What is paper-faced gypsum board? How to choose high-quality paper-faced gypsum board?

What are the differences between paper-faced gypsum board and regular gypsum board? This question likely confuses many homeowners. In fact, paper-faced gypsum board is a common building material, known for its low price and practicality, making it popular among consumers. However, most people don't know much about paper-faced gypsum board, and are easily misled by merchants when making their selections.

Paper-faced gypsum board is a new type of building material. Its biggest advantages in production are low energy consumption and high efficiency. Producing the same unit of paper-faced gypsum board requires 78% less energy than cement, and the production process is simple, making it suitable for large-scale production.

Paper-faced gypsum board is lightweight; a paper-faced gypsum board of the same thickness is only 1/15 the weight of a brick wall and 1/10 the weight of a block wall. It also has excellent sound insulation properties. Therefore, using paper-faced gypsum board for partition walls can significantly reduce the floor load and cost, and is also beneficial for structural earthquake resistance, adding to your safety system.

Another advantage of paper-faced gypsum board is its excellent fire resistance. When exposed to fire, it absorbs a large amount of heat during the release of chemically bound water, delaying the rise in ambient temperature. According to the National Fire Protection Testing Center, the fire resistance limit of paper-faced gypsum board partitions can reach 4 hours.

Therefore, it is very safe to use it as a home decoration material. Paper-faced gypsum board has a relatively high porosity and a well-distributed pore structure, providing excellent breathability and regulating indoor humidity. It can absorb moisture when indoor humidity is high and release some moisture when the air is dry, making your home life more comfortable and healthier.

Features of paper-faced gypsum board

Lightweight and easy to install, paper-faced gypsum board is only 1/15 the weight of a brick wall of the same thickness and 1/10 the weight of a block wall. It also helps with earthquake resistance and is widely used for ceilings in home decoration.

2. Paper-faced gypsum board is fire-resistant because an appropriate amount of glass fiber and other additives are added to the raw materials. When exposed to fire, it absorbs a large amount of heat during the release of chemically bound water, delaying the rise in ambient temperature. Therefore, it can prevent the spread of flames for a longer period of time during a fire, thus playing a fireproof role.

3. Excellent water resistance. Because the gypsum core material is coated with a waterproof layer, the moisture-proof problem of gypsum board is solved from the inside out.

4. Excellent sound insulation. The unique cavity structure of gypsum board partitions effectively reduces indoor noise and provides excellent sound insulation.

5. Green and environmentally friendly. Paper-faced gypsum board uses natural gypsum and paper as raw materials and contains absolutely no asbestos that is harmful to the human body (most calcium silicate boards and cement fiberboards use asbestos as a reinforcing material).

Specifications of paper-faced gypsum board

Paper-faced gypsum board is available in thicknesses of 9 mm, 9.5 mm, 12 mm, 15 mm, 18 mm, and 25 mm, lengths of 2400 mm, 2500 mm, 2750 mm, and 3000 mm, and widths of 900 mm and 1200 mm.

How to choose high-quality paper-faced gypsum board?

1. Observe the smoothness of the paper-faced gypsum board: High-quality paper-faced gypsum board has a light and thin paper surface, high strength, a smooth surface without stains, and good toughness. Inferior paper-faced gypsum board has a very rough paper surface, poor strength, and an unclean surface with stains.

2. Pay attention to the purity of the gypsum board core: High-purity gypsum board core is made of pure gypsum, while poor-quality paper-faced gypsum board core contains many harmful substances. In terms of appearance, good gypsum board core is white, while inferior gypsum board core is yellow and dull in color.

3. Check the adhesion of the paper: Use a utility knife to draw an "X" on the surface of the plasterboard. Tear the surface in a poor area. A high-quality paper layer will not detach from the plasterboard, while a low-quality paper layer can be torn off, exposing the plaster core.

4. Check the weight of the gypsum board: For gypsum boards of the same size, high-quality ones are usually lighter than low-quality ones. You can test this by soaking small pieces of board in water. In the same amount of time, the board that sinks to the bottom the fastest is of the worst quality, while high-quality boards should float on the surface.

5. Check the inspection report of the gypsum board: Some gypsum board inspection reports are from commissioned inspections, which involve producing a special batch of boards for testing, but this doesn't guarantee that all boards will meet quality standards. Another inspection method is sampling inspection; products with this type of report have a higher guarantee of quality.