You may be getting ready to do some interior home repairs and may need to replace or repair some walls as part of that process. Even if you know that you need to find a plasterboard supplier, you may not realise that there are different types and sizes of plasterboard available for different purposes. What do you need to know?
What Is Plasterboard Made From?
Plasterboard is also known as drywall in some situations and is an amazingly versatile product that is used in a large number of applications when building ceilings or walls. It is essentially multiple layers of thick paper with gypsum plaster sandwiched in between.
Seven Types of Board
- Wall boards are used in the vast majority of applications where sound and fire prevention are not special considerations.
- Vapour barrier plasterboard has an additional thin film of metal attached to the reverse of the sheet. This means that water vapour may not pass through the board, leading to condensation issues. This is usually specified in wet climates in order to keep the building warmer and more insulated.
- If sound is an issue, acoustic plasterboard, which has a dense core, can be selected. This type of board is very useful if you don't have a lot of space to deal with. You can also use this along with mineral wool and other soundproofing efforts. Consider applying some resilient bars which will raise the board's surface away from the host surface, which is effective at preventing sound vibrations through the structure.
- Fire board has certain additives within in order to resist fire in domestic homes. Typically, glassfibre is used in the construction.
- Water resistant boarding can be used in certain areas as a base upon which to tile. This may be suitable, for example, in a wet room or bathroom. This boarding is particularly good in high humidity situations.
- If you are installing plasterboard in a very high traffic area, or in an area that could be classified as 'high impact', then consider fitting impact plasterboard. This may be useful in a utility room or the passageway through to the garage.
- 4-in-1 plasterboard is a recent development that features many of the applications of the other boards combined. This product is based on a normal wallboard but has fire, impact and sound resistance built in.
An Important Tip When Painting
One important thing to look out for when choosing plasterboard if you are planning to paint any bare plasterboard wall is to select 'tapered' boards. These boards are specifically designed so that the thickness reduces slightly the nearer you get to the edge of the board. The trick is to put two thin edged boards up next to each other and then apply tape on top of the joint. This may then be treated with joint filler and sanded down so that the entire wall appears to be seamless. In this way, you will not notice the joint in between when painted and the tape will ensure that the filler does not 'crack' following any movement.
