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UltraLight Sheetrock Drywall -- pros, cons
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Ron
Oct 31, 2011, 7:59:46 PM10/31/11
to
I am trying to decide whether to use the new UltraLight Sheetrock Drywall
for a ceiling in three rooms, or use regular drywall. All three rooms are
on the top floor of a row home (town home) with a flat roof above that. The
old ceiling was ripped out and the new drywall will be attached to the
original ceiling joists which are 16 inches on center. My plan is to use
1/2-inch sheetrock -- either the new UltraLight stuff or the original style
1/2-inch sheetrock. There will be new R-30 faced insulation between the
ceiling joists on top of the new drywall.
I did some Google searching and found these two links with some information
about UltraLight Sheetrock:
http://www.usg.com/rc/data-submittal-sheets/panels/sheetrock/sheetrock-ultralight-panels-submittal-en-wb2501.pdf
http://homerenovations.about.com/od/drywallsheetrock/a/Ultra-Light-Drywall.htm
Any suggestions, comments, etc. about which to use, which is better, etc.
would be appreciated.
for a ceiling in three rooms, or use regular drywall. All three rooms are
on the top floor of a row home (town home) with a flat roof above that. The
old ceiling was ripped out and the new drywall will be attached to the
original ceiling joists which are 16 inches on center. My plan is to use
1/2-inch sheetrock -- either the new UltraLight stuff or the original style
1/2-inch sheetrock. There will be new R-30 faced insulation between the
ceiling joists on top of the new drywall.
I did some Google searching and found these two links with some information
about UltraLight Sheetrock:
http://www.usg.com/rc/data-submittal-sheets/panels/sheetrock/sheetrock-ultralight-panels-submittal-en-wb2501.pdf
http://homerenovations.about.com/od/drywallsheetrock/a/Ultra-Light-Drywall.htm
Any suggestions, comments, etc. about which to use, which is better, etc.
would be appreciated.
Home Guy
Oct 31, 2011, 8:32:11 PM10/31/11
to
Ron wrote:
> I am trying to decide whether to use the new UltraLight Sheetrock
> Drywall for a ceiling in three rooms, or use regular drywall.
http://homerenovations.about.com/od/drywallsheetrock/a/Ultra-Light-Drywall.htm
> I am trying to decide whether to use the new UltraLight Sheetrock
> Drywall for a ceiling in three rooms, or use regular drywall.
Yea, I found that link as well.
> Any suggestions, comments, etc. about which to use, which is better,
> etc. would be appreciated.
even that.
Have a look at this:
http://www.drywalltalk.com/f6/usg-ultralite-panel-lighter-drywall-1566/
Read both pages.
If you're not intending to use 12' sheets, then it may not be a factor
for you. Do they even make this in 8'?
Ron
Nov 3, 2011, 10:29:53 AM11/3/11
to
I ended up buying Sheetrock Brand 1/2-inch 4x8 UltraLight drywall yesterday
at Home Depot. It is going up on the ceiling today, and the person that I
have doing the installation has done lots of drywall before. This is his
first time using the UltraLight drywall, so I'll post back what he thinks
about it after he is done.
In terms of price, it is more expensive that regular 1/2-inch drywall. At
Home Depot, regular is $5.65 per 4x8 sheet, and UltraLight is $6.98 per
sheet -- $1.33 more (23% more) per sheet. I only needed 16 sheets, so the
cost was about $20 more overall. Part of why I wanted to use UltraLight was
to reduce the amount of weight hanging on the ceiling joists. Plus, I
wanted to try it and see how it feels from the installer's point of view
both in terms of weight and generally how it is to work with.
DerbyDad03
Nov 3, 2011, 1:51:49 PM11/3/11
to
On Nov 3, 10:29 am, "Ron" <R...@kjhgfghj.jkh> wrote:
> Home Guy wrote:
> > Ron wrote:
>
> >> I am trying to decide whether to use the new UltraLight Sheetrock
> >> Drywall for a ceiling in three rooms, or use regular drywall.
>
> >http://homerenovations.about.com/od/drywallsheetrock/a/Ultra-Light-Dr...
> Home Guy wrote:
> > Ron wrote:
>
> >> I am trying to decide whether to use the new UltraLight Sheetrock
> >> Drywall for a ceiling in three rooms, or use regular drywall.
>
>
> > Yea, I found that link as well.
>
> >> Any suggestions, comments, etc. about which to use, which is better,
> >> etc. would be appreciated.
