Clarify drywall/plaster for me?


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Old 11-05-05, 06:44 PM
S
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Clarify drywall/plaster for me?

Hi,
Would someone mind explaining the difference between all these drywall, plaster board, blue board, joint compound, sheetrock?
Can you hang pictures with nails on all of these?
The only thing I do know is I do not have old plaster lathe walls- beyond that I've no idea. I know they just framed the kitchen, hung ?drywall and plastered... so what's sheetrock? Do I need to prime prior to painting and again- do I have to find studs to hang things???
Thanks!
Clueless in Boston.
 
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Old 11-05-05, 07:08 PM
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Spikedog asks: Would someone mind explaining the difference between all these drywall, plaster board, blue board, joint compound, sheetrock?
Can you hang pictures with nails on all of these?
Drywall is the system of plaster board and joint compounds used to tape the joints and embed the beads and spot the nails or screws.
Plaster board is a sheet of a gypsum core laminated between layers of paper. SheetRock is a brand of plaster board it is a trademark name of the USG corp.
Blue board is so named because of the color of the face paper. It is a plaster board especially made for gypsum plaster materials to bond. That system is called veneer plaster and is a step above drywall in quality, durability and price.
Joint compound is any or all of several kinds of materials used to finish the plaster boards to hold the joints together and make the wall uniform in appearance. Some are made especially to hold the joint tape, some are made for subsequent coats and some for texturing. There are ready mixed joint compounds ready to use right out of the bucket or box after only some stirring. Some are dry powders that need mixed with water. Usually but not always the dry powder compounds set chemicaly rather than merely drying. They allow multiple coats in rapid succession and are a little harder and stronger and therefore somewhat harder to sand than the ready mixed stuff.
You should prime before painting
You can't go wrong hanging from studs but some light objects can be hung without finding studs. There are dozens of kinds of anchors for holding things using the strength of the plaster board by expanding against the back side and holding by compression.
So did your contractors install drywall with joint compound or gypsum plaster?
What color was the paper of the board?
 
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Old 11-07-05, 08:45 AM
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Well?

I will find out... I didn't pay much attention to what color anything was. I remember the framing part and then I want to say it was a Gray colored board with white patches (joint compound?) Then I missed the day the plasterers came. But now the walls are white with a little "swirled" look- not "finished" looking but I suppose that's because I haven't primed yet...
So when the plasterers came is that called "skimcoat" or is it a thicker layer of plaster they apply?
I just like to know the name of all this as I presumed drywall was the same as
sheetrock- which I guess in some ways- it is...
I know we didn't go high end so sure it wasn't blueboard...
Here at the house I'm leaving, is older (doubt lathe) but I've had a lot of crumbling whenever I hammer a nail in the wall. So I just wonder if I'm doing something wrong? Sometimes I have used a drill and those butterfly screws- but haven't had much luck with them. Not sure about proper "drill" etiquette.
No boyfriend on the scene to help- so this is why I turn to you guys!!!
Deb.
 
 

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