Differences between Gypsum and Sheetrock

Gypsum vs Sheetrock

When you’re looking to plaster a surface, whether it’s in a newly built home or a renovation to an existing wall or ceiling, there’s plenty of choice in the materials to use.

Traditionalists may opt for gypsum plaster, something which has been used in the trade for centuries and requires great skill and practice, while anyone looking for speed without the many stages of plastering and an arguably cheaper option, may opt for drywall.

Both have their plus points and depending on the look and feel of the area you’re plastering can really compliment the overall effect of a room.

Sometimes you might hear the odd phrase or two bandied about when it comes to materials to use, but if you’re wondering about the differences between gypsum and sheetrock in particular, then here is your answer.

What is gypsum and drywall?

Gypsum is a mineral which occurs naturally and the longer term for it is hydrous calcium sulphate. It’s mined in countries such as the USA and looks like beds of white sand. While it contains water it is easy to manipulate and use as plaster to coat walls and ceilings, but when it dries out it becomes more solid.

This is where you get the hardness of plastered walls once they’re dry (and also is the reason for only coating small areas of a wall at a time with plaster, to avoid it drying out before you’ve finished flattening!)  In fact, when heated all the way up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, gypsum turns into the unbreakable material that is Plaster of Paris.

Gypsum is fire resistant by nature, which makes it a popular choice for plasterers as it reduces the chance of fire damage to the structure of a building.

And a stage on from this is drywall – a material which uses gypsum at its core. In drywall, the gypsum is sandwiched between sheets of heavy paper and dried to give it the hard surface. It can come in large sheets, is incredibly easy to fix to a wall and is easy to paint.

So where does Sheetrock fit in?

Sheetrock was the term given to one of the first forms of drywall which was created in America around 100 years ago. So effectively you start out with the gypsum, use the gypsum to make up the core of the drywall, and then Sheetrock was a brand name for a version of drywall.

Order your drywall and plastering tools online

If you would like to discover more about the different plaster and drywall options that we have available, as well as the range of tools and equipment that can be used with them, take a look through our products and order online today. If you have any questions please contact us, we will be happy to help!

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