is hung, but no taping, finishing, or accessories are applied.
- Level 1: Basic taping. Joint tape is applied but not covered with a compound, and fasteners are left bare. Suitable for areas not visible to the public, like attics and service corridors.
- Level 2: Joint tape embedded, one coat of joint compound on tape and fasteners. Ideal for garages, warehouses, and other areas where appearance is not critical.
- Level 3: One additional coat of joint compound on tape and two coats on fasteners. Used for surfaces that will receive a heavy texture or commercial-grade finish.
- Level 4: Two additional coats of joint compound on tape and three coats on fasteners. Suitable for residential and commercial projects where light texture or flat paint will be used.
- Level 5: The highest quality finish, with a skim coat of joint compound over the entire surface. Ideal for surfaces that will receive a glossy paint or where lighting conditions highlight imperfections.
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How many types of drywall are there? 10 Types of Drywall
1. Regular or White Board Drywall
The regular or white board drywall is the most common type used in both residential and commercial buildings. In a regular drywall, the mineral, gypsum, is placed between two layers of paper sheets. The paper on the back of the panel is usually brown while the other one is grey in color. A regular drywall board can be used throughout a house and is available in a variety of dimensions. The most common size is a 4Ă8 foot sheet.
2. Green Board Drywall
Another commonly found type of drywall sheet is a green board. This is a more mold-resistant type used in rooms where moisture can be an issue â for example in the kitchen, bathroom, attic, and basement. To maximize mold resistance, I recommend using drywall mud on the green board. This type of drywall generally costs 20% more than white or regular drywall, but it is well worth considering in moisture-prone rooms.
3. Blue Board Drywall
Another highly moisture-resistant drywall thatâs used for veneer plastering is the blue board. This drywall board has high mold and water resistance and is often used in basements and bathrooms. In addition to its unique water absorption qualities, blue board helps reduce noise, thus making it an ideal choice for converted basements and other habitable spaces in the home.
4. Purple Board Drywall
Purple boards resist mold, mildew, and moisture. They are also scratch and dent resistant, thus making them a good choice for high-traffic areas. These drywall panels are around 30% more expensive than white boards, offering superior moisture and mold resistant qualities that regular boards lack in.
Purple boards can be used with all ceiling and wall applications wherever enhanced mold and moisture resistance is needed. Being only 5/16 inches thick, these boards are super easy to install and repair.
5. Type X Drywall
While all types of drywall are fire-resistant, there is a special type that has higher ratings than others. The type X drywall consists of several thickness layers to achieve a higher fire rating.
The type X drywall is more difficult to cut and work with when compared to regular boards. The sheets are enclosed in the ivory-colored paper that comes with a strong liner back. They are usually used in apartments and garages and made from special non-combustible fibers. The thickness of these boards is 5/8 inches with excellent soundproofing characteristics.
To make a type X board, the 5/8 inch thick gypsum panel must achieve a minimum of 1-hour fire-resistance rating or 3 hours of fire-resistance rating for a half-inch board in a single layer.
6. Type C Drywall
The type C drywall is also the same thickness as the type X. The difference between the two is that more glass fibers are used in type C. In addition, the gypsum core of type C has anti-shrinkage properties, which makes it an improved version of type X.
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7. Soundproof Drywall Board
Soundproof drywall is exactly the same thickness as a white board, but it is layered rather than flat. There is a quarter-inch layer of gypsum in between the front and back paper followed by a membrane and a further layer of gypsum of the same size. These layers reduce noise transmission from one room to another.
To install soundproof drywall boards, no special equipment or tools are required. These panels are highly recommended for home theaters, but they do cost significantly higher than regular drywall (up to 400% more!).
8. Paperless Drywall
Paperless drywall consists of sandwiched gypsum between fiberglass instead of paper. This type of drywall is highly resistant to moisture, mildew, and mold and is mostly used in bathrooms.
9. Cement Board
Another popular drywall type thatâs highly resistant to water and mold is the subsurface cement board. This type of drywall is usually used in shower and bath areas. It is seen as a stable base for installing tiles on. The cement board is reinforced with fibers that make it very rigid. Aside from cement, veneer stone can also be used to manufacture these boards.
10. VOC-Absorbing Drywall
This innovative product, VOC-absorbing drywall, is designed to capture and neutralize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. It effectively traps these chemicals, which are commonly emitted by building materials and everyday cleaning products, rendering them inert. Remarkably, this drywall remains effective for up to 75 years, even when painted or covered with a light wallcovering.
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What is the best type of drywall to use?
Moisture-and-mold resistant drywall is ideal for interior walls in kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. These drywall boards have moisture-resistant cores to prevent water and moisture intrusion.
What is sheetrock vs drywall?
Drywall is a construction material used to cover the framing of interior walls and ceilings. Sheetrock is a specific brand of drywall that is known for its higher quality, which often makes it more expensive than other types of drywall.
FAQs
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Why is it called drywall?
Drywall gets its name because it is installed without the use of water, unlike plaster, which requires waiting for each layer to dry before applying the next.
What is the difference between drywall and Sheetrock?
Drywall is a generic term for a construction material made of gypsum. Sheetrock is a popular brand of drywall manufactured by U.S. Gypsum Corporation, also composed of gypsum.
Can you paint over drywall?
Yes, you can paint over drywall. However, you should not paint directly onto new, unpainted drywall. It needs to be primed first because unprimed drywall will absorb too much paint.
Conclusion
Drywall is likely to suit any type of home improvement project you have. Over the years, it has evolved into better quality materials that meet the specific needs of different types of rooms. By understanding the benefits of drywall and the different types available, you can pick the best one for your project.
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