>
> > No idea. The stuff has been on the market for only a year - maybe not
> > even that.
>
> > Have a look at this:
>
> >http://www.drywalltalk.com/f6/usg-ultralite-panel-lighter-drywall-1566/
>
> > Read both pages.
>
> > If you're not intending to use 12' sheets, then it may not be a factor
> > for you. Do they even make this in 8'?
>
> Thanks. I did read the link, including both pages.
>
> I ended up buying Sheetrock Brand 1/2-inch 4x8 UltraLight drywall yesterday
> at Home Depot. It is going up on the ceiling today, and the person that I
> have doing the installation has done lots of drywall before. This is his
> first time using the UltraLight drywall, so I'll post back what he thinks
> about it after he is done.
>
> In terms of price, it is more expensive that regular 1/2-inch drywall. At
> Home Depot, regular is $5.65 per 4x8 sheet, and UltraLight is $6.98 per
> sheet -- $1.33 more (23% more) per sheet. I only needed 16 sheets, so the
> cost was about $20 more overall. Part of why I wanted to use UltraLight was
> to reduce the amount of weight hanging on the ceiling joists. Plus, I
> wanted to try it and see how it feels from the installer's point of view
> both in terms of weight and generally how it is to work with.- Hide quoted text -
> > Yea, I found that link as well.
>
> >> Any suggestions, comments, etc. about which to use, which is better,
> >> etc. would be appreciated.
>
> > No idea. The stuff has been on the market for only a year - maybe not
> > even that.
>
> > Have a look at this:
>
> >http://www.drywalltalk.com/f6/usg-ultralite-panel-lighter-drywall-1566/
>
> > Read both pages.
>
> > If you're not intending to use 12' sheets, then it may not be a factor
> > for you. Do they even make this in 8'?
>
> Thanks. I did read the link, including both pages.
>
> I ended up buying Sheetrock Brand 1/2-inch 4x8 UltraLight drywall yesterday
> at Home Depot. It is going up on the ceiling today, and the person that I
> have doing the installation has done lots of drywall before. This is his
> first time using the UltraLight drywall, so I'll post back what he thinks
> about it after he is done.
>
> In terms of price, it is more expensive that regular 1/2-inch drywall. At
> Home Depot, regular is $5.65 per 4x8 sheet, and UltraLight is $6.98 per
> sheet -- $1.33 more (23% more) per sheet. I only needed 16 sheets, so the
> cost was about $20 more overall. Part of why I wanted to use UltraLight was
> to reduce the amount of weight hanging on the ceiling joists. Plus, I
> wanted to try it and see how it feels from the installer's point of view
>
> - Show quoted text -
re: "Part of why I wanted to use UltraLight was to reduce the amount
of weight hanging on the ceiling joists. "
Serious question...I'm not trying to be a smartass...
Why was this part of your decision process? After God knows how many
years of standard weight dryall and wallboard/plaster combinations
before that, times millions upon millions of ceilings across the
world, why do you feel that there is need to reduce the weight on your
joists?
If the weight was a problem, don't you think it would have been
addressed way before now?
HeyBub
Nov 3, 2011, 6:04:15 PM11/3/11
to
If you don't care about fires, you should be okay no matter what.
Ron
Nov 3, 2011, 6:04:54 PM11/3/11
to
ceiling what was above it was 2x8 roof rafters for a flat roof and 2x4
ceiling joists below that for the drywall. The 2x8 roof rafters had a
slight bow and the 2x4 ceiling joists also had some bowing. We disconnected
the soldiers (that ran from the 2x8's down to the 2x4's) from the 2x4
ceiling joists, then jacked up the low 2x4 ceiling joists a little to make
them all even, then re-attached the soldiers to the 2x4's. We then also
added more soldiers to support the 2x4 ceiling joists in more places. But
still, I thought that since I was hanging all new drywall on the ceiling,
why not go for the 30% lighter drywall? It means less weight pulling down
on the ceiling joists and less weight pulling down on the roof rafters that
are tied into the ceiling joists with soldiers. So, bottom line -- less
weight on the roof. If I later add roof coating and/or other roofing
material on top, that's just a little less overall weight on the roof
rafters to start with due to the lighter ceiling drywall.
Again, probably not necessary, but for $20 more in materials I figured why
not just have a little less weight after the job is done than before I
started (when the old drywall ceiling was there).
