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Innovations in Residential Construction Using Advanced Gypsum Products

No longer a commodity, high-performance gypsum products provide solutions for safer, healthier, greener, and more sustainable buildings

By Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP

Continuing Education

Use the following learning objectives to focus your study while reading this month’s Continuing Education article.

Learning Objectives - After reading this article, you will be able to:

1. Review the history of gypsum as a natural material and how it has become so widely used in residential construction.
2. Identify the manufacturing process of both natural and synthetic gypsum products and the sustainability and green attributes of manufacturing each.
3. Investigate the full range of high-performing, innovative gypsum products and the different finish levels that can all help contribute to green building design.
4. Assess the functional performance of gypsum products as they contribute to green and sustainable design in any residential building or project.

Residential construction widely relies on a variety of gypsum products such as gypsum boards, panels, finish compounds, and accessories. According to the Gypsum Association, the North American industry trade association of gypsum manufacturers, an average home in the United States uses about 200 sheets of 4-by-12-foot board (approximately 8,500–9,000 square feet) for walls and ceilings. While this usage and its fairly long history in North American construction may lead some to think that gypsum board is just another commodity product, the reality is that gypsum board and panels have evolved and progressed in the past few decades. Changes in building codes, the rise of green building programs such as LEED, and evolving construction practices have generated a need for a suite of specialized solutions. Gypsum product manufacturers have responded with an array of standard and high-performance products that many architects and builders can benefit from by being more knowledgeable about them. High-performance gypsum board in particular has truly taken this former commodity to the status of an innovative product, allowing wall and ceiling surfaces to help solve a variety of current concerns and design issues. For example, the most recent advancements can help address indoor air quality, enhanced sound control between spaces, better durability, and overall sustainability. This course will review some of the history and manufacturing of gypsum products, distinguish between standard and high-performance products and finishing levels, and focus on the ways these advanced products can be used for environmental and human health considerations.

All images courtesy of CertainTeed Saint-Gobain

From design through construction and use, standard and high-performance gypsum boards and panels are estimated to be used in 97 percent of residential construction for a high-quality, sustainable, interior finish solution.

Why Gypsum? A Short History

Naturally occurring gypsum is a mineral made from calcium sulfate with chemically combined water (CaSO4 2H2O). As such, it is quite workable when mixed with extra water and will harden back to a rock-like state as the excess water not needed for chemical bonding is removed. Gypsum has been used in a variety of solid forms and mixed into plasters of different consistencies for thousands of years.

The earliest known use of gypsum in building construction appears to have occurred in 3700 B.C. It has been discovered that the Egyptian pyramid of Cheops used gypsum blocks and plaster applied over woven straw lath as part of the construction. It is notable that much of this construction is still intact some 5,700 years later, testifying to the strength and durability of gypsum. Other places in the Mediterranean are known to have used gypsum for buildings and palaces through the centuries. In the Middle Ages, it was used to make alabaster (a form of gypsum) that was used by sculptors.

During the late 1700s, the noted French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier analyzed the chemical makeup of gypsum. His work and subsequent research by a group of his contemporary chemists helped with a better understanding of its properties. Meanwhile, the discovery and mining of huge reserves of gypsum found near Paris led to the widespread use of “plaster of Paris” as a building material, primarily for plastering wall and ceiling surfaces. During a trip to France around this time, Benjamin Franklin observed farmers using gypsum as a soil additive. He was so impressed by the idea that he began to enthusiastically promote it upon his return to America.

Throughout the 1800s, many gypsum deposits were also discovered in the United States. Following the lead of the French, its primary usage was agricultural at first. However, in 1888, the so-called “grandfather of the gypsum board manufacturing industry” Augustine Sackett teamed up with Fred Kane and developed Sackett board—plaster of Paris sandwiched between several layers of felt paper. Sackett boards did not necessarily provide a nice wall finish, but they did provide a more convenient and excellent plastering base compared to wood lath for wall and ceiling construction. Sackett patented his manufacturing process and opened several production facilities over the next decade so that by 1901, he was producing nearly 5 million square feet of board annually. In 1916, the original board was finally replaced with a paper-faced product that was ready to finish, and gypsum board, or “drywall” as we recognize it today, was born.

