Drywall plays an essential role in preventing the fire from spreading. Each standard thickness panel comes with particular benefits, such as effective insulation, fire, and humidity resistance.
Homeowners must choose the thickness of drywall carefully to best suit the condition and environment around them. This article, “How thick is drywall?” will assist you in the search for the right drywall.
Let’s get right into this post to check it out.
Types of Drywall?
Before the question “how thick is drywall?” comes the question “What types of drywall are there?”. Going over the latter will give you a basic understanding of drywall.
Regular
Regular drywall is considered the most common drywall, which is suitable for most remodeling and basements.
Despite the lack of out-of-the-world features, this type of drywall still comes with a length up to 16 feet, perfect for a new trend where houses or departments have high ceilings.
Moisture-Resistant
Moisture-resistant drywall is otherwise known as concrete or green board. It has a special surface coating that reduces the amount of damage caused by moisture. The moisture-resistant drywall best suits kitchens, basements, and utility rooms and regularly acts as a tile backer in these spaces.
In damp areas with a lot of water, like tubs and showers, you should combine moisture-resistant drywall with a concrete board for the best protection. The most suitable concrete board in the current market you should try is National Gypsum’s PermaBase.
If you currently live in a humid environment, this coated drywall can be a good choice to consider. Even though moisture-resistant drywall costs more than regular drywall, its quality and durability justify the price.
Mold-Resistant
Instead of using paper for the facing and backing, mold-resistant drywall comes with fiberglass mesh, which is non-organic.
Moreover, these components come with waxy covering material that inhibits moisture and air from penetrating the paper. Without this, mold spores will not be able to take root.
Fire-Resistant
Non-combustible fibers are used in fire-resistant drywall since they are thicker than the majority of other fibers. These features cooperate to slow fire spread, giving people more time to escape and minimizing the amount of damage.
Construction codes dictate the utilization of fire resistance, including type X, X board, and fireboard in areas such as bedrooms, garages, apartments, and many commercial buildings.
How Thick Is Drywall?
Thickness plays an essential role in measurement. To answer the question “How thick is drywall?”, you need to acknowledge four different drywall thicknesses. Depending on your needs and your house, you can choose one among these drywall sizes below:
1/4 inch
“How thick is drywall?” – Inquires the confused and frustrated customer.
“We’ll give you one better: How thin is drywall?” – Replies the retailer.
(In case it went over your head, we’re attempting an Infinity War reference)
Anyway, 1/4 inch is the thinnest drywall on the current market. Many experts advise against using it without supplementary products since it is too weak to give much support.
Even though the regular drywall provides this size, panels this thin are not popular.
3/8 inch
If you’re looking for a drywall for your basements or other areas, 3/8 inch drywall is the perfect choice for you. Besides 1/4 inch, regular drywall is also available in this width.
Workers often use this type of drywall for curved surfaces or to cover existing drywall because it’s thin and flexible.
1/2 inch
1/2 inch drywall is heftier in comparison with the previous two measurements. You can find regular, mold-resistant, and moisture-resistant drywalls of this size.
5/8 inch
The question “how thick is drywall?” becomes a deciding factor when choosing soundproof and fireproof drywall. The 5/8 inch, the thickest drywall in the market, is the best option for your requirements.
It is understandable why many people are keen on using 5/8 inch fire-resistant. It can suit ceilings and garages, bringing many advantages for users.
Currently, all varieties of sheetrock have this size, but it is most commonly used in fire-resistant, mold-resistant, and moisture-resistant panels.
Which Drywall Is Suitable For Your House?
To answer the question “How thick is drywall?” you have to know what type of drywall you plan to buy. Getting the right thickness of drywall will help your house minimize unexpected incidents, especially in a humid environment.
The 3/8 inch and 5/8 inch drywall are two common options that many people are using the most. Many types of drywall come up with these two thicknesses with various materials and colors, satisfying customers’ needs.
Conclusion
Overall, making drywall on your own is a great way to save your money, but it is never easy to do. Such a task requires you to understand the types of drywalls, their thickness, and sizes.
With the article on “how thick is drywall?” we hope to provide enough detailed information that you are searching for. Thanks for reading, and see you in our next post!
