(pronounced DRI-wahl)

For those who don’t build with or specify it, the term drywall might be a little bit of a mystery. Also referred to as Sheetrock (as Kleenex is to tissue, Sheetrock is to drywall), wallboard, plasterboard, and gypsum board, it’s a rigid sheet composed of gypsum plaster tightly sandwiched in between sturdy sheets of paper. To make it useful in the construction of interior walls and ceilings, during the manufacturing process the sheets are baked dry in a kiln, hence the name. Less labor intensive than traditional interior plaster application techniques, drywall requires comparatively little hand-finishing time and drying time only for the “mud” or “bed” material used along with the taping material when finishing the seams for an even appearance. Furthermore, it’s much easier to repair than plaster and requires a fraction of the total installation time.