World War I brought new challenges for the country but also new growth in the use of gypsum board. The U.S. Army had an immediate need for temporary housing both in the United States and overseas for an increasing number of troops. But when a tragic barracks fire claimed the lives of several servicemen, gypsum boards quickly became the material of choice for its inherent fire resistance. Its increasing use also led to new technological improvements, including air entrainment for lighter-weight and less-brittle boards, along with evolving joint treatment materials and systems. By 1930, there was a growing demand and a high enough number of manufacturers that the Gypsum Association was founded in April of that year. Some of the association’s first tasks were to develop standardized fire-resistance testing for gypsum products.

Gypsum boards have been commonly used in residential construction of all types for decades and have evolved to include high-performance solutions to meet the demands of 21st century homes.

During the 1940s, gypsum boards were being incorporated in both domestic and overseas military construction for its ease of installation and fire-resistive qualities. By 1945, the government had used approximately 2.5 billion square feet of gypsum board in a variety of buildings and locations. The time period immediately following World War II is well known for the housing boom that followed but it also helped fuel a shift away from domestic plaster use and toward gypsum board. At this time, about 50 percent of the new houses being built in America used gypsum wall board, while the other 50 percent were being built with gypsum plaster over lath. This is also the time period when type X gypsum board was introduced with specific fire-resistance ratings available.

The 1960s and 1970s found the industry focusing on expanding the use of gypsum board into commercial construction, concentrating in particular on apartment building and office tower design solutions. This was also the time that improvements developed in the products, particularly for different types of fire-resistance-rated systems. Concurrently, there was a recognition that gypsum could be created synthetically using the same chemical makeup as natural gypsum so that by the 1990s entire manufacturing facilities were devoted to that purpose.

From a rather humble beginning over a century ago, gypsum boards have become the interior finish material of choice, currently covering the interiors of 97 percent of the new homes constructed in the United States and Canada as reported by the Gypsum Association. Building on this tradition and development, the industry is steaming headlong into the 21st century with more options and choices for design and construction than previously available.

Gypsum Product Manufacturing

In order to understand some of the different attributes of standard and high-performance gypsum board, it is useful to understand how the products are manufactured. There are two fundamental ways to manufacturer gypsum products that are commonly in use in residential construction, discussed as follows.

Natural Gypsum

Prior to the 1980s, almost all of the gypsum used to manufacture boards and plaster was natural in that it was mined from the earth. As such, many manufacturing plants were logically located close to a significant source of natural gypsum that was mined and brought to the plant. Today, a large amount of gypsum is reclaimed from recycled products, allowing plants to be located in more places closer to centers of construction activity. Either way, the natural gypsum rock is crushed into a powder that is heated to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a process called calcining. The calcined gypsum is mixed with water and additives to form a slurry that is fed between continuous layers of paper on a board machine. The paper edges of the board are machine wrapped and the face and back paper become chemically and mechanically bonded to the gypsum core. As the board moves down a conveyer line, its calcium sulfate makeup recrystallizes, thus reverting back to its original rock state. The board is then cut to length and conveyed through dryers to remove any free moisture. The finished boards are stacked, labeled, and made ready for transport by rail or truck to distribution centers.

Both natural and synthetic gypsum boards are commonly used in North America with the same chemical makeup and same properties for construction and finished spaces in each.

Synthetic Gypsum

Since the 1990s, most new gypsum board plants have been built near power plants to take advantage of coal-fueled power, which can be used to produce “synthetic gypsum.” By using a process known as flue-gas desulfurization (FGD), power-generating or similar plants remove polluting sulfur dioxide (SO2) from their smoke stacks as a means to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere. By passing the sulfur dioxide through limestone in an air-pollution-control scrubber tower, a resulting scrubber sludge is formed. Adding some forced oxidation to the sludge turns it into hardened calcium sulfate—the same high-quality compound that forms natural gypsum. By using synthetic FGD gypsum in its manufacturing process, the gypsum industry contributes to a cleaner environment in at least two ways. First, it promotes the continued use of scrubber towers to keep the air clean. Second, it repurposes an otherwise useless material that would needlessly occupy dwindling landfill space. In fact, the U.S. gypsum industry has diverted almost 8 million tons a year of FGD gypsum to board manufacturing using material that otherwise would have been sent to local landfills.

It is important to point out that both natural and synthetic gypsum used in gypsum boards are considered to be nontoxic and safe and are often mixed together at a manufacturing plant. FGD gypsum used for gypsum wall board does not use fly ash or bottom ash in its makeup, nor does it use unsuitable or harmful elements or compounds. Rather, it must meet stringent quality-control standards to assure that it is in fact chemically similar to natural gypsum. Because of this safety plus its environmental benefits, both the EPA and the U.S. Green Building council use FGD gypsum in their office buildings. Currently, almost half of all of the gypsum used in the United States is synthetic FGD gypsum.

