Table of Contents

Trademarks xii

Editorial Committee xii

Using The Gypsum Construction Handbook xiii

What's New xiv

1 Drywall and Veneer Plaster Products 1

Gypsum Panel Products 2

Products Available 5

Exterior Gypsum Ceiling Board 8

Gypsum Liner and Sheathing Products 14

Roof Board Products 16

Floor Underlayment Products 17

Suspended Ceiling Products 17

Bead and Trim Accessories 22

Framing Components 26

Cavity Shaft Wall and Area Separation Fire-Wall/Party-Walls 28

Framing and Furring Accessories 30

Sound Control and Insulation Products 33

Firestop Products 34

Fasteners 36

Adhesives 45

Joint Compounds 46

Concrete Finishing Compounds 51

Reinforcing Tapes 51

Veneer Plaster Finishes 54

Primers 56

Interior Texture Finishes 57

Powder Texture Products 57

Sound-Absorbing Plaster Finish 60

Ready-Mixed Texture Products 60

Interior Patch and Repair Products 66

2 Framing 69

General Requirements 70

Wood Framing 71

Steel Framing 75

Resilient Channel Framing—Steel Framing 77

Chase Wall Framing 78

Drywall and Plaster Ceiling Suspension Systems 79

Resilient Framing—Wood Frame 90

Framing—Partition Corners 92

Framing—Door and Window Openings 93

3 Cladding 99

General Planning Procedures 100

Methods for Applying Drywall and Veneer Bases 103

Gypsum Drywall and Plaster Base Application 105

Trim and Finishing 123

Gypsum Sheathing Application 123

Interior Gypsum Ceiling Panel Application 124

Exterior Ceiling Board Application 125

Gypsum Board Suspended Ceilings 127

Mineral Wool Blanket Application 128

Perimeter Isolation 129

Floating Interior Angle Application 131

Fixture Installation 132

Curved Surfaces 135

Arches 138

Soffits 139

4 Backerboard Installation 141

Cement Board Products 142

Fiber-Reinforced Gypsum Panels 144

Durock Accessory Products 146

Job Preparation and Design Considerations 148

Applications 149

5 Finishing Drywall Systems 159

Levels of Gypsum Finishing 160

Finishing-Level Definitions 161

Recommended Levels of Paint Finish over Gypsum Board 163

Applying Trim Accessories 165

Joint Treatment for Drywall Construction 172

Priming 182

Applying Compound over Concrete 184

Applying Sealant (Caulking) 186

Applying Textured Finishes 190

Powder Texture Finishes 192

Sound-Rated Texture Finish 194

Ready-Mixed Texture Finishes 195

Ready-Mixed Texture Paints 197

Creating Texture Patterns 198

Interior Patching and Repairing 201

Contents vii

Resurfacing 202

Redecorating Ceilings 203

6 Finishing Veneer Plaster Systems 205

Advances of Veneer Plaster 206

Veneer Plaster Finishes 206

Applying Trim Accessories 208

Joint Treatment and Surface Preparation for Veneer Plaster Construction 213

Veneer Plaster Finish Applications 215

Painting Veneer Plaster 221

Radiant Heat Plaster System—Diamond Veneer Finish 222

Special Abuse-Resistant Systems 223

Resurfacing Walls and Ceilings 224

Decorating with Pigmented Finish Plaster 224

7 Conventional Plaster Products 227

Plaster Bases 228

Trim Accessories 231

Framing Components 235

Plasters 237

Basecoat Plasters 238

Portland Cement Plaster 240

Finish Plasters 240

Gauging Plasters 241

Finish Limes 242

Prepared Finishes 242

Sound-Absorbing Plaster Finish 244

Ornamental Plasters 244

Special Additives 245

8 Conventional Plaster Applications 249

General Planning Procedures 250

General Job Conditions 251

Framing Installation 252

Applying Plaster Base 258

Applying Fasteners 259

Applying Control Joints 261

Applying Basecoat Plaster 262

Setting Time 266

Applying Finish Plaster 268

Ornamental Plasters 275

Special Additives 275

