What year was sheetrock first used?
The process of lath and plaster was developed during the 17th century; however, it did not reach widespread use until the 18th century. It was popular in the United Kingdom before it spread to the United States and Canada as the colonies continued to grow.
When was drywall first used in homes?
The U.S. Gypsum Company (USG) invented drywall in 1916. It was originally called "Sackett Board," after the Sackett plaster company, a USG subsidiary [Source: Allen ]. The material was first sold in the form of small, fireproof tiles, but within a few years, it was sold in multi-layer gypsum and paper sheets.
When did drywall become common?
Originally popular throughout 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s for its inexpensive price and simple installation, wood paneling rapidly became so popular it was found just about everywhere. Cheap composite imitations become standard and eventually everyone came to see them as common and trashy. Click to see full answer.
Is sheetrock the same as drywall?
The Sheetrock is the same as drywall but with a different name. The US gypsum company’s drywall is called Sheetrock. The brand got very famous, which led to the confusion between it and drywall. Thus, the differences are very less.
When did homes start using drywall?
In the 1940s, after wartime rationing limited the availability of lumber, contractors began using drywall instead. The panels became standard in inexpensive housing tracts mushrooming across the country.
When did Sheetrock replace plaster?
But things have changed since then. Drywall, first introduced in 1916 by United States Gypsum (USG), has largely replaced plaster. Most of the dwindling number of homes with plaster walls were built before 1940.
What was used in houses before drywall?
plasterBefore drywall became widely used, building interiors were made of plaster. For hundreds of years, walls and ceilings have been constructed by placing layers of wet plaster over thousands of wooden strips called laths.
Was drywall used in the 60's?
It was in this context that Drywall took over as leader in the industry. By the late 1950's and 1960's, though plaster was still found in new construction, drywall was beginning to be used at an increasing rate.
What were walls made of in the 1950?
What Were Walls Made of in the 1950s? Beginning in the 1950s, home builders shifted from lath and plaster to drywall as the wall material of choice. Drywall is less expensive, easier to install, and more fire-resistant than traditional lath and plaster.
Is drywall the same as Sheetrock?
Drywall is a flat panel made of gypsum plaster sandwiched in between two sheets of thick paper. It adheres to metal or wood studs using nails or screws. Sheetrock is a specific brand of drywall sheet. These terms are often used interchangeably.
How do you find studs in a 100 year old house?
0:135:05how to find studs in plaster walls - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf there's anything metal they'll find it they're extremely difficult to separate. They really wantMoreIf there's anything metal they'll find it they're extremely difficult to separate. They really want to hang on. So what we're going to do is putting it on the wall until it finds a nail underneath.
How were houses built in 1900?
Many builders used the braced framing method with large timbers installed diagonally and wood joiners, but by 1900, many began using balloon framing, with smaller, lighter boards installed in repetition to add strength.
Do old houses have drywall?
Older homes and high-end new homes will have plaster instead of drywall. Harder and more durable, plaster is also more expensive to install. In old homes, plaster is a three-coat system applied over wood or metal lath. In new homes, it's usually a single coat applied over blueboard, a special type of drywall.
How thick is drywall in older homes?
The most common thicknesses for general application are 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch. However, several decades ago, 1/2 inch became the industry standard. Quarter-inch drywall is often used to cover damaged plaster walls and also for curved areas because it bends easier than thicker drywall.
When was asbestos banned in drywall?
1977Asbestos can be found in drywall from 1930 and in joint compound from the 1940s until the 1980s. Although banned in the year 1977, asbestos can still be found for a few years later.
What are old home walls made of?
From the 1700s all the way through the 1940s, lath and plaster was the interior wall construction method of choice. Builders nailed thin, closely spaced strips of wood (lath) to wall studs and then smoothed multiple coatings of plaster over the lath to form flat wall surfaces.
How do you tell if your wall is drywall or plaster?
Take a pushpin and press it on the wall using your thumb. If the pin pokes into the wall easily, that's drywall. If it doesn't, then that's plaster. A pushpin can penetrate drywalls easily because they're softer compared to plaster.
Should I replace plaster with drywall?
Plaster should not be removed and replaced by drywall, nor covered up by drywall. Covering makes spaces smaller and ruins the look of adjacent details such as moldings and door and window casings.
When was plaster used in homes?
From the 1700s all the way through the 1940s, lath and plaster was the interior wall construction method of choice. Builders nailed thin, closely spaced strips of wood (lath) to wall studs and then smoothed multiple coatings of plaster over the lath to form flat wall surfaces.
What is the difference between plaster and sheetrock?
Plaster is harder and more brittle than drywall. Whereas with drywall it's possible to push thumbtacks into the wall to hang up posters, you likely couldn't pierce a plaster wall with the flimsy point of a tack. More importantly, you run the risk of chipping or cracking the plaster.
When did drywall become common?
