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Community and Q&A

Gypsum products for basement wall

neverperfect | Posted in Green Products and Materials on

how does fibre reinforced boards differ from glass mat boards? I thought they the same thing.

I have to install a new drywall section in my basement that gets slightly damp sometimes. When i say damp, i don’t mean wet.

I don’t feel comfortable using any paper faced gypsum green/blueboard in the bottom section of the wall.

what is the best choice?

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Cory,
    There are several brands of paperless drywall, and they are all a little bit different.

    If you want the most bulletproof option, install old-fashioned cement backerboard (the kind used under tile). Then tape the joints and skim coat it with drywall mud or plaster.

  2. neverperfect | | #2

    Hello, before answering, i thought i would show you an example of cement board not playing nice with drywall compound. There is some sort of leak behind this wall. i plan on camera scoping this summer to find the problem, i think its from a sink drain line (see picture)

    What happened is the drywall compound "foamed" up. This occurred about 2 years after installation. I can only figure that there must be a constant water source there.
    Lesson learned: don't skim coat cement board if you think its going to get slightly wet.

    Has anyone ever painted the back side of cementboard (which is smooth)?

    now regarding the different types of paperless drywall.
    i am interested to know how it works, not just use this product.

    I am in the building industry myself, and if someone tells me "we are using glass matt for this project" or we are using glass fibre reiforced. I would like to know where these products should actually be used.

    Is paperless drywall immune to mould in the sense of getting damp from time to time?

  3. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #3

    Cory,
    For more information on fiberglass-faced drywall, see Fight Mold With Paperless Drywall.

    You're right, of course, that drywall compound is water-soluble; the fact is well known to drywallers, who sometimes use a damp sponge to smooth out a rough area of compound. But if a skim coat of compound needs to be patched, adding a little more compound and doing a little sanding is a lot easier than replacing an entire piece of soggy drywall.

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