Regardless of the type of gypsum produced (natural, synthetic, or mixed) the paper facing used on gypsum boards is commonly made from 100 percent recycled paper. This helps further reduce the environmental impact of producing gypsum board.

Residential Gypsum Board and Panel Types

There are, as already noted, a variety of variations on the final products produced from gypsum. One of the basic differences is the way the gypsum cores are finished or covered. The most common is gypsum wallboard, which is used for walls and ceilings and has a paper facing on each side and along the edges. However, some products do not have paper and instead may use glass-mat facing or other treatments to provide a final surface. These are referred to as gypsum panels instead of gypsum board and have a bit more texture in the surface compared to paper. These board and panel designations are true regardless of the thickness (which can range from 1/4 inch up to 1 inch) or the size (48 or 54 inches wide by 10, 12, or 14 feet long). The commonality is the gypsum core of these various products.

With the above in mind, we will look at some of the standard and high-performance products that are available.

Standard Gypsum Boards

There are essentially two types of standard, commonly available gypsum board used in residential construction.

• Common residential gypsum board: This is the product that most people think of as gypsum board. It is defined by a standard gypsum core and paper facings and is typically ½ inch in thickness for general use. It is intended for single-layer interior applications in residential construction and non-fire-rated commercial construction or wherever the unique properties of other special board types are not required. It is also available in a ½-inch-thick lightweight version with the same properties as regular board but is typically about 25 percent lighter in weight.
• Fire-resistance-rated boards: Any product or system that claims to provide fire resistance to satisfy building code requirements must prove that claim through independent, third-party testing based on accepted industry standards. In this case, the standard is ASTM C1396/C1396M – 17: Standard Specification for Gypsum Board (formerly ASTM 36). To receive the “type X fire-resistance designation under this standard, a gypsum board assembly (i.e., gypsum board layers and studs) must be shown to achieve not less than a 1-hour fire resistance rating, which typically means that a

  5/8

  inch thickness of two layers over studs is required, plus attention to installation details. Type X gypsum board is also commonly made with noncombustible fiberglass fibers and other additives to improve its overall fire resistance and burning characteristics. Type X gypsum board is used in locations where increased fire resistance is desired or required by code, such as creating fire-resistance-rated separations between garages and occupied spaces or between living units and hallways in multifamily situations. Because of its enhanced makeup and thickness, it is usually harder to cut and work with than regular ½-inch drywall.

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Type X gypsum board is used as part of fire-resistant-rated construction in places likes garages in residential construction.

Fire resistance can be improved to achieve higher ratings by using Type C gypsum board, which has an enhanced core with more glass fiber used than in type X. Type C also has an additive of a shrinkage-compensating vermiculite that makes up for material shrinkage during fires in order to provide additional protective stability. 5/8-inch-thick type C gypsum board is used where a fire-resistance rating of more than 1 hour is needed and is commonly used on assemblies that are tested to achieve a 2- to 4-hour fire-resistance rating.

High-Performance Gypsum Boards and Panels

Standard or fire-resistance rated gypsum boards form the basis of all high-performance boards and panels. Variations in the formulation of the gypsum core and/or the facings provide innovative products to meet the variety of needs that are discussed as follows.

