Drywall

Drywall (also called wallboard, gypsum board, GWB, plasterboard, SHEETROCK® and Gyproc®) is a building material consisting of gypsum formed into a flat sheet and sandwiched between two pieces of heavy paper. As of 2005, it is the most common material globally for the construction of interior walls and ceilings. Drywall is typically found in four-foot wide sheets of various lengths, commonly 8 feet, 10 feet, or 12 feet.

Drywall is cut to size by scoring the paper on the front side (usually white), breaking the sheet along the cut, scoring the paper backing, and finally breaking the sheet in the opposite direction. Small features such as holes for outlets and light switches are usually cut using a keyhole saw. Drywall is then fixed to the wall structure with nails, or more commonly in recent years, screws.

After the sheets are secured to the wall studs and/or ceiling joists, the seams between drywall sheets are concealed using joint tape and several layers of joint compound. The compound is then typically sanded before painting.

The name drywall derives from drywall's replacement of the lath and plaster wall building method, in which plaster was spread over small wooden formers while still wet. This method was time consuming and labor intensive (although skilled plasterers could do the job with great rapidity), whereas an entire house can be drywalled in a day or two by two experienced "drywallers", and drywall is easy enough to use that it can be installed by many amateur home carpenters.

In veneer plastering , a specially prepared type of drywall board (blueboard) is covered with several thin coats of plaster.

Greenboard is water resistant drywall. It is suitable for humid areas, but not areas that actually get wet. Concrete backerboard (concrete reinforced with fiberglass) should be used where actual moisture is expected.

Common Drywall Tools

• Keyhole saw
• Drywall screws or nails
• Electric screwdriver
• Dimpler
• Taping knives of several sizes, commonly 6", 8", 10", and 12"
• Inside/outside corner trowels