Drywall: composition, types, production, tips

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Gypsum board is a popular finishing material widely used for cladding walls, ceilings, creating various kinds of decorative structures. This material is made using a fairly simple technology. But the equipment in its production, of course, uses the most modern.

What is the material

The composition of drywall is very simple. The same goes for its structure. Gypsum plates form the basis of GKL sheets. To give strength to such a fragile material, it is pasted over with cardboard on both sides. Otherwise, drywall is also called dry plaster. Sheets of this type can be used to level the walls and ceilings of rooms for almost any purpose.

This finishing material was invented in the USA in the last century by the American Utsman. A sheet of drywall does not have a relatively small weight. But still, it is usually fixed to the walls only with the help of a wooden or metal frame.

What are the varieties of GKL

The following types of drywall can currently be used in interior decoration:

• plain gray;
• green moisture resistant;

• dark gray fireproof.

Also in construction supermarkets you can find universal sheets of this type, which can be used both in dry and wet rooms.

Composition of drywall

As already mentioned, the procedure for making drywall is not particularly complicated. The main components of this material are:

• gypsum;
• cardboard;
• starch;
• synthetic blowing agent.

In most cases, at least 85% natural gypsum is used in the production of drywall. The remaining 15% are artificial. Natural gypsum is a fairly common quarry rock in nature. Before the production of GKL, such material is first ground into powder. The plaster is then cleaned and dried.

The cardboard used in drywall is made by pressing recycled wood into sheets. For enterprises engaged in the production of gypsum boards, such material is supplied in rolls. Typically, for the manufacture of drywall, cardboard is used with a thickness of 0.3-0.46 mm. Starch in the production of drywall is used modified with a dust content of a maximum of 2%.

According to regulations, small amounts of impurities such as cellulose, sodium chloride, caustic soda may also be included in drywall. They are components of the GCR, in addition, and phosphogypsum, as well as borogypsum.

What drywall is made of for normal use is now clear. The composition of sheets of special purpose of this type may include various kinds of additional substances. Moisture-resistant drywall, for example, among other things, contains special antifungal antiseptic additives. Fire-resistant sheets of this type are made with the additional use of fiberglass.

Specifications

The drywall produced by the modern industry is the material:

• flammable;
• odorless;
• environmentally friendly;
• resistant to mold and mildew.

According to the scope of use, GKL sheets are divided into wall and ceiling. They differ primarily in thickness. For ceiling plasterboards, this figure is 9.5 mm. For wall, since during operation they are subjected to heavy loads, the indicator is larger - 12.5 mm. The weight of drywall, of course, will primarily depend on its thickness. So, for sheets 9.5 mm thick and 1200x2000 in size, it will be equal to 18 kg. Wall drywall of the same dimensions will weigh 23 kg.

How they do it

Of course, in factories such sheets are made on conveyors. In the process of GKL production, natural gypsum is first fed into a supply hopper and fired. Next:

• gypsum enters the screw mixer, where itit, if necessary, add substances that increase moisture resistance or fiberglass;
• the resulting composition is sent to a continuous mixer for foaming;
• foamed gypsum is fed onto a molding table covered with a sheet of cardboard with folded edges and spread into a layer;
• gypsum board is covered with a second sheet of cardboard;
• the resulting drywall is pulled between the forming rolls;
• after the gypsum has set, the tape is cut by a guillotine into sheets 2.5 m long.

At the final stage, the drywall produced in this way is marked, rolled over and sent to the drying chamber. Next, the sheets are stacked in pairs with the front side to each other and aligned. At the final stage at the enterprise, drywall is packed into packs and sent for packaging.

Equipment: automatic lines

Conveyors for the production of all types of drywall, since the material is very popular, are presented on the market in a large assortment. Many companies are engaged in the production of such sheets today. In most cases, the automatic GCR production lines include the following types of equipment:

• intermediate tanks and various mixers;
• sheet former;
• machines for continuous feeding of material into the former;
• guillotine;
• dryer.

Standconveyors for the production of drywall, since this equipment is structurally quite complex, of course, quite expensive. On average, depending on power and performance, the price for such lines on the market is 5-9 million rubles.

Semi-automatic machines

Conveyors for the production of drywall are, of course, usually installed in fairly large enterprises. Small workshops specializing in the manufacture of this material are most often equipped with semi-automatic machines for this purpose. A feature of such industries is that many operations are performed manually. Such machines are slightly cheaper than lines - ranging from 900 thousand rubles. up to 2 million

A feature of automatic and semi-automatic lines designed for the production of drywall, among other things, are quite large dimensions. Therefore, of course, it is possible to install such equipment only in a fairly spacious room.

Is it bad for he alth

Of course, branded high-quality drywall also includes various kinds of chemical additives. This is especially true of its moisture-resistant and fire-resistant varieties. However, the main components of such a material are still gypsum and cardboard, that is, materials made from natural raw materials.

It is believed that no harm to he alth, thus, high-quality drywall can not be applied. The material is actually environmentally almost absolutely clean. The only thing,such sheets may cause some harm to the he alth of employees of enterprises engaged in their production. In the manufacture of gypsum boards, a lot of gypsum dust is usually formed. Its inhalation, of course, can adversely affect the condition of a person's lungs.

What to look for when buying

High-quality drywall, thus, cannot cause any harm to human he alth. However, a lot of companies are engaged in the production of this material today. And often the owners of apartments and houses purchase gypsum boards for walls and ceilings, produced by little-known companies. Such sheets are usually cheaper, for example, the same Knauf drywall or from any other well-known manufacturers. However, their composition, unfortunately, in some cases may differ from the standard.

In the production of cheap GCR, unfortunately, in some cases, various harmful chemical additives are also used. Most often it is phenol or formaldehyde. Such substances, of course, can harm a person, and significant.

Also, low-quality drywall is often affected by mold. In this case, mycotoxins can also enter the room, among other things. Such substances are also considered quite harmful to human he alth.

How to choose the right one

Thus, it is still not too cheap to buy high-quality drywall for finishing an apartment. The best brands of such material, of course, are Chinese. Also not badtechnical and operational characteristics are usually different and domestic drywall. In our country, such sheets are supposed to be made in compliance with certain sanitary standards.

In most cases, the domestic FCL supplied to the market, among other things, is supplied with accompanying documents. For example, consumers consider Volma GKL to be of sufficient quality.

Experienced builders do not advise buying, first of all, cheap Chinese drywall. It is this material that most often contains various kinds of harmful impurities. In addition, cheap GKL from China is significantly inferior to European and domestic in terms of durability and performance.

How to reduce the harm from cheap drywall

Sometimes, owners of houses and apartments who are experiencing financial difficulties still have to purchase inexpensive Chinese drywall. When installing such material, in order to reduce the possible harm from it, certain rules must be observed. First of all, it is advisable to install such sheets only in well-ventilated areas. Also, when installing a cheap GKL, you should try:

• use only the highest quality elastic putty for grouting;
• carefully select the dye for sheets.

The use of elastic putty will reduce the risk of defects on the edges of the sheets and the possibility of penetration into the room of harmful fumes of the filling. A good dye will create on the surface of suchdrywall protective film, which in the future will also retain harmful substances.