Not so long ago, very few people knew about drywall. When repairing the premises, we used plasters and gypsum, which allowed us to finish them with greater expressiveness. Nowadays , architects and designers are amazed at how previously specialists could finish without using (gypsum plasterboard) sheets. After all, it is this material that helps to realize the most daring projects and bizarre fantasies.
Using drywall, it is possible to arrange multilevel ceilings with backlighting, also called labyrinthine. You can create niches in the walls of any shape and size. With the invention of drywall, it became possible to create countless unique interior compositions.
Drywall Structure
Knauf drywall ("Knauf") is very popular . GKL gypsum cardboard (usual look) is issued in the form of sheets. The basis of the drywall sheet is gypsum, which is located between two sheets of cardboard.
To impart certain properties to drywall sheets, various substances are added to the middle part to improve its strength, moisture resistance, and other properties.
GKL sheets color and marking of their reverse side
Name | GKL sheet color | Marking color on the back |
GKL | Gray | Blue |
GKLV | Green or blue | Blue |
Hklo | Gray or red | Red |
GKLVO | Red | Red |
On sale there are gypsum plasterboards with the same properties and characteristics, but with different colors. This must be borne in mind when buying GCR. There are no strict marking standards, which creates certain difficulties for the buyer when choosing the right material. Choosing drywall, you should not focus only on the color of sheets of GKL "Knauf". Technical characteristics of the purchased goods must be decisive.
Types of Drywall
Drywall is available in four types - depending on its properties and application:
- Normal.
- Moisture resistant.
- Fire resistant.
- Moistureproof and fireproof.
- GCR - this is the most ordinary gypsum plasterboard. It is used exclusively in dry rooms where air humidity is minimal or completely absent.
- GKVL - gypsum plasterboard with reduced water absorption for use in wet rooms. Such a drywall sheet absorbs less than 10% of water, having special resistance to moisture penetration. Mold does not form on the specially treated surfaces of the cardboard cladding of gypsum plasterboard and fungi do not appear.
- GKLO - used where fire prevention is important, fire-resistant drywall. The core of such a sheet is reinforced with special reinforcing additives.
- GKLVO - drywall with high resistance to an open flame and increased moisture resistance. In fact, this is a symbiosis of a gypsum plasterboard fire-resistant sheet with a gypsum plasterboard moisture-proof.
Technical characteristics of drywall - GKL "Knauf"
Drywall is used to install suspended ceilings, cladding and create niches in the walls, and is used to create partitions between rooms with humidity within normal limits.
Typically, drywall is used as a frame for subsequent application to it of various finishing materials - paints, tiles, wallpaper, etc. As a result, a fairly solid and flexible base is obtained.
The cardboard, on which the core of the drywall sheet is pasted on both sides, has a flat surface and high density. It serves for decoration, because it is solid and flexible, and also has the ability to "breathe", that is, the material absorbs excess moisture, and when the air becomes drier - it gives it back.
Thanks to this ability, in rooms where drywall is used, it is much easier to breathe. In addition, drywall has the same acidity as human skin. As a result, a microclimate favorable for humans is naturally created in the room.
Fire resistance of drywall sheets
Special treatment of the only combustible material of gypsum board - cardboard - makes this material non-combustible as a whole. Under the influence of open fire, drywall sheets are only charred, and the moisture contained in the depth of the sheet prevents the movement of the flame.
GKL "Knauf" (gypsum plasterboard usual 1 and other types) is an environmentally friendly building material, since it does not have any negative effect on the objects surrounding it, which is confirmed by quality certificates. In addition, GKL is also an excellent soundproofing material.
Using Drywall
In addition to interior decoration, flat sheets of drywall are widely used to even out wall irregularities, which is why GKL is also called dry plaster. When working with ips board sheets, processes associated with the use of water are excluded, which facilitates the work and reduces its cost, making drywall even more attractive for both professionals and beginners in the field of construction and repair.
