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spcifications for Dimac drywall/plasterboard,
- Specifications
USA and Canada
Drywall panels are manufactured in 48 inches (120 cm) wide panels in varying lengths to suit the application.
Common panel thicknesses are 1/2" (13 mm) and 5/8" (16 mm),
with panels also available in 1/4" (6 mm) and 3/8" (10 mm). Both 1/2" (13 mm) and 5/8" (16 mm) panels of TYPE 'X'
(a gypsum board with special core additives to increase the natural fire resistance of regular gypsum board[7]) are used where a fire-resistance rating is desired. Regular 5/8" (16 mm) panels are used (with or without light gauge resilient metal channels)
where additional mass is needed for the reduction of sound transmission.
Drywall provides a thermal resistance R-value (in US units) of 0.32 for 3/8" board, 0.45 for 1/2", 0.56 for 5/8", and 0.83 for 1" board. In addition to increased R-value, thicker drywall has a higher sound transmission class.
Europe
In the UK and Europe, plasterboard is manufactured in metric sizes, with the common sizes being corollaries of old imperial sizes.
Most plasterboard is made in 120 cm wide sheets, though 90 cm wide sheets are also made. 120 cm wide plasterboard is most
commonly made in 240 cm lengths, though 270 cm and 300 cm length sheets are also commonly available.
Commonly used thicknesses of plasterboard available are 12.5 mm (modern equivalent of half an inch), typically used for walls,
and 9.5 mm (modern equivalent of three-eights of an inch), typically used for ceilings. 15 mm thick board is commonly available, and other thicknesses are also produced.[citation needed]
Plasterboard is commonly made with one of two different edge treatments—tapered edge, where the long edges of the board are tapered with a wide bevel at the front to allow for jointing materials to be
finished flush with the main board face, and plain edge, used where the whole surface will receive a thin coating (skim coat) of finishing plaster.
Construction techniques
Drywall is delivered to a building site on a flatbed truck and unloaded with a forked material handler crane. The bulk drywall sheets
are unloaded directly to upper floors via a window or exterior doorway.
As opposed to a weeklong plaster application, an entire house can be drywalled in one or two days by two experienced drywallers, and drywall is easy
enough to use that it can be installed by many amateur home carpenters. In large-scale commercial construction, the work of installing and finishing drywall is often split between the drywall mechanics, or hangers, who install the
wallboard, and the tapers and mudmen, or float crew, who finish the joints and cover the nailheads with drywall compound
Drywall is cut to size, using a large T-square, by scoring the paper on the front side (usually white) with a utility knife, 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 or a small high-speed bit in a rotary tool. Drywall is then fixed to the wall structure with nails, glue, or more commonly in recent years, the now-ubiquitous drywall screws.
Drywall fasteners, also referred to as drywall clips or stops, are gaining popularity in both residential and commercial construction. Drywall fasteners are used
for supporting interior drywall corners and replacing the non-structural wood or metal blocking that traditionally was used to install drywall. Their function serves to save on material and labour expenses; to minimize call
backs due to truss uplift; to increase energy efficiency; and to make plumbing and electrical installation simpler.
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