Everything You Need To Know About Drywall and Its Benefits

Ready To Know More About Drywalls? Be It Remodeling, New Home Construction, Or Just Upgradation; Find Out Why Drywall Makes The Best Choice For Housing Walls!

What’s In A Name?

Gypsum boards, wall-board, sheet-rock, custard boards, buster boards, gypsum boards – drywall has a lot of other names to be addressed. One of the most widely used and trendy construction elements, drywall is an integral add-on to every home refinishing and remodeling. Drywall is budget-friendly, and most importantly, it is highly fire and water-resilient, making it one of the anodyne materials for home panels.

Drywall is primarily sheathing or sheeting made of gypsum (high-grade Calcium Sulfate Dihydrate). It consists of two paper sheets inserted between the gypsum panel for creating a safety boundary on the inner sides of walls and ceilings. This makes drywall an excellent choice for wrapping columns, ceilings, walls, and concealing steel beams.

Drywall is always considered the safest wall material for any building with high-grade water absorption and insulation properties. Having drywall installed in the home helps maintain a cold ambiance during the summer season and heat during the winter. A reputable construction company like GMP Construction LLC can provide you with additional drywall assistance and services as they are considered the best  Drywall installer in Dundalk, MD.

A Little Bit Of Drywall History

In 1916, the U.S. Gypsum Company (USG) invented drywall. It was initially called “Sackett Board,” after the Sackett plaster company, a USG subsidiary. And while it only took a few years for this board to evolve into the material people know today, it took twenty-five years for builders to begin using drywall in any substantial quantity.

However, builders were still hesitant to use something as simple as drywall with all its uses and benefits. At the time, drywall was thought of as a cheap fix associated with making plaster. People did not want to live in shoddily constructed homes, so they stuck with the tradition and expense of application.

U.S. Gypsum later changed the brand name of the material to “Sheetrock.” This was an attempt to improve drywall’s reputation, but builders and homeowners still paid no attention. Then came the US involvement in World War II, and builders realized how beneficial drywalls were. As the country’s labor force became focused on war manufacturing (and many soldiers were sent overseas to fight), inexpensive and quick building materials were needed to offset the labor shortage and war costs. Instead, people began to use drywall because the labor shortage was too intense for plastering to remain a viable building option. Factories and houses could be constructed in a fraction of the time. And with a fraction of the required labor. Efficient and cheap products were seen as patriotic because they allowed citizens to spend more money and time assisting the war effort.

When the war ended in 1945, drywall had become the dominant building material in the US. Contractors then knew they could construct homes and workplaces in one-tenth the time if they abandoned plaster for drywall, leading to higher profits. Over time, the use of plaster gradually faded as people worldwide turned to drywall. With net sales of over $5 billion in 2007, the U.S. Gypsum Company is still one of the world’s top producers and innovators of drywall and related products.

Quick Look: Drywall Perks

Yes, drywall is a famous option for homeowners, and you wondered why that is the case. Check out some of its perks below.

Primarily, there are a few things to summarize before this article goes into further detail. Drywall is so prevalent due to many reasons. It is affordable, first and foremost. It is also highly flame-resistant, making it one of the safest materials for housing walls. For these reasons and more, drywall is the best choice! 

1. Compared to ordinary plaster, drywall is more durable, higher quality, and enduring. Drywall installation is also easier and faster than installing plaster, thus saving you a few bucks on energy bills.
2. The durability of the drywall is highly remarkable, and its strength is genuinely unique. It outstandingly supports and sustains the walls, making them last longer. Plus, you can dismantle, cut, alter, and modify it whenever required.
3. Due to the Calcium Sulfate plus water (CaSo4+H2O), the drywall acts as the most effective defense system to fire and water. With ultra-anti-flaming properties, it saves your walls from the possibility of fire damage.
4. Drywall is cost-effective, durable, and persistent. It demands lesser installation cost than plaster or other wall and ceiling paving and smoothing methods. While plaster requires multiple coats, a single coat of drywall is just enough.
5. You can install drywall permanently as well as temporarily. It will be everlasting if you install drywall on your home’s walls and ceiling. And in case you install it on partition walls, it will serve for temporary purposes.
6. Drywall is customizable and can easily be modified to meet specific needs and areas. Its predictable sizing and personalization features allow designers and builders to plan their construction projects precisely and accurately.

And so, are you planning for a wall remodeling? Do you have a drywall project in mind? This article may come in handy for you.