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Drywall facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Drywall is a panel made of gypsum with or without additives. It is also known as plasterboard, wallboard, sheet rock, gypsum board, buster board, custard board, or gypsum panel. It is usually extruded between thick sheets of facer and backer paper. It used in the construction of walls and ceilings that are inside a building.

Manufacture

Drywall is made up of a layer of gypsum plaster sandwiched between two layers of paper. The plaster is mixed with fibre, plasticizer, foaming agent, finely ground gypsum crystal as an accelerator, EDTA, starch or other chelate as a retarder. Various additives may be added to decrease mildew and increase fire resistance.

Images for kids

  • Drywall material handler

    Drywall is delivered to a building site on a flatbed truck and unloaded with a forked material handler crane. The bulk drywall sheets are unloaded directly to upper floors via a window or exterior doorway.

  • Drywall-screws-v1 (1)

    Drywall screws for wood, with parallel-threaded woodscrew shanks and bugle heads

  • FEMA - 24623 - Photograph by Michelle Miller-Freeck taken on 05-23-2006 in Mississippi

    Applying "joint compound" to drywall

  • Drywall splotch

    Drywall water damage in a closet

  • Termites eating drywall paper

    Drywall damage caused by termites eating the paper, causing the paint to crumble

See also

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Drywall Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.