Drywall- Simple solutions that make a difference

Have you ever thought much about drywall? As an essential part of residential and commercial construction, it literally surrounds us.

Before drywall, people burnt gypsum in open air fires to produce plaster to cover and decorate walls. In the early 1900s, The Sacket Plaster Board company invented a panel made of layers of plaster and paper. USG® bought Sacket Plaster Board, and a few years later invented a product called Sheetrock®.

The beauty of drywall is that it replaced wood lath board, and eventually plaster completely - drastically lowering costs.

Over time, many advancements have taken place. For example, today’s products don’t even require a skim coating of plaster to produce smooth walls.

But what about the impact drywall has on our health?

We’re using a healthier option in our new office space, USG Sheetrock® Brand EcoSmart

Panels. They are good for your health and our environment.

• EcoSmart Panels’ chemical emissions are so low, they are certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) as GreenGuard Gold. In fact, they reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20%.

• They are Red List free. The Living Building Challenge Red List represents the “worst in class” materials, chemicals, and elements known to pose serious risks to human health and the greater ecosystem that are prevalent in the building products industry.

• EcoSmart panels are made from 100% USDA-certified biobased products that are good for the environment. Biobased products are derived from plants and other renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials. They provide an alternative to conventional petroleum-derived products.

• Beyond the impact of our building, USG’s Environmental Product Declaration tells us that they use up to 25% less water during manufacturing and 20% less transportation fossil fuels than a typical drywall product. This is a great example of operational carbon. Any time you see an Environmental Product Declaration it will disclose the product’s environmental impact from extraction through manufacturing, carbon emissions, etc.