Drywall comes in different-sized panels for easy handling.
Drywall is a building material used in the construction of walls in homes. It consists of a gypsum slurry that is sandwiched between two layers of paper. This gypsum sandwich is then put through an extensive heat-drying process that turns the product into a board that can then be cut into panels. Temperatures affect drywall through production in the form of drying, through installation and, finally, in the amount of emissions exuded by the drywall in your home. Relative humidity plays a role, as well.
History
The use of gypsum as a building material, namely as plaster, dates back to Ancient Egypt. Plaster can still be found coating the inside of some of the Great Pyramids. Gypsum is a rock mineral that consists of two water molecules and one calcium molecule. It is mined all over the world, largely for use in manufacturing drywall. When ground, it retains water bound in crystalline form in as much as 50 percent of its volume. The water molecules maintain their crystalline form until heated to the boiling point of 212 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point they evaporate and become wet. This makes drywall an adequate fire-retardant material.
Installation
The ambient room temperatures should ideally be kept at 55 degrees or higher when installing drywall in a new home. While the tape or putty is drying, it is best that overnight temperatures not drop below 50 degrees, as temperatures cooler than this can cause failure of the tape to bond to the drywall. The room being drywalled should have been dried, or enclosed, for a minimum of 48 hours prior to drywalling, to ensure that both temperature and relative humidity are stable. If installing at 28 degrees F or lower, allow an 1/8-inch space for every 100 feet of drywall, because it can expand by as much as 1/2 inch as temperatures rise to 72 F.
Drywall Emissions
Some people report problems with reactive sulfur emissions from drywall, describing symptoms from runny noses and nosebleeds to headaches and asthma, among others. There is also often a strong, unpleasant odor associated with these problems. A study done by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2011 indicated that increases in both temperature and relative humidity increased the amount of reactive sulfur compound exuded by problem drywall. The higher the ambient temperature, the more compound entered the air.
Problem Drywall
Problem drywall was manufactured in China between 2001 and 2007, and it emits reactive sulfur compounds. If you have suspicions that yours is becoming a problem, have the air quality in your home sampled. If you detect odors that become stronger when you crank up the thermostat or decrease when you turn down the air conditioning; or if you begin to suffer from headaches, sinus infections, runny nose or nosebleeds, difficulty breathing or asthma, congestion, sore throat or coughing that will not go away; you should have the air quality in your home tested. Keeping temperatures inside the home cooler in the meantime may alleviate some symptoms, because less compound is emitted.
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