Drywall is a popular building material for creating or covering walls and ceilings. It is also known as gypsum board, wallboard, plasterboard, or sheetrock. Your best home painting in Fremont, CA painters can help you choose the best types of drywall for your specific needs.  Many painting projects often also require drywall repair to complete a refresh.

But did you know there are other varieties of drywall to choose from? If you are looking for a specific type of drywall according to meet your needs, check out some of the different kinds of drywall described below:

Regular drywall

This type of drywall is the most common drywall used for most homes. Regular drywall is made from gypsum (thus its other name, gypsum board); drywall is a mineral sandwiched between two sheets of paper, usually white or gray. This type of drywall is readily available at home improvement stores like Lowe’s, The Home Depot, some True Value stores, and some local home improvement stores.

Depending upon where you live, you may have several options from which to choose. You should check each store’s website to see their current prices, particularly if you need several pieces of drywall for your project.

Regular drywall is usually ½-inch thick and measures 4 feet by 8 feet. However, it is also available in thicknesses up to 5/8 inch (ideal for soundproofing) and lengths up to 16 feet (typically used for areas with high ceilings). Remember, though, that if you need drywall that is longer than the typical size, you may need to pre-order it.

You can buy the regular 4-by-8-foot drywall at your local home improvement stores. If you need drywall for patching, you can find them in smaller sizes, usually 2-by-2-inch. Of course, if the hole you need to patch is large, purchasing a half sheet or a full sheet to cut into the sizes you need may make sense.

Plasterboard

Also known as blue board, plasterboard is a type of drywall that uses plaster as a base, much like the lath and plaster used in older homes for their wall material. Plaster is a paste consisting of a mixture of minerals (usually lime with sand or cement) and water applied in layers and dried in between.

Plasterboard is much harder and thicker than regular drywall. It requires one or more thin coats of plaster to be spread over the entire surface. Its highly absorbent face paper is designed to accept the plaster finish coat to adhere to the drywall better. Because plasterboard is thicker than regular drywall, you may want to have extra help when installing it since it is heavier and could be cumbersome to work with alone.

Mold-resistant drywall

Keep in mind that regular drywall consists of gypsum sandwiched by two sheets of paper. To make drywall more resistant to mold, it uses thicker paper coated with wax to repel moisture and, ultimately, prevent mold from growing. This is called mold-resistant drywall, also known as green board.

Another characteristic of mold-resistant drywall is its non-organic fiberglass mesh, which removes the mold’s food source from growing. Mold-resistant drywall is ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, washrooms, laundry rooms, and any areas with constant moisture.

You should check the manufacturer’s recommendations to see if they suggest using a specific paint type. Manufacturers may recommend painting their drywall with mold-resistant paint, which could affect the painting cost.

Soundproof drywall

Although most drywall types have soundproofing qualities, the actual soundproof drywall is made with extra layers of material (such as gypsum and wood fiber) to increase the sound transmission class (STC) greater than that of regular drywall. STC is a rating given to any building material or surface based on its ability to reduce noise coming through it.

Soundproof drywall is used in home theaters, studios, and other areas where soundproofing is required. Not surprisingly, it is much thicker, costlier, and more challenging to install than regular drywall.

If you want to increase the room’s ability to be soundproof, consider painting the drywall with soundproofing paint. Several brands on the market offer paint to help reduce the sounds from a room. Be sure to compare the available brands to help you choose which is best for your budget.

Fire-resistant drywall

If you want to protect your Sunnyvale area home and valuables from possible fire accidents or live in a wildfire-prone region, consider installing fire-resistant drywall.  Fire-resistant drywall contains fiberglass, which slows down the flames. There are two types of fire-resistant drywall:

• Type X – Type X drywall is 5/8 inches thick. With its thickness, it can provide up to one hour of protection from fire. It can be used in multiple layers for additional protection if needed.
• Type C – Type C is quite similar to Type X but has a higher percentage of fiberglass than the latter and thus is less likely to shrink when burning. It is used primarily on ceilings to prevent them from collapsing during a fire.

Using fire-resistant or fire-retardant paint can also help protect your home. If you plan to use this type of paint on your home’s exterior, compare the prices and performance of the paint with an independent source like Consumer Reports to ensure you understand what the paint can do and compare costs.

VOC-absorbing drywall

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are usually found in paints, varnishes, paint thinners, unsealed plywood, particle boards, cleaning materials, upholstery, carpeting, and hairspray. VOCs can undermine indoor air quality and cause a range of minor and severe illnesses if exposed to them frequently or for a very long time.

VOC-absorbing drywall is a new, breakthrough technology that actively cleans indoor air by capturing VOCs and trapping them within the material, making them inert and harmless. The effect remains even after the drywall is painted or covered with light, breathable wallpaper for up to 75 years.

Incredibly, various improvements have been focused on making drywall more resistant to noise, moisture, mold, and even VOCs. Since drywall was first introduced over a century ago, it has significantly evolved to bring greater value to residential and commercial property owners. Hire a painter in the Santa Clara area to help you choose the right type of drywall for your project and give it a great-looking, long-lasting paint finish.

Custom Painting, Inc. is proficient in residential and commercial painting services. If you need a safe and reliable paint company to work on your home or business, contact us at 925-866-9610 or complete the form here today.