Plasterboard can be found in one form or another in most modern homes. It’s a good energy-efficient building material to use in construction, as it has a low environmental impact, but with so many different types of plasterboard out there, which is best for the different rooms in your home? 

What Is Plasterboard?

Plasterboard is also sometimes referred to as wallboard or drywall, and it’s typically used for walls and ceilings to create a smooth finish. Plasterboard is made from gypsum (calcium sulphate dihydrate) that’s mixed with water before being layered between two large sheets of paper to create a sturdy board. The benefits of using plasterboard in your home include:

• Easy to install
• Lightweight
• 100% recyclable
• Can hide pipes and wires
• Good for smoothing out walls during a renovation project
• Provides a cavity space for insulation - although you can get insulated plasterboard too
• Gypsum is naturally fire-resistant

What’s The Difference Between Plasterboard And Plaster?

Plasterboard is not the same as plaster; traditional plaster is a paste that is applied to walls before being left to dry to create a smooth finish. Plasterboard is a more recent invention, providing the same smooth finish, but with a much easier - and quicker - installation process.

8 Types Of Plasterboard To Use In Your Home

From insulated plasterboard to moisture-resistant plasterboard and flexible plasterboard, here’s how to use 8 different types of plasterboard in your home:

1. Insulated Plasterboard

Insulated plasterboard is plasterboard with an extra thermal insulation board fitted to one side. A good choice for improving the thermal efficiency of a room, insulated plasterboard can be used to help insulate exterior walls, including brick walls.

Insulated plasterboard can be much quicker and easier to install than other types of insulation. This type of plasterboard can even be added to existing plaster, as long as what’s already there is solid and dry. Xtratherm insulated plasterboard is a popular choice.

Use insulated plasterboard to stop excess heat escaping a room via the walls or ceiling; it’s a good choice for bedrooms and living areas.

2. Moisture-Resistant Plasterboard

Moisture-resistant plasterboard is the best type of plasterboard to use in a bathroom or kitchen where extra moisture is likely to be present.

Moisture-resistant plasterboard typically contains silicone additives to help prevent moisture accumulating, which makes it the perfect choice for using on walls that are more likely to get splashed. 

Gypfor Moisture and Knauf Aquapanel are both good examples of moisture-resistant plasterboard that would be effective in a bathroom, wetroom, en-suite, or walk-in shower.

Using moisture plasterboard can help to reduce the risk of insulation mould in rooms with high levels of moisture, helping to prolong the lifetime of your insulation. 

3. Acoustic Plasterboard

Acoustic plasterboard, such as Gypfor Sound, can help with soundproofing, which makes it a good choice for thinner ceilings to help minimise sound transmission between floors. Acoustic plasterboard typically has a thickness of around 12.5mm, which supports its soundproof properties.

Some people like to use acoustic plasterboard alongside rockwool insulation to help block sound transmission between rooms.

4. Flexible Plasterboard

Not all plasterboard comes in rigid boards; flexible plasterboard is also available, bending slightly to fit curved walls and other awkwardly shaped spaces. 

If you’re trying to plaster a column or ceiling curvatures, flexible plasterboard can help, as it can be used for both convex and concave curves.

5. Impact-Resistant Plasterboard

Impact-resistant plasterboard tends to be more dense than other types of plasterboard, which subsequently makes it more resistant to damage from impact. This means impact-resistant plasterboard is a suitable option for a child’s bedroom or playroom, where knocks may be more likely.

Impact-resistant plasterboard also typically has greater soundproofing and fire-resistant properties than standard plasterboard, meaning it can be a good durable option to use throughout your home.

6. Fire-Resistant Plasterboard

Fire-resistant plasterboard is also sometimes referred to as fireboard. Often pink in colour, fire-resistant plasterboard may contain small glass fibres or other additives in its central gypsum layer to improve its fire-resistant properties.

If you’re considering using fire-resistant plasterboard in your home, Gypfor Fire and Knauf Fireboard are both effective options available from U Value.

7. Foil-Backed Plasterboard

Foil-backed plasterboard is simply plasterboard with a thin foil backing, which helps to improve its moisture resistance. 

Foil-backed plasterboard could be suitable for use in a kitchen where splashes are likely, but we recommend sticking with moisture-resistant plasterboard for bathrooms where higher levels of moisture are present.

8. 4-in-1 Plasterboard

If you’re looking for a type of plasterboard that can help you to meet building regulations for fire, acoustic, moisture, and thermal performance, 4-in-1 plasterboard could be the option.

This type of plasterboard has insulating, fire-resistant, waterproof, and impact-resistant properties, making it a good choice for use in multiple rooms throughout your home. 4-in-1 plasterboard is also easy to repair, making it a versatile, durable option.

How To Decorate Plasterboard

Plasterboard is relatively easy to decorate, as it provides you with a smooth surface to paint onto - it’s essentially a blank canvas to put your own stamp on. Here are our top tips for how to decorate plasterboard:

• Before you start painting plasterboard, make sure any holes created by fixings are fully sealed
• Always try to paint the white or ivory side of your plasterboard, as this will leave you with a smoother finish. However, if you do find yourself painting the brown side instead, this isn’t the end of the world
• Begin painting your plasterboard with a mist coat made from watered down matt emulsion. Paint one coat, leave it to dry thoroughly, then paint a second coat for the ideal base
• When the mist coat is dry, paint over this with your chosen colour
• If you change your mind about the colour in the future, you can strip paint from plasterboard using sandpaper
• You can also plaster over painted plasterboard in the future if you need to

For further information please visit: https://www.uvalue.ie/contact or phone: 01 861 2000.