Ron
Nov 11, 2011, 4:44:51 PM11/11/11
to
Ron wrote:
>>
>>> I am trying to decide whether to use the new UltraLight Sheetrock
>>> Drywall for a ceiling in three rooms, or use regular drywall.
>>
>> http://homerenovations.about.com/od/drywallsheetrock/a/Ultra-Light-Drywall.htm
>>
>>
>>> I am trying to decide whether to use the new UltraLight Sheetrock
>>> Drywall for a ceiling in three rooms, or use regular drywall.
>>
>> http://homerenovations.about.com/od/drywallsheetrock/a/Ultra-Light-Drywall.htm
>>
> I ended up buying Sheetrock Brand 1/2-inch 4x8 UltraLight drywall
> yesterday at Home Depot. It is going up on the ceiling today, and
> the person that I have doing the installation has done lots of
> drywall before. This is his first time using the UltraLight drywall,
> so I'll post back what he thinks about it after he is done.
Oops, I forgot to write back earlier. I asked the person who installed the
> yesterday at Home Depot. It is going up on the ceiling today, and
> the person that I have doing the installation has done lots of
> drywall before. This is his first time using the UltraLight drywall,
> so I'll post back what he thinks about it after he is done.
ceiling using UltraLight drywall what he thought. Basically, he didn't
notice any real difference between that and the regular drywall that he has
used in the past. It doesn't seem like he really even noticed that it was
lighter and he said that cutting it and using it seemed pretty much the same
as what he used before.
jims...@yahoo.com
Oct 14, 2013, 4:06:30 PM10/14/13
to
Oren
Oct 14, 2013, 5:16:35 PM10/14/13
to
On Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:06:30 -0700 (PDT), jims...@yahoo.com wrote:
>On Monday, October 31, 2011 7:59:46 PM UTC-4, Ron wrote:
Now Googlers reply to two year old threads.
>On Monday, October 31, 2011 7:59:46 PM UTC-4, Ron wrote:
Shame, shame, shame :)
k...@attt.bizz
Oct 14, 2013, 8:22:59 PM10/14/13
to
On Mon, 14 Oct 2013 14:16:35 -0700, Oren <Or...@127.0.0.1> wrote:
>On Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:06:30 -0700 (PDT), jims...@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>>On Monday, October 31, 2011 7:59:46 PM UTC-4, Ron wrote:
>
>Now Googlers reply to two year old threads.
They're getting better!
>On Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:06:30 -0700 (PDT), jims...@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>>On Monday, October 31, 2011 7:59:46 PM UTC-4, Ron wrote:
>
>Now Googlers reply to two year old threads.
>Shame, shame, shame :)
FOrget the antique threads, they should be ashamed of making a mess of
the Usenet with their every post.
d.r...@rogers.com
Feb 23, 2015, 10:25:11 PM2/23/15
to
I work in a drywall factory. We were one of the first plants making the light weight board and were told if we didn't make it we would be out of a job. So we've been making only this lightweight board for a couple of years now. It is Feb/15 and now customers are asking for the old regular board again. We are running more and more regular board every month now. Why, ...I don't know, our management doesn't tell us.
trader_4
Feb 24, 2015, 6:50:25 AM2/24/15
to
On Monday, February 23, 2015 at 10:25:11 PM UTC-5, d.r...@rogers.com wrote:
> I work in a drywall factory. We were one of the first plants making the light weight board and were told if we didn't make it we would be out of a job. So we've been making only this lightweight board for a couple of years now. It is Feb/15 and now customers are asking for the old regular board again. We are running more and more regular board every month now. Why, ...I don't know, our management doesn't tell us.
Are you sure it's even a customer demand issue? What companies build
> I work in a drywall factory. We were one of the first plants making the light weight board and were told if we didn't make it we would be out of a job. So we've been making only this lightweight board for a couple of years now. It is Feb/15 and now customers are asking for the old regular board again. We are running more and more regular board every month now. Why, ...I don't know, our management doesn't tell us.
in one factory versus another or at all can depend on a lot of factors
besides demand. For example, maybe your company found a supplier in
China to source the lightweight product instead of making it themselves.
Tony Hwang
Feb 24, 2015, 4:23:20 PM2/24/15
to
d.r...@rogers.com wrote:
> I work in a drywall factory. We were one of the first plants making the light weight board and were told if we didn't make it we would be out of a job. So we've been making only this lightweight board for a couple of years now. It is Feb/15 and now customers are asking for the old regular board again. We are running more and more regular board every month now. Why, ...I don't know, our management doesn't tell us.