The absence of debris also makes working with drywall much easier. Not to mention the fact that the finishing works carried out using this material can significantly save money and time. In our country, GKL “Knauf” is most often used, the technical characteristics of which distinguish it from a number of similar ones from other manufacturers.
In addition to gypsum plasterboard (standard drywall sheets), waterproof and fireproof sheets are available. Moisture-resistant drywall sheets are mainly used in bathrooms and kitchens. When decorating communication shafts and air ducts, fireproof GKL “Knauf” is used, the technical characteristics of which easily allow this.
In the manufacture of drywall, calcined gypsum is also specifically used, which allows you to get tongue-and-groove boards in the end. They are highly durable and therefore often used in the construction of interior partitions. Such plates do not require any preliminary preparation before finishing. Partitions are made one-, two- and three-layer. Tongue-and-groove plates are especially relevant in areas with unstable seismic conditions. In the cavities inside such plates, cables, dust removal systems, heating or plumbing communication systems are laid.
Create rounded shapes
An important property of drywall is its ability to take a rounded shape, which makes its scope wide. The desired shape is obtained quite simply: you need to moisten the drywall plate, wait until it is properly moistened, and then bend it as needed in a particular case. After that, the drywall is dried. It is noteworthy that after hardening the technical characteristics of the Knauf sheets completely return to their original ones.
Types of drywall sheets
There are ceiling, wall and arched drywall. The fact that the sheets of this material are flat makes it easy to correct the unevenness of the walls or ceiling. There is no need for further plastering of surfaces.
The geometric dimensions of the GKL "Knauf" are very diverse. Length - from 2000 cm to 4000 cm (in increments of 50) and width - from 600 cm to 1200 cm. Thickness is: 0.65, 0.8, 0.95, 1.25, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.4 cm - depending on destination material.
The standard size of the drywall sheet is 2500 by 1200 cm. The area of such a sheet is three square meters. In thickness they are as follows:
- GKL wall - 12.5 mm;
- GKL ceiling - 9.5 mm;
- GKL arched - 6.5 mm.
Walls are decorated with plasterboard wall sheets, partitions are made of them. Ceiling is used to create ceilings, and with the help of arched create exquisite interior arches and a variety of curved openings.
The amount of necessary material is calculated in advance, given the fact that it is advisable to use whole sheets for decoration.
In addition to creating conventional, suspended and multi-level ceilings, mounted on various frames, Knauf (Knauf) manufactured GKL sheet is used in the installation of the underlying layer of floors.
Another important property of GCR is its ability to easily bend and maintain its shape. Thanks to this, drywall is widely used in the creation of decorative elements, turning from rectangular sheets into domes, columns or arches. Designers have the opportunity to translate the most daring fantasies into reality.
Gypsum fiber sheets (GVL) is another type of GKL “Knauf”, the technical characteristics of which indicate the highest resistance to fire. It does not use cardboard, and the core of the sheet is lined with fluffy waste paper. Resistance to fire is given by additional additives that impregnate the material.
Drywall Work
Plasterboard sheets are easily cut with an ordinary knife (preferably sharp) and sawn well, except that they bend perfectly. Using special tools, you can cut out parts of any size and shape, as well as make the necessary holes in them. The fact that marking and cutting holes, for example, for sockets and switches, is possible outside the installation site, can significantly reduce the time of work.
If we compare the finish with drywall with the finish with plaster and putty, then it is obvious that in the first case, the work is performed twice as fast. With high quality, labor costs are reduced threefold in the manufacture of interior partitions, if Knauf drywall is used. Knauf gypsum plasterboard sheets are mounted with the help of accompanying materials, such as screws of various sizes, gypsum adhesive, sealing tapes and more.
Plasterboard sheets of the Knauf company
Knauf is the largest company in the world that manufactures a variety of finishing materials for both indoor and outdoor decoration, including gypsum plaster. The characteristics of gypsum plasterboard GKL of this brand are the best, as evidenced by many years of experience in construction and repair.
In 30 countries of the USA, Asia, Europe and South America more than 120 factories belonging to the Knauf group are located.