• Moisture/mold/mildew-resistant gypsum boards: This type of gypsum board has been available for some time and has been commonly used in bathrooms, basements, or other locations where moisture resistance is needed. These boards are engineered with a chemistry to provide greater water resistance to produce a greater level of protection than standard paper-faced boards. Since the core is actually moisture resistant as well, there is no change compared to standard or fire-resistant gypsum board. However, in order to provide the moisture resistance, a water-resistant paper is used to prevent moisture from penetrating and reaching the gypsum. In some cases, additives are used to prevent the paper from being used as food for the growth of mold or mildew.
• Paperless drywall: This type of gypsum panel is reinforced with a fiberglass mat instead of a paper facing. This protects the gypsum from deterioration and offers even greater resistance to mold and mildew than paper faced products since there is no presence of a food source for mold growth. It is commonly used in areas of higher humidity but not where there is direct water exposure like showers. A variation on this product is a paperless, fiberglass-faced, mat-reinforced tile backer board that is installed behind ceramic tile. This is often used in shower stalls and other wet locations. Tile can be directly applied to these panels, eliminating the need for surface sealants, skim adhesive coats, or waterproofing membranes.
• Acoustic-control gypsum board: Standard gypsum board has always helped with the control of sound transfer between spaces. Often, adding sound-insulation batts or resilient channels and paying attention to other details of construction assemblies has been needed to achieve desired sound ratings. A new innovation by manufacturers is the use of gypsum board that is manufactured as a multilayer layer sandwich. It commonly uses two layers of standard or fire-resistant gypsum board with a middle layer of “viscoelastic sound-absorbing polymers.” This middle layer can be thought of as if it were a cushion to dissipate and help absorb sound waves, thus reducing transmission from room to room. Acoustic control gypsum board can be used wherever there is a simple need for reducing noise in a residence, such as in bedrooms or other quiet spaces, or to restrict noise between residences in a multifamily building.

Additives placed in gypsum board can absorb and sequester airborne formaldehyde VOCs to help create healthier indoor air quality in buildings.

• Indoor air quality gypsum board: Indoor air quality is a significant concern in all green building and sustainable design projects and a health concern in general. Indoor air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known to be released from common building products, furniture, and other things routinely found in homes. The green building approach is to reduce or eliminate VOC content in building materials wherever possible, but that doesn’t mean there won’t still be some in the air from other sources. In response, gypsum board manufacturers have found a way to use the extensive surface area of the walls and ceilings in a residence to soak up and sequester VOCs floating in the indoor air. By introducing an additive to the gypsum formula in standard or fire-resistant gypsum board, VOCs such as formaldehyde are absorbed through the surface and react chemically inside the core. This breaks apart the pollutant and turns it into harmless compounds that are stored inside the drywall. Products using this technology have been tested and shown to be effective. They have also been shown to work when standard latex paints and primers cover the paper face of the gypsum board.

Areas such as stairs where high foot traffic or heavy use can be anticipated can benefit from abrasion- and impact-resistant gypsum board and corner bead accessories.

• Abuse/impact-resistant gypsum board: A general principle of designing a sustainable building is for it to be durable enough to last a long time without the need for frequent maintenance or repairs. Places that are prone to a lot of foot traffic or other hard use conditions, such as stairways, hallways, and garages. can require some extra protection to meet that durability need. Toward that end, several high-performance gypsum board products are available with face paper that is scuff or tear resistant and cores that are dent resistant. Specifically, abuse-resistant drywall is designed to resist abrasion resulting from the scraping of objects across the wall surface, whereas impact-resistant drywall is built to handle impact from heavy objects that could potentially puncture the surface of the wall. In order to achieve the strength required to meet classification requirements for abuse and impact, manufacturers may use several methods, such as the addition of fibers to the core plaster mix, densification of the core plaster formulation, fiberglass mesh facing materials, and specially designed paper applications. It also helps that it is typically thicker and available only in

  5/8

  -inch thicknesses. Related to this product are high-impact corner beads that are specifically designed and manufactured for durability and longevity.

By understanding the different types of gypsum board and panel products that are available, architects and designers can be clearer on which are considered standard compared to high performance. It also makes it clearer on what type of products to select to best suit the specific conditions of a project.

Installing and Finishing All Types of Gypsum Boards and Panels

Once the appropriate gypsum board or panel products are selected for a project, the manner in which they are installed and finished becomes a prime consideration. Toward that end, ASTM C840 – 17a: Standard Specification for Application and Finishing of Gypsum Board is often cited and referenced as the quality standard for acceptable workmanship and for achieving the designated fire rating in a construction assembly where needed. This ASTM specification references the need to follow construction details based on recognized fire and acoustical tests to achieve the intended results under those conditions. The standard addresses framing size, fastener spacing, ventilation, substrate, surface preparation, cutting, and installation application. Materials categorized under this specification include gypsum boards, gypsum wallboards, gypsum backing board and water-resistant gypsum backing board, exterior gypsum soffit board, and gypsum ceiling board. Finishing materials include compounds, joint tape, fasteners, nails, screws, and staples. It also addresses specific means of cutting and installing gypsum board, the proper conditions of substrates, and requirements for proper on-site storage of gypsum products.

ASTM C840 is the standard for cutting, installing, and fastening gypsum board and panels and can be used to specify proper installation of these products.

