Drywall is a wall building material made of a large sheet of drywall paper-lined plasterboard. It comes in different types, including fire-resistant and water/mold-resistant. It replaced wet plaster wall construction after World War II and is easy to repair for minor imperfections. The United States Gypsum Company made the first gypsum board using dehydrated calcium sulfate. Drywall repair is needed for nails poking through the surface, indentations, and holes.
Drywall, also known as drywall, plasterboard and Sheetrock®, is a wall building material used in the construction industry around the world. It consists of a large sheet of drywall that is typically up to half an inch (about 1 cm) thick and which is often cut into four-by-eight-foot (about 1.2 meters by 2.4 meters) panels. A thick, strong paper called drywall paper lines both sides. Drywall paper is needed to maintain the integrity of the drywall, preventing it from chipping or crumbling when nailed down, or during moving or installation. Drywall paper can be up to 1/32 of an inch (about 1 millimeter) thick, which makes it pretty easy to repair if there are minor imperfections on its surface.
On standard drywall, drywall paper is typically white and smooth on the side facing out and rough and grayish on the side that meets the framing studs. A second type of drywall, called Greenboard for the greenish hue of the drywall backing, is water and mold resistant. This product is often used in bathrooms and other areas with high humidity. While all drywall is naturally fire resistant due to the moisture content in the processed plaster, a third variety of drywall contains fiberglass or other fire resistant additives, which allow it to be labeled and sold as “fire resistant.” The drywall paper on all three varieties is typically recycled.
As the name suggests, drywall replaced wet plaster wall construction and came into widespread use after World War II, as builders sought less expensive and leaner methods of construction. Before the invention of drywall, builders formed walls by applying wet plaster to thin boards called battens, which were nailed to frame posts. This process required considerable attention to detail and a degree of skill, making it impractical and expensive compared to forming walls with drywall.
The United States Gypsum Company, incorporated in 1901, made the first gypsum board from a naturally occurring mineral called dehydrated calcium sulfate. The processed mineral, called gypsum mortar, is mixed with water to form a slurry and then poured between sheets of drywall paper. After being kiln dried, the cured drywall is cut into desired lengths and sizes.
Some problems that require drywall and drywall repair include nails poking through the surface of the drywall and indentations or holes resulting from trauma to the wall. Bumps and small blemishes are often repaired quickly and easily by repositioning the nail, applying joint compound to the head of the nail, then sanding and repainting. For larger indentations or small holes, the same filling, sanding and painting process is used.
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