In the mid-20th century, drywall construction became prevalent in North America as a time- and labor-saving alternative to traditional lath and plaster.
Where did drywall come from?
A substantial amount of defective drywall was imported into the United States from China and incorporated into tens of thousands of homes during rebuilding in 2006 and 2007 following Hurricane Katrina and in other places. Complaints included foul odour, health effects, and corrosion of metal within the structure.
What is a drywall fastener?
Drywall fasteners, also referred to as drywall clips or stops, are gaining popularity in both residential and commercial construction. Drywall fasteners are used for supporting interior drywall corners and replacing the non-structural wood or metal blocking that traditionally was used to install drywall.
Why is drywall so vulnerable to moisture?
Drywall is highly vulnerable to moisture due to the inherent properties of the materials that comprise it: gypsum, paper, and organic additives and binders. Gypsum will soften with exposure to moisture, and eventually turn to a gooey paste with prolonged immersion, such as during a flood. During such incidents, some or all of the drywall in an entire building may need to be removed and replaced. Furthermore, the paper facings and organic additives mixed with the gypsum core are food for mold.
What is a dry wall?
Drywall (also known as plasterboard, wallboard, sheet rock, gypsum board, buster board, custard board, or gypsum panel) is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate ( gypsum ), with or without additives, typically extruded between thick sheets of facer and backer paper, used in the construction of interior walls and ceilings. The plaster is mixed with fiber (typically paper, glass wool, or a combination of these materials), plasticizer, foaming agent, and various additives that can reduce mildew, flammability, and water absorption.
Why does drywall sag?
The drywall may also soften around the screws holding the drywall in place and with the aid of gravity, the weight of the water may cause the drywall to sag and eventually collapse, requiring replacement.
How is drywall delivered?
Drywall is delivered to a building site on a flatbed truck and unloaded with a forked material handler crane. The bulk drywall sheets are unloaded directly to upper floors via a window or exterior doorway.
When was rock lath used in plastering?
While lath and plaster was popular into the 20th century, newer methods were developed during the 1930s. During that time, rock lath, also called gypsum board, was developed. This was the early precursor to drywall. This board had holes regularly spaced, providing room for wet plaster to keep the insulation intact. By the late 1930s, this type of rock plaster with gypsum board was the primary method in residential plastering.
When did drywall become drywall?
In the United Kingdom, gypsum board transitioned to complete drywall by the end of the 1930s. The lath and plaster model was popular in the United States and Canada through the 1950s; however, this was replaced with drywall and plasterboard by the 1950s. This modern material worked better with wiring practices, as electricity became standard in most homes and offices. Furthermore, engineers discovered that lath and plaster was more susceptible to settling than drywall, leading to the transition. It is important to keep these dates in mind if you are trying to figure out which material was used to make the building that you own.
What is lath and plaster?
Lath and plaster is a traditional building process that was once used as the standard to finish ceilings and interior dividing walls. The structure uses narrow strips of wood, called laths, which were nailed horizontally across the joists or wall studs. Then, the entire structure was coated in plaster, which provided the structure with its integrity. There are countless builders that leaned on lath and plaster for many years because it was strong, soundproof, and able to resist fires. Eventually, lath and plaster fell out of favor as drywall became more popular.
How thick is a lath and plaster?
When a typical lath and plaster construction project has been finished, this is going to result in a thick layer of plaster that is about 1.25 inches thick, as there is a minimum of three coats of plaster. A few of the top benefits of this process include:
Why is soundproofing important?
Soundproofing: Because the final product is so thick, this is also going to reduce the transfer of noise as it travels from one room to the next. Many of the older homes are significantly quieter than newer homes because of the thickness and soundproofing qualities of lath and plaster.
When was lath made?
The process of lath and plaster was developed during the 17th century; however, it did not reach widespread use until the 18th century. It was popular in the United Kingdom before it spread to the United States and Canada as the colonies continued to grow. Wooden lath was popular during the 1700s and early 1800s; however, as the industrial revolution took off, metal lath was more popular at the end of the 19th century. Metal lath was usually separated according to weight, length, and ribbing; however, by the end of the 19th century, metal lath was also galvanized from time to time, creating a new category.
Is plaster drywall durable?
If you do not add plaster to your drywall, it is not going to be that durable. Because drywall is not resistant to heavy impact, you could have issues with holes if the room is not treated with care.
An Old Idea
The modern form of drywall may not be all that old, but it does have ancient roots. In Egypt, plaster has been used in construction for thousands of years. That plaster was made from burnt gypsum, and it could be said that these uses were the first forms of what would eventually become drywall.
A Breakthrough
It was during the 18th century when a French chemist made a notable breakthrough with regard to gypsum. Antoine Lavoisier was able to analyze the chemical composition of gypsum, allowing for the development of Plaster of Paris.
