Due to its inherent fire resistance, gypsum board, commonly known as drywall is the premier building material for wall, ceiling, and partition systems in residential, institutional, and commercial structures. Designed to provide a monolithic surface when joints and fastener heads are covered with a joint treatment system, gypsum products also provide sound control, economy, versatility, quality, and convenience.
Gypsum board is the technical product name used by manufacturers for a specific board with a gypsum core and a paper facing and may be further described as follows:
- Regular Gypsum Board – a gypsum board with naturally occurring fire resistance from the gypsum in the core; or
- Type X Gypsum Board – a gypsum board with special core additives to increase the natural fire resistance of regular gypsum board.
Gypsum board is one of many gypsum panel products, defined in ASTM C11, Standard Terminology Relating to Gypsum and Related Building Materials and Systems, as “the general name for a family of sheet products consisting essentially of gypsum.” This term includes gypsum board, glass mat gypsum panels, abuse-resistant, and impact-resistant gypsum panels and gypsum shaftliner panels.
Refer to GA-235, Gypsum Board Typical Mechanical and Physical Properties, for more information on characteristics, properties and performance. GA-235 is one of many free downloads in the GA Bookstore section.
Fire_Safety_Information (PDF)