TIP:I often leave screws slightly proud and then sink them by hand for a perfect dimpled depth. For the ultimate peace of mind, though, a few drywall manufacturers have now created paperless drywall, removing all sources of organic food. Many of these modern paper-faced products even scored a perfect 10 on the ASTM standard for mold resistance. Most drywall manufacturers have fought this problem by offering modern versions of the old wax-coated “greenboard” that has been used in bathrooms for years. Paper is a gourmet meal for moldīecause mold decomposes organic (once living) material as a food source, the paper facings on the front and back of drywall are an easy target. After that, the focus should be on eliminating the organic food source. The first step in preventing mold growth is to get firm control over the level of moisture in the air (see “Breathing Fresh Air Into Bathroom Ventilation,”online at ). Consider adhesive and screws to be best practice with fiberglass-faced products. Make sure to adjust the clutch of the screw gun so that fasteners are driven until they indent the surface of the board slightly, but not so far that they tear through and lose holding power. Without the paper facing, it’s much easier to overdrive fasteners into fiberglass-faced products.

Because these panels are harder to fasten properly, I don’t rely on screws alone.Īdhesive is cheap insurance.Applying a bead of drywall adhesive not only reduces the number of fasteners necessary on wall panels (chart below), but it also makes up for the high likelihood that some of the fasteners will be set too deep. Paperless drywall can be fastened with ordinary drywall screws.

New Work Habit #1: Back up screws with adhesive Considering this group of ingredients, it’s not surprising that mold is commonly found on lumber in the basement, on the wall behind the sink in the kitchen, and on the wallpaper adhesive in the bathroom. Mold needs four things to grow: oxygen, water, a temperature between 40☏ and 100☏, and an organic food source. That’s where products like paperless drywall come into play. What we can do, though, is help to prevent those mold spores from taking root in our indoor living spaces. Here’s the thing: Mold spores are everywhere and are nearly impossible to avoid, never mind eliminate. The topic has gotten plenty of attention in the news, has been the focus of lots of building-scienceresearch, and has made many homeowners nervous. Let’s face it there’s been a lot of talk about moldin the past few years. (Aqua-Tough: usg.com DensArmor Plus: gp.com) The average cost for a 1/2-in.-thick 4×8 sheet is about $18, but thicker panels and different sizes are also available from each company. Paperless product choices.Paper-faced mold-resistant drywall panels are made by most gypsum companies, but only a few make paperless gypsum for interior applications. Finally, Ferguson says to sand the surfaces that you can, but to skim-coat where you can’t. Inorganic tape helps with the mold resistance of the drywall. Also, he advises using hand tools instead of power tools to minimize dust.

Ferguson advises using both screws and adhesive to fasten these panels. Ferguson shares his advice on four new work habits to adopt when you’re working with paperless drywall. However, working paperless drywall entails learning a new set of rules. Synopsis:For walls in damp environments, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and basements, paperless (or fiberglass-faced) drywall is a good alternative to the traditional paper-faced material.

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