Drywall, also known as plasterboard or wallboard, is one of the most commonly used interior building materials. It consists of a panel made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper. Drywall provides a smooth, durable surface for interior walls and ceilings and is relatively simple to install.
There are many different types of drywall available, each with characteristics that make them suitable for certain applications. Knowing the key differences between drywall types allows you to choose the right one for your needs. This guide examines seven major types of drywall and what makes each one ideal for specific uses.
Regular Drywall
Regular drywall, sometimes called regular wallboard, is the most common and economical type of panel. It is suitable for most indoor applications in your home or office.
Key Features:
- Made of gypsum plaster pressed between paper sheets
- Thickness of 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch
- Paper face wraps around long edges for strength
- Widely available and budget-friendly
- Used for regular indoor applications like walls and ceilings
- Comes pre-primed white or unprimed
- Moderate level of durability and moisture resistance
Regular drywall offers a smooth finish for decorating and painting. It is easy to cut, install, and repair. The panels are available in large sheet sizes up to 4 x 12 feet to minimize seams during installation. The thicker 5/8 inch panels provide extra strength and fire resistance ratings compared to 1/2 inch regular drywall.
Overall, regular drywall works for most indoor vertical or ceiling applications that do not require water resistance or other specialized characteristics. It provides an affordable yet durable surface.
Water-Resistant Drywall
As the name suggests, water-resistant or moisture-resistant drywall provides protection against moisture. It is designed for areas prone to high humidity, condensation, or potential water contact.
Key Features:
- Made with gypsum core treated to repel moisture
- Faced with water-repellent paper
- Green colored paper facing for identification
- Used in bathrooms, laundries, and kitchens
- Resists warping, delaminating, and sagging when exposed to moisture
- Mold and mildew resistant
- More expensive than regular drywall
The gypsum core in water-resistant drywall contains additives like wax or silicone to repel moisture. The paper facings are also treated to be water-repellent. This allows the panels to maintain integrity and performance when exposed to high humidity and occasional water contact.
Water-resistant drywall is ideal for bathrooms, laundries, kitchens, and other areas prone to moisture. The green-colored facing makes it easy to identify. It provides better results than regular drywall in damp environments, resisting warping, mold growth, and deterioration.
Firecode Drywall
Firecode drywall, also called Type X, is designed to provide increased fire resistance and safety. It contains additives to improve fire performance ratings.
Key Features:
- Gypsum core includes glass fibers for fire resistance
- Thicker and denser than regular drywall
- Achieves fire-resistance ratings when used in tested assemblies
-Typically 5/8 inch thick and available in Type X and Type C - Type X provides 1 hour fire rating for walls
- Type C offers 2 hour rating for wall/ceiling assemblies
- More expensive than regular drywall
The fire-resistant properties come from the special gypsum core containing glass fibers. This allows the material to maintain integrity and continue providing a protective barrier even when exposed to high temperatures during a fire.
The Type X and Type C designations relate to the fire ratings achieved in standardized fire tests. Type X is commonly used for interior walls requiring a 1 hour fire resistance rating. Type C has greater density and thickness to reach 2 hour ratings needed in some ceiling applications.
Firecode drywall is vital in construction where fire safety codes require specific fire-rated assemblies. The improved performance comes at a higher cost than regular drywall.
Acoustic Drywall
Acoustic drywall dampens sound transmission through walls and ceilings. It contains sound-absorbing properties to provide noise control.
Key Features:
- Uses sound absorption materials like fibers in gypsum core
- Reduces transmission of noise through wall assemblies
- Available in 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch thicknesses
- Paper facings often have textured appearance
- Higher density than regular drywall
- Provides noise isolation and sound damping
- More expensive than regular panels
The specialized gypsum core includes sound-absorbing materials like fibers or vermiculites. This prevents noise transmission by dampening vibrations rather than blocking sound. The result is reduced transmission of unwanted noises through the building structure.
Acoustic drywall is useful for home theaters, music rooms, and bedrooms to minimize disturbing noises. It is also used in apartments and condos to limit sound transmission between units. The textured paper facings diffuse sound.
While more costly than basic drywall, acoustic panels provide necessary sound control where noise isolation is important. They are available in standard drywall sizes for seamless integration.
Mold Resistant Drywall
Mold resistant or mold proof drywall uses fiberglass mats and anti-microbial treatments to prevent mold growth. It offers protection in damp areas prone to spore formation.
Key Features:
- Fiberglass mats close to paper surface resist mold
- Anti-microbial additives inhibit mold, mildew, and bacteria
- Suitable for high humidity areas like bathrooms and basements
- Green or purple colored facing for identification
- More moisture resistant than regular drywall
- Resists mold growth and biological deterioration
- More expensive than standard panels
The embedded fiberglass mats close to the paper surface make it difficult for mold spores to take hold and grow. Additional anti-microbial treatments further block biological growth.
Mold resistant drywall is designed for installation in perpetually damp areas like poorly vented bathrooms and laundry rooms. It provides better protection against mold and mildew than water-resistant or regular drywall.
While costlier than standard panels, mold resistant drywall offers vital protection against mold damage in problematic humid environments. It brings reassurance where moisture issues can lead to hazardous spore growth.
Paperless Drywall
Paperless drywall utilizes fiberglass mats instead of paper facings to provide added durability and moisture resistance. It is also known as fiber-reinforced gypsum board.
Key Features:
- No paper facings, only embedded fiberglass mats
- Exceptional water and mold resistance
- High strength and durability
- For heavy use areas like service corridors
- Suitable for exterior soffits and ceilings
- Resists damage from impacts and abrasion
- More expensive than paper-faced panels
The fiberglass mats make paperless drywall highly resistant to moisture-related issues. Without paper, it does not warp or deteriorate as easily when exposed to water. The all-gypsum core and glass mats create a stronger and harder panel.
