If the walls in your house are relatively new, then they are most likely made of drywall. While industrial situations might feature board or plywood behind the drywall, simple houses most often do not — and the same goes for the framing, which is most likely wood framing, with vertical studs spaced out every sixteen inches, to which the drywall is mounted in what usually amounts to several large sheets, each measuring about four feet wide by eight feet high. Again, in industrial applications, the framing studs might be made of metal. Here is some practical information on drywall, what it consists of, and how to work with it.

Drywall has replaced plaster in finishing building interiors after hundreds of years use of the old lath and plaster technique. This now somewhat old-fashioned technique required some degree of skill from workers, who had to apply layers of plaster to the laths, building up weight and depth to created smooth, finished interior walls. Drywall basically has done away with this more difficult system, and comes in ready to mount large scale sheets that only require simple patching of the drywall screws, and some edge to edge finishing with drywall mud.

Drywall will sometimes be referred to as plaster- or gypsum board. When compared to plaster, drywall goes up easier, is easier to maintain, and as already mentioned, requires much less skill in installation. Many people finish their own homes, or the interior portion of an addition, a new bathroom, or places where mold has rotted a portion of the wall — it’s that simple to work with. Drywall is composed of gypsum plaster encased in a matting made of fiberglass or a paper of significant density. To this mixture, several elements can be added, including materials that resist mildew and fire, making the drywall stronger and more beneficial than the old plaster materials.

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