In addition to ASTM C840, the Gypsum Association has also identified different levels of surface finish for gypsum boards and panels. In 1990, it first published document GA-214 and subsequently updated it in 2015 so that it is now known as GA-214-2015: Recommended Levels of Finish for Gypsum Board, Glass Mat & Fiber-Reinforced Gypsum Panels. The updated version of this standard was a collaborative effort of the Gypsum Association and the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industries-International (AWCI), the Ceilings & Interior Systems Construction Association (CISCA), the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA), and the Drywall Finishing Council (DWFC). It was predicated on the need to update prior standards that only addressed paper-faced gypsum board but did not address some of the newer, high-performance, and panel products.

Both GA-214 and ASTM C840 use the same format to identify different levels of finish appearance on a scale of zero to five, described as follows:

• Level 0 finish: A the name implies, this is unfinished gypsum boards or panels that are simply secured to studs or a substrate for the work to be considered complete. No tape, joint compound, corner bead, or any other accessories are called for in a Level 0 finish.
• Level 1 finish: This is the most basic level of finish to achieve a continuous surface across joints and corners. In a level 1 finish, drywall tape is embedded in a single layer of joint compound at all joints and interior corners. The surfaces must be free from excess joint compound, but tool marks and ridges are acceptable. Fastener heads and accessories, such as corner beads or trim, are not required to be finished.
• Level 2 finish: In this case, joint tape is embedded in a layer of joint compound as above, but then it is tooled and smoothed with a second thin layer of joint compound. At this level, fastener heads and accessories shall also be covered with one layer of joint compound and smoothed.
• Level 3 finish: Using a level 2 finish as the base, an additional coat of joint compound is then applied to all joints, fastener heads, and accessories for a total of two coats of joint compound everywhere. All surfaces, including joint compound, shall be sanded smooth and free of tool marks. A level 3 finish is typically used where a heavy wall covering or other heavy textured material will be applied over the wall surface.

GA-214 published by the Gypsum Association defines different levels of surface finish on a scale of 0 to 5 based on the use of tape and finishing compound in 1 or more layers.

• Level 4 finish: This is probably the most typical and common level of finish in residential construction since it is used where flat paints and lightweight wall coverings are applied over the finished gypsum board surface. In this case, after all of the steps needed for level 3 finish are completed, then all tape, joints, fastener heads, and accessories are covered with a third layer of joint compound that is sanded smooth. Note that if a level 4 finish is being sought for glass mat panels, it may be appropriate to have a mockup created on-site since it is reasonable to expect a different appearance on this product than on paper-faced gypsum board. If a smoother, more continuous surface is desired on glass-mat panels, then a skim coat across the full surface may be warranted.
• Level 5 finish: This is the highest level of finish and requires the greatest amount of work and skill. It is typically used where semi-gloss, gloss, or other nontextured paints cover the gypsum product or where strong severe lighting conditions occur, such as wall-wash light fixtures or light from a nearby window. In a level 5 finish, a thin skim coat of joint compound (or other specialized material) is carefully applied to the entire surface of the wall to achieve a uniform, consistent appearance. Although less commonly specified due to the greater cost, it is important that if a level 5 finish is called for on selected walls, then those locations must be clearly identified in the construction documents so that contractors can properly price the increased amount of work.

Selecting the appropriate level of finish for walls and ceilings using gypsum boards and panels will help insure the best final appearance, meet fire-resistance requirements, and help control project costs.

Sustainability and Gypsum Products

We have touched upon some of the varied ways that gypsum products can provide greater sustainability to a building project. There are also specific ways that incorporating standard or high-performance gypsum products into a design can contribute to green building certification programs, such as LEED version 4, The Living Building Challenge, or the National Green Building Standard for homes. Most of these contributions are fairly straightforward to document due to the inherent properties and characteristics of gypsum products as well as information available from the Gypsum Association or from manufacturers. These include the following.

