Not All Drywall Is the Same

The right board in the right room. That is the whole idea.

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(301) 679-9193
Serving Silver Spring and Montgomery County, MD

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Question 1 of 4

What does your drywall need?

Drywall installer carrying a sheet into a framed Silver Spring basement

Types of drywall: match the board to the room

Types of drywall matter because the wrong board fails early. Standard board in a damp basement. Regular board behind tile. Each fails on its own schedule. The fix is using the right board from the start.

The boards we hang

Standard. Bedrooms, living rooms, hallways. Half-inch. The workhorse.

Damp-rated. Basements and baths. Resists mold in humid air. Our default below grade.

Fire-rated (Type X). Thicker, with glass fibers. Goes between garage and house where code requires it.

Cement backer. Not drywall at all. Goes behind tile in showers and tub surrounds.

Quarter-inch. Goes over existing surfaces. Curved walls and overlays.

Where each belongs

Bedrooms get standard. Baths get damp-rated plus backer at tile. Basements get damp-rated. Garages get fire-rated on the house wall. Code and common sense agree here.

We spec the right board on every free visit. No upcharge games.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is moisture-resistant drywall?

Board made for damp air. The core and paper resist mold. It belongs in basements and baths. Not standard drywall with a new name.

What is fire-rated drywall?

Type X board. Thicker core with glass fibers. It buys time in a fire. Code requires it between garages and living space.

Is thicker drywall better for sound?

It helps. More mass blocks more sound. But real sound control comes from the whole assembly. Tell us the goal on the visit.

Can I use regular drywall in my bathroom?

We advise against it. Baths need damp-rated board. Cement backer goes where tile goes.

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