Drywall is a very useful and cheap building material, but it’s also a little fragile. This is why there are “upgraded” versions of drywall, like fire-resistant, sound-resistant, impact-resistant and moisture proof ones. The paper on the outside of drywall makes it easy for mold to grow. Drywall manufacturers have also tried to solve this problem, which is a big one for drywall because its paper face makes it easy for mold to grow. In other words, will you never have to worry about mold in your bathroom or basement again? If you get a lot of rain, it’s hard to say for sure.
Why Mold is a Problem for Drywall
Our air is full of mold spores. You can’t get rid of them. They’re always there and there’s no way to get rid of them. When they start to grow on a surface, we don’t notice them. Sporks need oxygen, water, and something organic to eat in order to grow into mold that can be seen. Gypsum is a natural mineral that is the main ingredient in plaster of Paris. Drywall is made of gypsum and paper, which is made from organic cellulose.
Because your house has a lot of oxygen and your walls and ceiling are covered with paper, you only need a lot of moisture for mold to grow. The mold starts to grow when your basement floods, or if you have a leaky drain or water pipe, or if your bathroom stays wet for a long time. When standard drywall is wet, mold grows very quickly because the paper soaks up moisture. When the paper gets wet, it stays wet.
What Is Mold-Resistant Drywall?
This is because the paper on drywall holds water and feeds mold, so you might think that mold-resistant drywall just removes the paper facing. This isn’t always the case, however. There are some versions that have paper facings just like standard drywall. They look and feel just like standard drywall as well (except their color). It is different because the paper and the gypsum core are less absorbent, and they have mold inhibitors that make it hard for mold to grow in them.
There are also types of mold-resistant drywall that don’t have paper in them. There are two types: One has fiberglass facings instead of paper, and the other doesn’t have any at all. It’s just gypsum-based material from front to back. There is one thing that all mold-resistant drywall products have in common. They also say they are moisture-resistant, which makes sense because mold needs water. Many mold-resistant panels also have extra features like extra fire-resistance or resistance to dents and scratches, so they can be used in a lot of places.
So, which mold-resistant drywall is the best one to use in your home? The answer isn’t clear, because there aren’t any real-world tests to show how well these products work in real homes. It looks like all of the top products on ATSM mold-resistance tests have the same top scores, so there’s no help from the people who do independent tests. It will take a survey of many contractors and homeowners who have used these products to get the real answer. They will have to compare their water problems and mold problems. We don’t have any data on this right now, so all we have are the manufacturers’ claims about their products.
People might look at products that have been approved by the manufacturer to be used in “wet areas,” like shower and tub surrounds. If a product can say that it’s resistant to moisture, it’s better than standard drywall in that way and will be less likely to get mold.
Where to Use Mold-Resistant Drywall
You may remember an older version of moisture-resistant drywall that was called “greenboard.” A lot of bathrooms, utility rooms, laundry rooms, and other places where a lot of water is used were where this was used. Today’s mold-resistant drywall is used in the same ways as greenboard. It is more moisture-resistant than greenboard and also mold-resistant, which greenboard wasn’t. Use it on walls and ceilings that get wet a lot because of water vapor or because of small splashes, like when you wash your hands, mop, or even bathe.
Mold-resistant drywall can also be used as a tile backer in dry areas that get wet from time to time, like a kitchen backsplash or bathroom walls outside of shower and bath areas. The tile backer should not be used in a shower or bathtub. It is not the same thing as cement board.
Probably Won’t Help in a Flood
Mold-resistant drywall is made to keep mold from growing because of surface moisture and water vapour. Flood water, on the other hand, is very different. When water gets behind the wall or ceiling surface and dampens the insulation or framing, the drywall has to be removed and thrown away, no matter what kind it is. This is true no matter what kind of drywall it is. Because mold-resistant drywall isn’t made by the same company that makes other types of drywall, there is no guarantee the product won’t get moldy. Because mold is all over the place, how could they?