>
Hi,
> I work in a drywall factory. We were one of the first plants making the light weight board and were told if we didn't make it we would be out of a job. So we've been making only this lightweight board for a couple of years now. It is Feb/15 and now customers are asking for the old regular board again. We are running more and more regular board every month now. Why, ...I don't know, our management doesn't tell us.
>
How about asking customers why? Is light ones same as regular ones in
every aspects?
gregz
Feb 24, 2015, 11:08:50 PM2/24/15
to
Greg
TimR
Feb 25, 2015, 8:11:42 AM2/25/15
to
On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 11:08:50 PM UTC-5, Gz wrote:
> > Hi,
> > How about asking customers why? Is light ones same as regular ones in every aspects?
>
> Wil transmit sound well.
>
> Greg
Best choice, plaster. Expensive though, unless you can DIY.
> > Hi,
> > How about asking customers why? Is light ones same as regular ones in every aspects?
>
> Wil transmit sound well.
>
> Greg
Paul Franklin
Feb 25, 2015, 10:30:03 AM2/25/15
to
On Tue, 24 Feb 2015 14:22:21 -0700, Tony Hwang <drag...@shaw.ca>
wrote:
My back certainly appreciates the lighter weight!
I would say it isn't quite as stiff. I wouldn't use it for ceilings
if there was going to be insulation piled on top of it unless joist
spacing was reduced over normal or thicker material was used compared
to normal. For residential walls, stiffness usually isn't a big
deal...although I would think twice about using it in a high traffic
hallway where it's going to get bumped a lot.
I'm sure it doesn't block sound as well, but drywall by itself doesn't
block sound all that well anyway....
I don't notice any difference in cutting or taping.
One other difference....you have to really watch fastening close to
humps in the framing such as a nail plate used to protect plumbing. If
you drive a screw within a couple of inches of that nail plate, the
lightweight drywall will crack. Standard is a little more forgiving.
For me...usually working by myself...I prefer the lightweight.
I also notice, when buying a sheet or two at the borg...seems like I
have to sift through more sheets to find one that isn't cracked....
Paul F.
wrote:
I would say it isn't quite as stiff. I wouldn't use it for ceilings
if there was going to be insulation piled on top of it unless joist
spacing was reduced over normal or thicker material was used compared
to normal. For residential walls, stiffness usually isn't a big
deal...although I would think twice about using it in a high traffic
hallway where it's going to get bumped a lot.
I'm sure it doesn't block sound as well, but drywall by itself doesn't
block sound all that well anyway....
I don't notice any difference in cutting or taping.
One other difference....you have to really watch fastening close to
humps in the framing such as a nail plate used to protect plumbing. If
you drive a screw within a couple of inches of that nail plate, the
lightweight drywall will crack. Standard is a little more forgiving.
For me...usually working by myself...I prefer the lightweight.
I also notice, when buying a sheet or two at the borg...seems like I
have to sift through more sheets to find one that isn't cracked....
Paul F.
DIYGuy
Apr 14, 2016, 1:44:07 PM4/14/16
to
replying to Ron, DIYGuy wrote:
I tried the lightweight drywall and thought it was crap. It was easy to
handle, but quite fragile. I have no confidence in it's durability. Corners
are especially vulnerable to damage. Since drywall is your home's first
protection against the spread of fire it seems like lightweight is a poor
second choice. Even though I work alone I much prefer the quality and
durability of full-weight drywall.
--
posted from
http://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/ultralight-sheetrock-drywall-pros-cons-668546-.htm
I tried the lightweight drywall and thought it was crap. It was easy to
handle, but quite fragile. I have no confidence in it's durability. Corners
are especially vulnerable to damage. Since drywall is your home's first
protection against the spread of fire it seems like lightweight is a poor
second choice. Even though I work alone I much prefer the quality and
durability of full-weight drywall.
--
posted from
http://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/ultralight-sheetrock-drywall-pros-cons-668546-.htm
Oren
Apr 14, 2016, 4:06:11 PM4/14/16
to
On Thu, 14 Apr 2016 17:44:02 +0000, DIYGuy
<caedfaa9ed1216d60e...@example.com> wrote:
> DIYGuy wrote:
>I tried the lightweight drywall and thought it was crap. It was easy to
>handle, but quite fragile. I have no confidence in it's durability. Corners
>are especially vulnerable to damage. Since drywall is your home's first
>protection against the spread of fire it seems like lightweight is a poor
>second choice. Even though I work alone I much prefer the quality and
>durability of full-weight drywall.
