How To Compare Types of Drywall

If you are looking to buy a home or build it, we often look at foundations, electrical or even paint jobs. What we do not notice too much are the walls and what they are made of. Drywall is the most commonly used material in today’s homes. It is known by many names including wallboard, gypsum board, sheetrock and plasterboard.

The way that drywall is made is by using a core of gypsum wrapped in two sheets of paper. However there are variations to drywall, which will be discussed in this article. With our help, you can compare types of drywall. After you compare types of drywall, you can get the type of drywall that works best for you and your home.

1. Moisture Resistant: This type of drywall is best used for areas that will constantly be in contact with moisture, such as bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. Although the paper is not totally waterproof, it is treated with additives that hold up better when in contact with water. It is also known as green wall because of the green color of the wall. Like most drywall products, it still has to be painted and finished.
2. Fire Resistant: Since paper is a very flammable material, there should be drywall specifically used in fire-prone areas like garages, furnace rooms and multi-family buildings.  The difference lies in the gypsum core. This still contains gypsum like regular drywall, but fire-resistant drywall contains glass fibers as well. This type is called the type X drywall and this is stamped on the drywall panels. You will also notice that it is harder to cut due to the harder gypsum core.
3. Abuse Resistant: This type of drywall is most commonly used for commercial establishments and impact prone areas. It is thicker than most drywall, usually coming in 5/8-inch thick panels. The paper coating that they use has been specially treated to be more resistant to puncturing and impact. It is recommended that this type of drywall be used in garages and workshops.

These are the most common types of drywall. Each manufacturer has their own special type of drywall that they have specially designed for specific purposes. Your house can benefit from the different strengths of different types of drywall. After all it is cheap, easy to use and relatively strong. Any wall should be happy to have drywall covering it.