[thunderbrick]

This week was the first time I've heard of lightweight drywall.  Some reviews say it's stiffer, some say it's more flexible.   

Anyone have it in their homes?  How does it hold up?  Is it easier to work with than standard drywall?

Thanks for any info.

[decal]

I really can't tell any difference other than it's much easier to handle if working by yourself.

[django11]

They say it is 25 % lighter and it makes me feel 25 % younger...

It is a pleasure to work with. It might be a touch easier to cut.  I haven't noticed it being more flexible The only thing that might be different is it's acoustic qualities.

 I have been using it for about a year and the only thing that really stands out is the weight...

[NIGHTFALL1970]

I was in HD one weekend with my contractor, and I asked him about the lightweight drywall and he said that it was "crap".  I have not used it myself.

[Bob in St. Louis]

What makes it lighter? More bubbles in the sauce?
I'd be curious to know if the fire rating is lower as a result.

But flexibility with drywall is the LAST thing I'd want, unless I'm building something like decorative arches over doorways.
But other than that, I'd prefer the most rigid product I can find to span those sixteen inches.
I certainly don't want to see waves running down my walls or ceilings after a few years.

Bob

[django11]

You guys have me wondering so I checked out a few sites.  Here is from the USG site:

Quick Facts:
Fire Class A
Sag Resistant
Building Environments:
Single-Family Residential,
Multi-Family Residential/Condos

They also claim that it is stronger pound for pound which would tend to mean that as it is lighter and stronger p4p it would not sag more.  And if you really want the stiffest stuff use 5/8 which is much stiffer than 1/2 drywall.  The old 1/2 stuff would bend considerably over warped and out of line framing

On a contractor forum opinions seemed generally favorable with one or two "it's crap and I won't use it".  That is probably what a lot of contractors said when the move was made from lath and plaster to gypsum board too.

I can no longer get the old 1/2 around where I live anyway with the exception of the blue or green stuff for humid areas and at a premium price.

The one concern I have is for noise reduction as the material is less dense.

[Rocket_Ronny]

If it's for your audio room I would not go light weight. You want to increase mass for reduced sound transmission. I would use regular drywall and double it.

Golden Rule I heard in a lecture: Double mass = -3 db

Although does not quite make sense to me as I am sure that 6" of concrete would have way more than a 3 db reduction than 3" of concrete.

Rocket_Ronny

[bpape]

I am doing a bath renovation right now.  For full walls, it's fine.  Seems to be a tad more brittle nailing at the edges.  For patching, it's not as thick as the existing 1/2" that was there. Not a lot different but enough that seaming in a square piece where a cabinet sat before isn't any fun and will require a LOT of feathering in.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Bob, are you building something?

[ctviggen]

After lifting 5/8 inch fire-rated drywall for quite a while, I picked up a sheet of normal 1/2 inch drywall and thought it was nothing.