You're so special. Learn how to handle 1/4 inch drywall. Learn where
<caedfaa9ed1216d60e...@example.com> wrote:
> DIYGuy wrote:
>I tried the lightweight drywall and thought it was crap. It was easy to
>handle, but quite fragile. I have no confidence in it's durability. Corners
>are especially vulnerable to damage. Since drywall is your home's first
>protection against the spread of fire it seems like lightweight is a poor
>second choice. Even though I work alone I much prefer the quality and
>durability of full-weight drywall.
it is needed, necessary and appropriate. What's complicated?
What age did you first hang "rock"?
--
"No matter how cynical you become, it's never enough to keep up."
-- Lily Tomlin
HerHusband
Apr 15, 2016, 10:46:29 AM4/15/16
to
> I tried the lightweight drywall and thought it was crap. It was easy
> to handle, but quite fragile. I have no confidence in it's durability.
> Corners are especially vulnerable to damage.
I've installed a lot of drywall. We used the regular drywall when we built
> to handle, but quite fragile. I have no confidence in it's durability.
> Corners are especially vulnerable to damage.
our garage and our house. When we remodeled my in-laws house, all I would
find was the lightweight stuff.
I honestly didn't notice any significant difference, other than the lighter
weight. It scored and snapped the same, was just as easy to cut holes with
a jab saw, etc.
Drywall is fairly fragile on the edges anyway, but once it's installed the
edges aren't really an issue anyway.
I wouldn't hesitate to use the lightweight drywall in future projects.
> Since drywall is your home's first protection against the spread
> of fire it seems like lightweight is a poor second choice.
prevent the fire. Besides, there are many wall coverings besides drywall
(tile, T&G lumber, etc.).
If you're worried about fire, you should step up to 5/8" drywall, install
fireblocking in the walls, make sure all wall cavities are sealed off, and
install a sprinkler system.
Of course, it's smarter to prevent the fire in the first place. Keep
flammable items away from heaters and ignition sources, don't overload
cords and electrical outlets, clean your dryer vents, don't leave food
unattended on a stove, and keep multiple fire extenguishers around the
house. And since accidents happen, be sure you have good smoke detectors,
and replace them every 10 years.
Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com
DIYGuy
Apr 16, 2016, 1:44:06 AM4/16/16
to
replying to HerHusband, DIYGuy wrote:
Anthony, your comment reminded me of the (very) old Volkswagen Bug commercial.
"A Volkswagen will definitely float, but it will not float indefinitely."
Any (practical) thickness of drywall will slow the spread of fire, but no
thickness of drywall will hold all fire in check indefinitely. The phrase
"any house that has burned down" means that the fire burned longer, or more
intensely than the drywall could resist.
Over a span of more than three decades in the fire service I can think of
many, many times when content fires were held in check by even 1/2"
gypsum-based drywall products, It is very true that _thicker is better,_ but
don't let that make you think 1/2" has no prevention properties. Just as
sprinklers do, any thickness of drywall will help hold fire spread in check
until the arrival of the fire department, provided it is intact..
The decision to use lightweight drywall of any thickness is entirely up to the
user. Please pay extra attention to any broken bits like the corners. I, and
my DIY friends, have found lighweight to be more fragile than regular drywall.
In either case, all damage should be repaired with full-thickness material
that will not fall out over time, or under the fire's assault.
Thanks for providing such excellent prevention advice!
Anthony, your comment reminded me of the (very) old Volkswagen Bug commercial.
"A Volkswagen will definitely float, but it will not float indefinitely."
Any (practical) thickness of drywall will slow the spread of fire, but no
thickness of drywall will hold all fire in check indefinitely. The phrase
"any house that has burned down" means that the fire burned longer, or more
intensely than the drywall could resist.
Over a span of more than three decades in the fire service I can think of
many, many times when content fires were held in check by even 1/2"
gypsum-based drywall products, It is very true that _thicker is better,_ but
don't let that make you think 1/2" has no prevention properties. Just as
sprinklers do, any thickness of drywall will help hold fire spread in check
until the arrival of the fire department, provided it is intact..
The decision to use lightweight drywall of any thickness is entirely up to the
user. Please pay extra attention to any broken bits like the corners. I, and
my DIY friends, have found lighweight to be more fragile than regular drywall.
In either case, all damage should be repaired with full-thickness material
that will not fall out over time, or under the fire's assault.
Thanks for providing such excellent prevention advice!
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