Jumping Across the Pond
Using wallboard to cover the interior of rooms is an idea which developed in the U.S. during the late 19th century. These early products included Plaster of Paris which had been trapped between pieces of felt paper. Today’s drywall doesn’t look much like those early efforts, but the basic idea and form of drywall got its start at that point.
How big is drywall sheet?
Drywall sheets are conformed to 4 feet by 8 feet standard panel sizes similar to plywood. The joint wall compound that is commonly used to close off the seams between drywall panels also contained asbestos between 1930 and 1980. This pre-mixed paste was used to join the gypsum boards together.
What is drywall made of?
In the period prior to the 1980s, building components in general, and that includes drywall, were made from mixtures containing asbestos. The initial plan that construction manufacturers had in mind was to encourage the addition of the mineral into the drywall in order to increase the strength of the material while at the same time keeping it lightweight. Other qualities, such as the mineral's properties for fireproofing and for soundproofing further sealed the deal on the rewarding use of asbestos in construction projects.
How Do You Know Whether There Is Asbestos in Your Home's Drywall or Not?
The first step to identifying asbestos in your home's drywall is determining the date your property was built. If it was built after the 1930s , your interior walls are probably at least partially constructed of drywall.
What was the construction boom during World War II?
By the time World War II was happening, homes and public buildings all across the United States used asbestos-containing drywall for interior finishing. The period following the war brought about what historians refer to as a "building boom", which suggests that the demand for construction materials and, implicitly, for the miracle material, skyrocketed.
Is it safe to put drywall in your house?
It should be kept in mind that simply having drywall in your house or work site does not pose a threat to your health, not even if there are asbestos fibers within it. It is important to take careful notice of the state of the materials. In this sense, the environment is safe to live in if the fibers are sealed in with paint that is in good condition and has not deteriorated over the years.
Is drywall gypsum?
Drywall is also widely known under the names of gypsum wallboard and sheetrock. The extensive use of the material is based on valid reasoning: it does not require complex installation, it finishes smoothly and it is cost-effective, which made it perfectly convenient for homeowners and businesses across the United States. However, to the misfortune of such benefits, a large part of the manufacturers producing drywall used asbestos in its composition.
Overview
Drywall (also called plasterboard, wallboard, sheet rock, gypsum board, buster board, custard board, and gypsum panel) is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum), with or without additives, typically extruded between thick sheets of facer and backer paper, used in the construction of interior walls and ceilings. The plaster is mixed with fiber (typically paper, glass wool, or a combina…
History
The first plasterboard plant in the UK was opened in 1888 in Rochester, Kent. Sackett Board was invented in 1894 by Augustine Sackett and Fred Kane, graduates of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. It was made by layering plaster within four plies of wool felt paper. Sheets were 36 by 36 by 1⁄4 inch (914 mm × 914 mm × 6 mm) thick with open (untaped) edges.
Manufacture
A wallboard panel consists of a layer of gypsum plaster sandwiched between two layers of paper. The raw gypsum, CaSO4·2H2O, is heated to drive off the water then slightly rehydrated to produce the hemihydrate of calcium sulfate (CaSO 4·1/2H 2O). The plaster is mixed with fibre (typically paper and/or glass fiber), plasticizer, foaming agent, finely ground gypsum crystal as an accelerator, EDTA, starch or other chelate as a retarder, various additives that may decrease mildew and …
Specifications
The term plasterboard is used in Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, the product is often called Gyprock, which is the name of the largest manufacturer of plasterboard. In New Zealand it is also called Gibraltar and Gib board, after the registered trademark ("GIB") of the locally made product that dominates the market there.
It is made in thicknesses of 10 mm, 13 mm, and 16 mm, and sometimes other thicknesses up to …
Construction techniques
As an alternative to a week-long plaster application, an entire house can be drywalled in one or two days by two experienced drywallers, and drywall is easy enough to be installed by many amateur home carpenters. In large-scale commercial construction, the work of installing and finishing drywall is often split between drywall mechanics, or hangers, who install the wallboard, and tapers …
Sound control
The method of installation and type of drywall can reduce sound transmission through walls and ceilings. Several builders' books state that thicker drywall reduces sound transmission, but engineering manuals recommend using multiple layers of drywall, sometimes of different thicknesses and glued together, or special types of drywall designed to reduce noise. Also important are the construction details of the framing with steel studs, wider stud spacing, double …
Water damage and mold
Drywall is highly vulnerable to moisture due to the inherent properties of the materials that comprise it: gypsum, paper, and organic additives and binders. Gypsum will soften with exposure to moisture, and eventually turn to a gooey paste with prolonged immersion, such as during a flood. During such incidents, some or all of the drywall in an entire building may need to be removed and re…
Other damage
Foam insulation and the gypsum part of sheetrock are easily chewed out by honeybees when they are setting up a stray nest in a building and they want to enlarge their nest area.