As a contractor, labour represents one of the greatest costs associated with any given project. Any material that results in productivity gains translates into labour cost savings – savings that will benefit your enterprise and give you an edge over your competitors. Achieving these savings just got easier with the introduction of CGC’s Sheetrock UltraLight Panels FireCode X, the lightest 5/8” Type X gypsum panels on the market.
Maintenance and Repair
Installed correctly, ultralight drywall has the same profile for maintenance and repair as standard drywall. Any damage can easily be repaired with a little additional taping and mudding work.
Ultralight Drywall Installation
UltraLight drywall is cut, installed and finished in the same manner as standard drywall. Panels are cut to fit, then positioned against framing members and anchored with drywall screws. Seams are finished with drywall tape and several layers of drywall compound, which is sanded smooth before the walls are painted. Industry professionals have reported that the ultralight panels are less susceptible to sagging during installation, thereby helping improve project completion times.
UltraLight Drywall vs. Standard Drywall
The main difference between ultralight and standard drywall is, obviously, the weight. A conventional half-inch-thick sheet of drywall measuring 4 x 8 feet weighs around 57 pounds. According to CGC, a 4 x 8-foot sheet of Sheetrock brand UltraLight Panel only weighs 44 pounds. The weight advantage of UltraLight becomes more significant with thicker panels. A 4 x 8-foot sheet of standard 5/8-inch-thick drywall weighs 74 pounds, and a 23 per cent reduction in weight offered by UltraLight can be significant. Be cognizant of the installation application – thicker Type-X drywall may be required for some installations, including garages or around furnace rooms to slow the spread of fire.
Consider, too, that drywall sheets often come bundled in pairs – two sheets sold as one, with a paper binding strip down the edges. If you choose to keep the paper binding strip in place, you might be carrying 114 pounds for every bundled pair of half-inch 4 x 8-foot conventional sheets. So, the 26 pounds of weight savings per bundled pair of conventional boards can be helpful.
Does Lighter Mean Weaker?
Nope! CGC notes that their light wallboard has "superior sag resistance" and that it hangs well on ceilings with 24-inch on-centre joists. They also say the product is "stronger pound-for-pound than standard half-inch drywall.” Product testing datasheets outline the Sheetrock UltraLight as meeting or exceeding requirements for hardness and flexural strength.
This product was designed with the professional in mind – a lighter product means less risk of injury for those who carry and hang the drywall every day, and less risk of injury means more productivity. The efficiencies gained by adopting ultralight drywall may significantly impact a contractor's bottom line at the end of the year.
For more information on CGC’s Sheetrock Ultralight Panels FireCode X and any other drywall concerns, see the experts at your local Co-op Home Centre today.
