When renovating your home and changing the internal structure - adding interior walls, partitions or ceilings or refreshing old walls, you’ll need to line these new additions with plasterboard, or drywall as it's also known. It’s an incredibly versatile bit of kit. Plasterboard panels are a much more efficient way of installing new walls, without having to rely on the traditional, labourious lath and plaster method. 

Applying the correct plasterboard in your home could be the difference between a comfortable, safe living space and a project that's simply brimming with issues. Installed incorrectly and you could be faced with mould, poor insulation and insufficient fire protection. Not to mention a lot of wasted time and money. 

In this plasterboard guide, we’ll delve into the many different types of plasterboard, explain their uses and their benefits. We’ll also cover how and where to use them in your home so you don’t get caught out.

What is plasterboard? 

Plasterboard is made of gypsum and paper or fibreglass. The gypsum layer is sandwiched between two sheets of fibreglass or paper, providing thermal efficiency, fire protection and acoustic insulation too.  Foil-backed plasterboard helps minimise moisture and condensation build-up if this is a concern in your home. 

It’s generally quite easy to install, lightweight, cuttable and can be painted, plastered and tiled. 

Why Different Plasterboards Matter

Not all rooms and spaces require a single type of plasterboard. Many types have different properties that will work in particular spaces. For example, rooms that are exposed to a lot of moisture will require a moisture-resistant plasterboard. External walls will benefit from thermal plasterboard to ensure cool air stays put in the summer and warm air doesn’t escape in the winter. 

Fire Protection - while standard plasterboard offers some basic fire resistance, specialist fire-resistant plasterboard is reinforced with glass fibre and dense gypsum

Moisture and Mould - controlling moisture in high humidity areas to prevent damp and mould build up around the home

Acoustics - noise carries through a home that's been poorly insulated. Busy road noise and neighbours' voices have no place in your home.  

Thermal Efficiency - keeping the heat in during the colder months and your home cool in the summer for greater comfort

Durability - high traffic areas like hallways will require stronger plasterboard, providing a longer lifespan

Types of Plasterboard and Their Uses 

Standard & Wallboard 

As the name suggests, you’ll find a standard plasterboard fit for general use around your home or commercial space. For areas that don’t require specialist drywall installation, your standard is your go-to. Standard wallboard is highly economical and the most common option you’ll find in many modern homes. It’s easy to paint and wallpaper, but not suitable for wet rooms and areas. 

Standard Uses: You’re looking at general areas: living spaces, living rooms, bedrooms and offices, ceilings too. 

Moisture Resistant 

A plasterboard with moisture-resistant properties comprises a treated core or unique paper facings to resist and repel water and mould. The Ramco Calcium Silicate Board, for example, uses refined calcium silicate and is reinforced with selected fibres, providing excellent moisture resistance as well as thermal insulation. It is designed to keep its shape and resist shrinking in wet environments. 

Uses: Bathrooms, kitchens, utility spaces, garages, basements and any other areas that are prone to high humidity. 

Fire Resistant

Offering enhanced fire protection, a fire-resistant plasterboard is made with high-density gypsum. The gypsum core will be reinforced with glass fibres too, which delays and contains the spread of a fire through the board, allowing more time for evacuation and escape.  The outer layers are generally pink or red to indicate enhanced fire protection. 

Uses: Fire escape routes, boiler rooms, garages, kitchens, commercial rooms and spaces, etc. Check building regulations for a detailed description of the fire safety measures you need to adopt for commercial and residential spaces.

Thermal & Insulated 

When looking to insulate your walls, a thermal plasterboard is perfectly suited to external and internal walls, keeping cold air out and heat locked in and when you need it most. Benefit from better U-value whilst saving energy too! Combined with external wall insulation, you’ve got yourself a winning team against heat loss, a truly invaluable investment. 

The high-performance Mannok Therm Laminated Plasterboard takes your home’s insulation that one step further, combining fibre-free PIR insulation with plasterboard for a time-saving, economical and smart solution -  fighting heat loss. It’s easily cut to size and can be used to thermal bridge walls, ceilings and floors too!

Uses: Exterior and interior walls such as lofts, connecting walls, unheated spaces, garages and more. 

Sound / Acoustic 

High-density plasterboard designed to reduce travelling and escaping sounds between and through walls. Made with a high-density gypsum core providing excellent sound insulation and 60 minutes of fire resistance too. Combine with acoustic insulation for greater privacy and quiet. 

Uses: educational centres, offices, apartments, bedrooms, music studios, cinema rooms and commercial settings. 

Impact Resistant 

Perfect for high traffic areas like corridors or children's bedrooms, an impact-resistant plasterboard provides superior strength with a much denser core than a generic option. 

For a plasterboard that does (almost) all - high moisture performance, extra strength, fire protection, Glasroc F Multiboard at 6mm is a winning choice or Gyproc Fire Rated Multiboard available in 12.5mm. 

Uses: educational centres, hallways, commercial spaces, hospitals, offices, utility rooms and garages.

How To Choose Plasterboard 

Choosing the right plasterboard is key to getting the best protection and performance. A lot of plasterboard options combine features like fire, impact and noise resistance for example. However, make sure to check local building codes as certain spaces may require, by law, a certain type of plasterboard. 

You’ll find plasterboard in a range of sizes and thicknesses, fitting different requirements, plus tapered edge options for a seamless finish where two plasterboards meet and join together.

Plasterboard Installation

When installing plasterboard, live by the rule: measure twice, cut once, this will save you from the fuss of an incorrect cut. Smaller cuts and you’ve potentially wasted an entire plasterboard panel. Use the appropriate fittings for the task and work in a well-ventilated area when working with moisture-resistant plasterboard. 

Once you’ve installed and fitted your plasterboard, you’re able to paint, tile and wallpaper.

If you're looking to combine plasterboard with home insulation, read our guide here on choosing the right insulation for your home or browse the Armstrong Cheshire range of building supplies.  For further support on plasterboard or any of our products, contact us for expert advice, plus lead and delivery times.