When you are renovating a space or restoring a damaged wall, the two most popular building materials are drywall and plaster. It can be hard to determine which one you should go with when planning your project. Both materials have pros and cons, which is why in this article, we will look at the pros and cons of drywall to help you make an informed decision about which material to choose.
What is Drywall?
Drywall is a building material that is a plasterboard made of gypsum that is mixed with water. It is used to create non-loading bearing walls and ceilings, as well as design features like arches. Drywall is also used to wrap around columns to hide the steel beams of support columns.
Drywall is also used to give ceilings and walls fire resistance to help prevent fires from spreading, giving people more time to evacuate.
Before drywall became so widely used, plaster and brick or stone masonry were used to construct ceilings and walls. While these were sturdy, the installation and repair time was time-consuming, and it was hard to do well. Drywall was a game changer since it can be installed pretty quickly and easily, and it is easy to repair.
Types of Drywall
There are multiple types of drywall available that are used for different types of applications. Let’s take a look.
- Regular Drywall: Used for standard wall, ceiling, and architectural projects.
- Type X or Perlite Drywall: Used for walls and ceilings that need to have a higher fire resistance than standard drywall comes with.
- Impact Resistant Drywall: Used in places where it will be taking more impact, like at schools.
- Moisture Resistant Drywall: Used in bathrooms and other rooms that are prone to moisture.
- Sound Board: Helps with soundproofing.
- Flexible Drywall: Used for tight curves and arches.
Drywall Pros
One of the most popular building materials for projects ranging from soundproofing to building renovations is drywall. First, let’s take a look at the pros of using drywall before we look at the cons.
- Fast Installation: Drywall has a fast installation process, especially when compared to plaster.
- Cost Effective: One of the big pros to drywall is that it is more affordable than other materials. If you are on a budget for your renovation project, drywall is a great way to help you stay on budget.
- Paintable: It is easy to paint over drywall.
- Drywall is Stable: When compared to other building materials, drywall is one of the most stable options.
- Fire resistant: Drywall is fire resistant, which can help prevent a fire from spreading.
- Easily Available: Drywall is easy to purchase, and drywall contractors are easy to find.
- Easy to Manufacture: It is easy to manufacture, which helps with its availability. The energy expenses that manufacturing drywall takes up are less because of how easy it is to make.
- Easy to Repair: It is easy to repair drywall if it is damaged.
- Soundproofing: Drywall can help you soundproof your building.
- Hanging Things on It: You can hang shelves and framed photos on drywall without ruining it. You can also install recessed lighting in a drywall ceiling or wall.
- Uniform Surface: The surface of drywall is uniform across it. You will have a completely smooth surface on the entire wall, which is hard to achieve with plaster.
- Can be a Partition: While drywall is primarily used for ceilings and walls, it can also be used to create moveable partitions. These will be more stable than other partitions available.
- No Shrinkage: Unlike brick and stone walls, drywall does not have shrinkage or creep cracks over time.
Drywall Cons
Even though drywall is an incredible material, it does have a few drawbacks. Now that we have looked at the pros of drywall let’s take a look at the cons.
- Prone to Water Damage: Drywall can be easily damaged by water, which can cause panels to fall or grow mold.
- Not Durable: While drywall is the more physically stable material, it is still easily damaged. However, there are some more durable options for drywall if it is needed.
- Hard to Recycle: While drywall is more energy efficient to make, it is hard to recycle and is more likely to end up in a landfill.
- Messy Installation: Drywall can create a mess when it is being installed. It can create a lot of dust that can spread throughout the building.
- Interior Only: Since drywall is not water-resistant, it cannot be used on exterior walls.
- Heavy: Drywall is a heavy material to lift and install. It is better to hire drywall contractors to install it because they have the equipment to lift and move drywall around with ease.
- Need a Professional to Install: Even though it is easy to install drywall, it needs to be installed and finished properly so that you will not have issues with the tapes and joints later on.
- Not Long Lasting: Since drywall is somewhat easy to damage, it does not have as much longevity as some other building materials.
- Plumbing and Electrical Issues: You cannot install electrical or plumbing on the surface of the drywall. That has to be installed between two sheets of drywall.
Final Thoughts
Drywall is a great building material for interior walls that is affordable and easy to have installed by professionals. Even though it has many pros, it does have some cons that you need to be aware of; it is, however, definitely one of your best choices for wall solutions.
If you are considering getting drywall in your building renovation plans, contact Magnum Drywall today! We are experts at installing drywall, and we offer other services, like acoustical panels, wallcoverings, and painting.