Beautifying Your Home with Drywall

Are you thinking about modernizing your home or garage? Consider doing it with drywall. As a solution to problematic, uneven or damaged walls, drywall will immediately transform any area into a beautifully designed room with a fresh, contemporary look.

While drywall can be installed over existing walls, it can be a difficult and tedious job, especially without the right tools. However, it’s a job that the skilled craftsmen with Handyman Connection of Ann Arbor have plenty of experience doing. Therefore, we’d like to offer you some tips on choosing the right drywall material for your project.

The benefits of drywall

Drywall is made of a gypsum core enclosed with a paper layer on both sides. It is also referred to as wallboard, gypsum wallboard or plasterboard. Because of its rock-like material, drywall is fire-resistant. Furthermore, its strong outer layers mean it won’t crack, which is a flaw in plaster walls. Equally important is the fact that drywall is much easier to work with than plaster.

Types of drywall

Drywall is available in several types, lengths and thicknesses. The type and thickness you’ll need depend on where your drywall will be installed and your city or town’s codes. As for the length of the drywall for your project, you can go with either eight-by-four-inch or 12-by-four-inch sheets. While the larger sheets may be harder to work with, they will cut down the amount of seams you’ll end up with.

There are four basic types of drywall. For common installations such as living room and kitchen walls and ceilings, you can go with a regular or standard drywall in either a 1/2-inch or a 5/8-inch thickness. However, around sinks and in the bathroom, moisture-resistant drywall, or greenboard, is preferred. Greenboard has a thin fiberglass coating in place of the paper and is also available in thicknesses of 1/2-inch or 5/8-inch. Drywall in a 3/8-inch thickness is commonly used when it is applied over existing walls.

Although all drywall is fire resistant, the thicker the drywall is, the more fireproof it will be. Therefore, if you want extra fire protection, be sure to obtain the 5/8-inch-thick drywall, sometimes called type X firewall, which has been manufactured with fiberglass. Likewise, a double installation firewall sheets on both sides of two-by-four-inch studded walls usually provides about an extra hour of fire protection. This means that firewall will give you and your loved ones enough time to escape a fire before it finally breaks down.

Moreover, building codes typically require firewall-type drywall to be installed in utility or furnace rooms and attached garages. Condominiums and apartment owners must install fire resistant drywall where walls and ceilings separate individual units. While not required, many homeowners like the idea of having fire resistant drywall panels installed nearby sources of heat such as a fireplace or stove.

Another type of drywall called flex board comes in ¼-inch thickness and easily conforms to curves. This drywall is excellent for those wishing to achieve an extra-contemporary flair to their home or business. It is ideal for curved ceilings, staircases and column enclosures, also. Because flex board is manufactured with a high edge hardness that resists chipping, it is suitable for sport facilities, schools and other public facilities with high traffic. Additionally, it is constructed with a high-strength core so it won’t crumble or crack. Flex board has the added benefits of helping to retain heat and reduce sound.

Leave your home renovations to the experts. Contact Handyman Connection of Ann Arbor and learn how you can improve your home and your life. Contact us today for your free, no-obligation estimate!