There are a number of different materials you can use for your walls in your home. Plaster is one of them. Paneling is another, however, in most cases the walls in houses are either done in drywall or plywood, with drywall being the most commonly used material. There are a lot of reasons that drywall is the most commonly used item to use for your home, but what is really the difference between drywall and plywood?
Drywall is what is known as gypsum. This material is squished between two sheets of very thick paper and is the modern alternative to using plaster. Drywall has many names, including plasterboard, wallboard, sheet rock, gypsum board, buster board, custard board, or gypsum panel. It comes in larger panels that are easy to cut and to put up as walls.
Plywood is a wooden material that is made up of several sheets of thin wood. It is not as durable or easy to work with as drywall is. These thin sheets of wood are bonded together with an adhesive. Plywood is not visually appealing which is another one of its drawbacks as a wall material, however, it can still be used as one.
Drywall and plywood are both used in building houses to put up as walls. They have replaced older materials like plaster and paneling. Drywall is the most popular between the two materials and there are a few reasons for that.
1. Drywall is easier to work with – Drywall is much easier to work with than plywood is. You can cut drywall how you want it and it is not hard to hang. Of the two products, drywall is much easier to deal with.
2. Drywall is easier to fix than plywood – When your walls get damaged it can be the end of the World. If you do not have a lot of money, replacing a whole wall panel can be difficult. It can also be difficult if you do not have the proper skill to fix it. When you get a hole in drywall, depending on the size, it can be a very simple patch and sand job. Plywood panels almost always require the whole portion of the wall to be repaired for the right look.
3. Drywall is cheaper than plywood – Most wood materials are expensive. Plywood is no exception. While it is not as expensive as regular wood, it is slightly more expensive than drywall. Fixing drywall is also a lot cheaper and less time consuming than plywood. Drywall is slightly less durable than plywood, but that is reflected in the cost of the material as well. Drywall runs about $1.50 a square foot, with labor, that is anywhere between $40-$60 a panel. An average room takes 10 to 13 panels to complete. The price of plywood varies by the type of wood and the ply, or the thickness, of the wood. Using plywood can get very expensive when you add labor into the equation.
4. Drywall is easier to decorate – Drywall is a flat and plan surface. It is easy to cover with paint or wallpaper, whatever your heart desires. It has the texture of paper, so it is fairly smooth, and you can create textures on its surface. Plywood is not as forgiving. It is also smooth but does not hold paint well. Plywood is also designed to have a certain look without having to paint or wallpaper it. Plywood can also be slightly more textured than drywall. This can pose an issue when you are wanting to paint or decorate your plywood.
5. Drywall is more fire resistant than plywood – Often people are worried about the fire resistance in their home. This is why drywall is chosen. Drywall is much better than plywood when it comes to being fire resistant as it does not burn as fast or catch on fire as easily. Plywood is simply wood, when faced with a house fire, plywood walls go up quickly.
Whether you choose plywood or drywall depends on what you like and what you are prepared to deal with. Aside from being less fire resistant, more expensive and harder to work with, plywood is the more durable of the two materials. Unfortunately, when plywood is damaged it is harder to fix than drywall. Drywall is more universally used, and it is much easier to find someone to handle your drywall needs.
Because drywall is so fire resistant, if you ever do have a house fire it is a possibility that your items will be safer in a drywall room. Drywall does not burn as fast as plywood. A house that is fashioned with plywood will burn much faster, therefore your items are not as safe. Your family is also not as safe as they should be.
Obviously, there are a lot of things you need to think about before you make your decision. It is recommended that you do your research fully before you select which type of material you want to use as your walls. Check out a number of different articles, call places that do walls, get estimates. The choice to fix your walls up is not an easy one and should not be taken lightly.
Drywall is one of the best materials you can use for your walls, but the decision is yours and yours alone to make. You are the one that has to live with your house and what happens to it. Drywall is one of the most recommended wall materials that you will find, and if you are looking to keep things on the cheap side, go with it. If you do not think that there is a huge chance of fire or damage, go with plywood, but keep in mind, everything about drywall is just easier.
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