The drywall is an essential element in modern construction. After the United States Gypsum Company introduced the sheetrock (another name for drywall) in 1910, it has become the go-to panel for constructing interior ceilings and walls of homes, factories, and other types of buildings. The last mudding drywall task is to apply a third coat to cover any remaining imperfections on the drywall. Lightweight all-purpose mud or topping mud is suitable for the final coat.
Before the drywall became widely available in the market, building owners have been settling with hiring plenty of construction workers to do lath and plaster, a building process that uses strips of wood or laths and connects them horizontally by using nails with the help of wall studs and joists in ceilings. This process takes plenty of effort and time to finish, and that’s the reason why drywall is heavily favored nowadays because the process of applying it is easier and faster while also needing fewer workforces to construct a whole wall using sheetrock. Click the link to contact a professional service provider of Drywall repair Kansas City MO.
The reason why drywall received acclaim from homeowners and builders is that it is made of thick backer/facer paper sheets and calcium sulfate dehydrate or gypsum, a mineral that has been used for sculptures since ancient times by the Egyptians and Romans. Because of gypsum’s rigidity and longevity, which is evident by how well ancient sculptures have held up over the years, the mineral is now being used not only for making drywall, but also for making gypsum blocks and gypsum mortar that are both essential items for construction. Aside from its quality, it is also easy to find a company that provides professional drywall repair service just in case you need one.
Types of Drywall
Currently, many types of drywall have heavy fire-resistance and waterproof qualities to make them last longer. Here are some of the most notable drywall types in the market.
Regular Drywall
The most common type of drywall and arguably the cheapest, the regular drywall is typically colored white and is usually found in houses
Regular drywall has water and fire resistance, but it doesn’t specialize in any of those qualities, unlike the other types in the list.
It is also essential to note that are four popular sizes of drywall available in the market, and these sizes are the 1/4 inch, the 3/8 inch, the 1/2 inch, and the 5/8 inch. These drywall sizes are measured by length and thickness. Regular drywall is usually bought in 3/8 inch size, while particular types of drywall which has soundproofing, water-resisting, or fire-resisting qualities are typically recommended to be 5/8 inch in size.
Green Board Drywall
Also called moisture-resistant drywall, this type of drywall is a bit more water-resistant than the regular one, but it is not entirely waterproof since it is still made of thick sheets of paper.
For rooms with water pipes like kitchens or bathrooms, the green board drywall is perfect for resisting the moisture from the pipes and the humidity in those rooms.
Blue Board Drywall
Blue board drywall has the same functions as the green board drywall since it can also resist moisture, but this type of drywall is coated with veneer plaster.
This kind of drywall is typically used in renovations since the veneer plaster coat makes the drywall sturdier. Also, since the drywall has a veneer coating, it is not made to be painted on.
Blue board drywall also has soundproof qualities that can help lessen the noise coming from faucets and showers in bathrooms or kitchens.
Purple Board Drywall
If you have a big budget for buying drywall, the purple board is the perfect drywall to buy since it is superior to the regular drywall.
Purple board drywall is not only moisture-resistant, but it is also mold-resistant. Mold or mildew is normally prevalent in rooms with high humidity like bathrooms, so purple board drywall is often applied to those rooms to reduce the risks of having molds in walls, which can cause illnesses in our body’s respiratory system.
On the other hand, purple board drywall is also used in bedrooms or living rooms if the location of the house itself is high in humidity.
Fire-resistant Drywall (Type X)
Fire-resistant drywall, often called Type X, has special glass fibers mixed in the drywall’s compound, making it have non-combustible properties.
Because of its fire-resistant qualities, many building codes around the world require the use of the Type X drywall in housing units, commercial buildings, and apartments.
Research suggests that Type X drywall can withstand fire for up to one hour, which is enough time for people to avoid the fire and escape the building by passing through the walls made up of fire-resistant drywall.
Type C Drywall
Type C drywall is a much longer-lasting fire-resistance drywall than the Type X because it can hold out against fire for up to four hours.
The Type C drywall is made with more glass fibers than the Type X drywall, and it also contains vermiculite, a mineral that allows the compound of the drywall to remain stable even in high temperatures.
Along with its heavy fire-resistance, it can also withstand the amount of water coming out of sprinklers and fire hoses used to extinguish the fire.
Soundproof Drywall
Soundproof drywall is perfect for building home theaters or studios since it contains more layers of gypsum and wood fibers to contain the sound coming out of speakers or amplifiers within the room.
Because of having more layers than regular drywall, the soundproof drywall is much heavier and stiffer, which makes it harder to cut.
Environment-friendly Drywall
For those people who regularly use eco-friendly products, the environmentally friendly drywall is recommended to be used to build their homes since it is made from multiple recycled byproducts.
These recycled byproducts are mixed with water and special fillers to create a compound for the drywall. While eco-friendly drywall is made from recyclable materials, it still has water-resisting properties similar to regular drywall.
Learning more about the different types of drywall is beneficial for people who are planning to build their home in the future. You can mix-and-match different drywall types to suit your preferences, or you can use one type that you think is the best out of all kinds of drywall. Being more knowledgeable in the materials that are going to be applied to your house is advantageous since you will know how to treat, clean, and maintain each material carefully.