Sound-Absorbing Plaster Finish 276

Replastering Old Plaster Surfaces 277

Door Frames 278

Caulking Procedures 280

Fixture Attachment 281

9 Acoustical Ceiling Design and Application 285

Suspended Acoustical Ceiling Products 286

Acoustical Requirements 295

Sustainability 298

Lighting and Light Reflectance 299

Structural Implications 301

Environmental Considerations for Installation 303

Fire Safety 304

Standards for Suspended Acoustical Ceilings 311

10 System Design Considerations 321

System Technical Data 322

Structural Criteria 322

Fire and Sound Tests 323

Wood Stud Partitions 329

Steel Stud Partitions 329

Sound Control Systems 329

Area Separation Fire-Wall/Party-Wall Systems 330

USG Shaft Walls 334

Floor/Ceiling Assemblies 339

Beam and Column Fire Protection 340

Penetration Fire-Stop Systems 343

Head-of-Wall Construction Joints 346

Air, Water and Vapor Control 347

11 Planning, Execution and Inspection 349

Factors Affecting Results 350

Selection of Materials 350

Performance Requirements 351

Handling and Storage 353

Job Conditions 354

Movement in Structures 356

Workmanship 361

Equipment Selection 361

Product Quality 362

Contents ix

How to Inspect a Job 363

Inspecting Drywall and Veneer Plaster Installations 364

Inspecting Conventional Plaster Installations 367

12 Problems, Remedies and Preventive Measures 369

Drywall Construction 370

Veneer Finish Construction 384

Cement Board Construction 388

Texture Finishes 389

Conventional Plaster Construction 391

13 Safety Considerations and Material Handling 403

Introduction 404

Handling Wallboard and Other Panel Products 404

Other Physical Hazards 408

Health Hazards 409

Safety Tips for Installing Ceilings 411

Additional Sources of Safety Information 413

14 Tools and Equipment 417

The Tool for the Task 418

Framing and Acoustical Ceiling Installation Tools 418

Board and Lath Application Tools 421

Caulking Equipment 425

Mixing Equipment 426

Drywall Finishing Tools 427

Mechanical Taping Tools 429

Plaster Tools 431

Hand Texture Equipment 433

Coating Spray Equipment 434

Spray Texture Equipment 435

Hoses, Guns and Nozzles 437

Miscellaneous Equipment 438

Manufacturers 440

15 Building Sciences 441

Structures 442

Abuse Resistance 449

Fire Resistance 452

Heat Transfer 459

Sound Transmission 460

Vapor Control 463

16 Sustainability 467

A Construction Priority 468

What Is Sustainability? 468

Achieving Sustainability 469

Sustainable Product Design and Production 470

The Economics of Sustainability 472

Essential Elements of a Sustainable Building 473

Basic Measures of Sustainability 473

Best Practices 477

Sustainability Assessment Tools 478

Product Testing and Standards 479

USG Sustainability Design Tools 479

17 USG: America's Building Industry Leader 481

About USG Corporation 482

USG Building Materials 483

Online Tools and Contact Information 487

Appendix

Agencies and Organizations 490

Fixture Attachment—Drywall and Plaster Systems 495

Drywall, Plaster and Acoustical Ceiling Installation Tolerances 495

Gypsum Board Screw Usage 496

Metric Terms and Equivalents 497

Metric Conversion 497

Specification Standards 499

ASTM Application Standards 501

ASTM Standards for Performance Specifications and

Test Methods 501

Products/UL Designations 504

Permeance—USG Products 505

Thermal Coefficients of Linear Expansion of Common

Building Materials 506

Hygrometric Coefficients of Expansion (Unrestrained) 506

Thermal Resistance Coefficients of Building and

Insulating Materials 507

USG Plant Locations 508

Glossary 511

Index 543