Materials and Resources

Under LEEDv4, one of the fundamental approaches to certifying green building materials and products is the availability of a life-cycle assessment (LCA). Fortunately, the Gypsum Association has taken the lead on preparing some of the needed tools for addressing life-cycle sustainability for gypsum products. These tools apply to all gypsum manufacturing in the United States and Canada since the processes and materials are the same regardless of who the manufacturer might be. In that regard, the Gypsum Association has helped develop and made available product category rules (PCRs) for both gypsum boards and glass-mat gypsum panels that are manufactured in North America. Using these as a basis, it has arranged for independently verified life-cycle assessments of gypsum wall board conforming to the ISO 14040 series of LCA standards. Similarly, it has arranged an LCA for glass-mat gypsum panels based on industry averages and standard cradle-to-gate processes. Ultimately, these documents can be used to form the basis of environmental product declarations (EPDs), of which two have been issued so far by the Gypsum Association—one for type X gypsum boards and one for glass-mat gypsum products. Others may be forthcoming or may be available from individual manufacturers.

A number of things provide favorable input into LCAs and EPDs for gypsum products. From a manufacturing standpoint, the gypsum cores are either new or recycled natural material or incorporate reclaimed material using FGD synthetic gypsum. Overall, gypsum products are made from up to 90 to 95 percent recycled or reclaimed gypsum, while the paper facings are made exclusively from 100 percent recycled content, mostly old newspapers. On an annual basis, the gypsum industry uses more than 40 million cubic yards of paper material destined for landfills. This is in addition to the 8 million tons per year of landfill diversion when FGD synthetic gypsum is reclaimed and used.

Once products are ready for shipping, they require minimal packaging, thus reducing shipping waste and weight. Products shipped by truck are commonly protected with reusable tarps and banding. Even the risers used to separate stacks are made from gypsum scrap that can be reused or recycled. During installation, gypsum scrap can similarly be collected, reused, or recycled. Using abrasion- and impact-resistant gypsum board will help extend the life of the installed products where the need is evident. The same is true when durability-enhanced accessories such as corners and trim are used. At the end of their service life, gypsum products can be removed and recycled into new products, or they can be used as an agricultural soil conditioner or concrete additive. In all, gypsum products tend to rate highly in terms of meeting green building material standards.

The range of green and sustainable properties of gypsum board and panels contribute to better life-cycle performance and healthier indoor environments.

Indoor Environmental Quality

One of the key aspects of LEED and similar green building systems such as the WELL Building Standard and the Living Building Challenge is to protect human health in indoor environments. They do that by looking for demonstrable proof that the mix of materials and products used in a building contain no, or at least acceptably low levels of, indoor air pollutants or toxic chemicals. Other programs such as GreenGuard and the DECLARE aspect of the Living Building Challenge specifically look at materials and provide ratings or certifications for individual products. Using data about the ingredients and makeup of products, manufacturers can also arrange for independently verified health product declarations (HPDs) to be prepared. These are similar to EPDs but look beyond LCA requirements and focus on impacts to human health.

Standard and high-performance gypsum boards and panels can play a major role in helping to control indoor environmental quality. Some manufacturers carry products that carry GreenGuard or DECLARE labels, which simplifies specifying appropriate, healthy products. Others have HPDs available that can help specifiers make informed decisions when comparing different products. It helps all around that gypsum and the paper or fiberglass mats used are basically inert and nontoxic at the outset so they are not introducing anything harmful into the indoor environment to begin with. By going a step further, using products that actually absorb and sequester any free formaldehyde or other VOCs in the air actually helps to clean the indoor environment and make it a measurably healthier place.

For locations where exposure to moisture is possible and mold or mildew is an indoor environmental quality concern, then either moisture-resistant gypsum board or glass-mat (paperless) gypsum panels can be used. This tactic can improve the indoor environment and can contribute to credits and points in this category too by eliminating the threat of mold or mildew on human health. Similarly, using gypsum board that improves the acoustic performance and sound-limiting aspects of a space can help achieve acoustic credits under green building rating systems or the International Green Construction Code (IgCC).

Overall, gypsum boards, panels, and related products have a long and proven history of contributing to green and sustainable construction that can be readily documented.

Conclusion

Gypsum products have evolved to include a full array of standard and high-performance offerings. Building from the long history of use as both a natural or synthetic material, it has become an integral part of most residential construction in North America. By selecting products with the multi-attribute performance capabilities presented, design objectives can be met, construction can be enhanced, green building objectives can be achieved, budgets can be controlled, and the quality of life for people who reside in these buildings can improve.

Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, is a nationally known architect, consultant, continuing education presenter, and prolific author advancing building performance through better design. www.pjaarch.com, www.linkedin.com/in/pjaarch

CertainTeed drywall and finishing products deliver durability, acoustics, and indoor air quality solutions. To view our full portfolio of solutions, visit www.certainteed.com/drywall.

 

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