Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Paperless Drywall

The ceiling in our bathroom is bowed - probably from a combination of moisture and improper installation.  And since we have to rip it out/down to rewire some fixtures, we'll add on "ceiling repair" to the list of items in the bathroom which will be giving me nightmares for the next few weeks months.

Drywall comes with way too many varieties and forms.  It's so confusing!  It's also known as sheetrock and gypsum board.  Can't we just call it ONE NAME!?!?!?!  I've been trying to figure out the best option for repairing our ceiling, and I'll share what I've learned with you.

Concrete board is a cement and fiberglass composite, useful for tiled walls and floors.  It doesn't have any paper on it.  "Hardibacker" is a brand of this type.  It's SUPER heavy.

Greenboard is an older version of a mold/mildew resistant drywall.  Green wax was applied to the paper to prevent moisture infiltration.

Basement board or mold/mildew resistant drywall has paper on either side, and it is specially treated prevent mold/mildew growth.

Plasterboard is drywall with paper on either side that is designed for plaster applications.  It absorbs the water from the plaster better so it adheres, useful for decorative plaster finishes.

I've found out that the best option for a bathroom is paperless drywall.  It is mold and mildew resistant, mostly because it is a) made of fiberglass (not something that absorbs moisture) and b) doesn't have paper on it.  Unfortunately, it's not available in single sheets.  And I only need two!  So we'll use mold/mildew resistant drywall instead.

Below is a list of what we'll need for this repair.  We'll use the fiberglass tape instead of paper joint tape, since the paper tape isn't all that moisture resistant.  The adhesive is to use the "suspenders and belt" approach - the adhesive helps keep it in place while you screw it to the studs, but also helps hold it to the studs.  While we have the joint compound out, there are a few holes that need patched in the walls before we paint.

Added bonus: we get rid of the textured ceiling.  :-)

Paperless Drywall

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