Paperless drywall works well in high-traffic service areas where damage resistance is important. It can also be used externally for soffits and protected ceilings where regular drywall would deteriorate. The enhanced durability and moisture performance justify the extra cost over regular panels.
Ceiling Board Drywall
Ceiling board is a special type of drywall designed for use on ceilings. It uses heavier paper and core materials to provide strength for overhead applications.
Key Features:
- Made specifically for ceilings
- Heavier and more rigid than regular 1/2 inch drywall
- Paper facings are thicker and stronger
- Fortified gypsum core for structural integrity
- Resists sagging under own weight
- Cuts and installs like standard drywall
- Ideal for textured/heavyweight ceiling finishes
- More expensive than lightweight panels
The sturdier paper and dense gypsum make ceiling board resist sagging under its own weight. This prevents cracks and downward bowing when installed overhead. It also provides a strong base for heavy textured or decorative finishes often used on ceilings.
Ceiling boards are nailed or screwed like regular drywall but offer reinforced performance. They are ideal where large expanses of drywall go overhead. The improved strength and sag resistance justify the extra cost over lightweight panels.
Flexible Drywall
Flexible drywall offers bendable panels that curve around rounded walls and tight corners. The gypsum core allows tight bending radii.
Key Features:
- Made of treated gypsum with high flex properties
- Can bend tightly around curved walls and arches
- Used to achieve smooth drywall finishes on rounded surfaces
- Installs around tight corners without corner bead
- Standard 1/2 inch thickness
- Paints and finishes like regular drywall
- More specialized application than common panels
The flexible core means large 4 x 8 or 4 x 10 sheets can bend to fit rounded contours without creasing or cracking. This allows drywall finishing for curved walls which would otherwise need difficult plaster application.
Flexible drywall is useful where architectural elements like rounded walls or arched openings are desired. It brings uniform drywall finishes to these areas that would typically need customized approaches. The specialized flexing trait demands a higher cost.
How to Choose the Right Type of Drywall
With an overview of common drywall types and their ideal uses, it is easier to choose the right one for your project’s needs:
- Use regular drywall for most indoor vertical or horizontal applications where you need an affordable, smooth surface. It works for walls and ceilings in normal living spaces.
- Choose water-resistant drywall anywhere that sees frequent moisture contact like bathrooms, laundries, and kitchens. It prevents deterioration from humidity.
- Incorporate firecode drywall when building codes mandate fire-rated wall or ceiling assemblies. Type X offers 1 hour ratings for walls while Type C is better for 2 hour ceiling fireproofing.
- Look to acoustic drywall when noise control is important, like home theaters and bedrooms. It dampens sound transmission through walls.
- Mold resistant drywall brings added protection against mold in perpetually humid spaces like poorly ventilated basements or bathrooms.
- Select paperless drywall for exceptional durability and water resistance in high-traffic, high-moisture areas. It also works well externally.
- Use ceiling board drywall when installing panels overhead where sag resistance is vital. Its fortified structure prevents cracking.
- Consider flexible drywall for cleanly finishing rounded walls, arched ceilings, and curved contours.
The moisture resistance, fire ratings, mold protection, and other specialty features of certain drywall types make them suitable for specific applications where regular panels would underperform. Carefully evaluate your particular needs to determine which variety offers the ideal characteristics.
With this overview of the 7 major types of drywall and their distinct properties, you can make an informed choice depending on performance requirements. Awareness of these key differences allows you to choose drywall that fulfills project needs in terms of budget, durability, and specialized traits like mold resistance.
Frequently Asked Questions about Different Types of Drywall
Some common questions about working with the various drywall types include:
What thickness of drywall should I use?
For most standard walls and ceilings, 1/2 inch regular drywall panels are sufficient. Use 5/8 inch for added fire resistance, sound isolation, and strength to resist damage. Ceiling boards are 5/8 inch or thicker to prevent sagging.
How much does drywall cost?
Regular drywall costs between $0.20 – $0.40 per square foot on average. Specialty panels like mold-resistant and Type X firecode drywall run $0.45 – $0.65 per square foot. Acoustic and paperless panels may cost up to $1.00 per square foot.
Should I use moisture resistant drywall in bathrooms?
Yes, moisture resistant panels are recommended in any room with frequent humidity and condensation like bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens. They resist sagging, deterioration, and mold growth.
Does textured drywall help with soundproofing?
Yes, textured or acoustic drywall diffuses sound vibrations rather than reflecting them. This dampens noise transmission slightly for improved sound control between rooms.
Can you use drywall outside?
Outdoor use of standard drywall panels is not recommended. However, special exterior drywall products are designed for protected exterior soffit and ceiling applications. Fiber-cement boards are also an exterior wall option.
How long does drywall last?
With proper installation and maintenance, drywall itself can last indefinitely. But it may need refinishing and redecorating over time. Cracks, damage, and water issues shorten lifespan. High-quality specialty drywall lasts longer than basic panels.
Is mold resistant drywall worth the extra cost?
In areas prone to moisture and humidity, mold resistant drywall is often worth the investment to prevent hazardous mold issues that could lead to health problems and expensive repairs down the road.
Conclusion
Understanding the key distinctions among drywall types allows you to select the ideal one based on performance requirements. Factors like water exposure, fire ratings, sound control, and durability determine which variety best suits the demands of the job. With this overview of drywall options and their intended uses, you can make an informed choice about which type provides the right mix of affordability, strength, and specialized abilities. Choosing panels suited for the unique needs of each application ensures optimal results and avoids difficulties from using the wrong drywall in the wrong place.