Are you planning to renovate your interiors with a new wall? The essential factor is what type of wall you prefer for your interiors. As per interiors and architectures, the most prominent options are the drywalls. Even though we know that drywalls are the best option, we have this question of whether there are any drywall alternatives?

Though drywalls are the main course of action for your home, it turns out to be a challenging and time-consuming task. One has to look after many things before the final result is achieved. Right from sanding and mudding to the finishing taping, it is a tiring and absolute dedicatory task. 

The alternatives to drywall can reduce all of these messes, dust, and a recurring task all at once with the same amount of satisfaction and product quality. So, it is better to find a choice that can help you achieve your final result with the same quality of satisfaction. 

Why is a wall without a Drywall Preferable? 

I am pretty sure you must be wondering why to opt for a drywall alternative? Especially when Dry Walls are considered the best option for the interior walls of any home and corporate place! After researching and reaching out to people for days, I have got you the exact reason behind this before we move on to alternatives of drywall. 

Even after investing days of hard work and labor, you have to maintain the drywall warily. Usually, interior designers feel helpless when they have put in a lot of effort to install drywall, and still, it is susceptible to damage.

Once you start experiencing damage in your drywalls, it requires an immediate call to action. The damage is visible and can ruin the entire look of your interior. If you have a pet or a small child in your home, they will enjoyingly spoil the entire wall in minutes, leaving you helpless. 

Thus, people are looking for some of the best drywall alternatives, which can be a savior for the interiors of their homes. Drywall finishing alternative is beneficial if you want a quick and long-lasting impact. 

In this blog, you will explore some of the reliable and satisfying alternatives to sheetrock. Believe me, all the options will maintain the same quality of quality finish for your overall interiors. 

Best Drywall Alternatives

I have compiled some of the most trending and attractive alternatives for your walls. All of them will nicely fit and replace the ultimate drywall. You won’t have to find any solutions for damages again and again. 

Now that you know the exact reason why you choose the Drywall Alternatives, let us explore them to ensure the best for your walls. 

Sheet-wood and Plywood

Sheet Wood or plywood is an excellent alternative to drywalls for your room. Allowing your room to flaunt with finesse, you can enjoy the glossy, royal look. For a better experience, you can install and add wall pieces that can enhance the overall look of the wall. 

It is advisable to go for sheet wood that will maintain the level of your quality finish. Sometimes if you fail to install the right choice of plywood, you may end up with a miserable wall finish. If you are uncertain of your choice, using sheet wood as a drywall alternative is beneficial. 

If you are looking for an easy and quick installation, Sheet-wood and Plywood are good alternatives for drywall. They are an excellent way to avoid and reduce the messy and complicated tasks of installing the drywall. 

Masonry and Bricks

If you are looking for drywall corner alternatives or foyer alternatives, masonry and bricks are the classic replacement. They reasonably justify the luxurious look of your entrance and enhance the different corners in your home. 

The stone material can enhance the warmth of the rooms. You can install these as drywall alternatives for your bathrooms wall. They will finely blend with the requirements of your bathroom.

If you are okay with regular cleaning and suiting walls, this option is perfect for your home. They will last for very long without any damage to your walls. And believe me, I can tell you with my personal experience, they look stunning and turn out to be the focal point in the entire room. So, what do you think of this option for your interiors?

Wooden Planks

Wooden planks are the classic drywall alternatives. It provides an aesthetic look to your entire room, and you can enjoy the luxurious feel. It is the best option to provide a pleasant feel to the room. 

Wooden planks are even great as drywall alternatives for your garage. The alternative eliminates the maintenance factor, which is practically impossible to do in a garage. Especially when you have a lot of stuff stored in them, obviously, in such situations, you will look for an accessible alternative that will maintain the quality of the garage interiors and will need minimum maintenance. 

Once and for all, when the installation process is completed, you have to look for the cleanliness and the walls to be dust-free to maintain the ultimate look of the walls. 

Lath and Plaster

Laths are somewhat the same as veneer plasters. Are you looking for a makeover for your ceilings? The lath and plaster turn out to be the best drywall alternatives for the ceiling. If you are not looking for drywall as an option, you should go for a lathe with plastering. 

The process is simple and reliable for long-lasting results. The wooden slabs are installed between the ceiling joists. It creates a clutch and holds the ceiling sturdily. In the end, it is nicely coated and covered with plaster to have a flawless and complete finish. 

However, I know this is a traditional and straightforward style of ceiling option. If you want, you can try this wall installation option with some additional textures and designs. It will help you add glamor with an assurance of a long-lasting, safe result. 

Veneer Plaster

The second option of plaster is Veneer Plaster that can be utilized as a drywall alternative. They are a fantastic duplicate of the traditional drywall. They are quick and straightforward in installation. They require minimum human assistance and tools. Above all that, Veneer plasters are better at holding heavy items and beneficially functional. 

Before confirming the plaster as an alternative for drywall, you will have to cooperate with the all-day-long process. It won’t take more than a day, but you have to be patient until you get the final result. The wall type is popularly known as Mexican -Style Architecture. They are unique and beautiful in looks. 

Textured Wall Panels

Traditionally textured walls were installed to enhance the royal and luxurious factor of the interior. Later it was discovered that textured panels are a great source of holding things. They are not just elegant in look but even functional.

Ever since that, interiors prefer installing textured walls if you are ready to extend your budget. Usually, textured walls are comparatively more expensive than the other drywall alternatives. The best part of 3D textured panels is that you can easily install them over the existing walls. 

Thus, if you want a quick and luxurious alternative for drywall, you can try Textured wall panels. 

Cemented Walls

Cemented walls provide you with a rustic vibe. The plain surface with some mold effects is perfect for giving an incomplete look. Suppose you plan to use cemented walls as drywall alternatives for bathrooms and bedrooms. In that case, it is advisable to select a focal wall where you will install this wall. 

It is highly advisable not to use it on all the room walls, which can lead to a dull and gloomy atmosphere in the room. Cemented walls are solid and can hold solid objects for longer. 

One of the acceptable features of cemented walls is that they can be installed in any room, whether a bedroom or a bathroom. 

Reinforced Fiberglass 

The concept of reinforced fiberglass wall is the same as the drywall. Reinforced fiberglass is the best drywall alternative, especially if you have small children or pets in your family. The only reason is this is scratch inadequate. 

Believe it or not, but it works as a great savior. However, they are thicker in comparison to other alternatives. They work as both drywall and plywood that works underneath the drywall. The double-layer finish on the wall will extend to inches. 

You may avail different designs and textures according to your interest and requirement. Considering my personal experience, this is one of the best alternatives for a wall without drywall. So if you are looking forward to a luxurious, functional, and long-lasting alternative, reinforced fiberglass will work perfectly. 

DIY Cork Board

Are you looking for the best drywall alternatives for office space or study rooms? Let me help you with the ultimate option. The DIY cork boards are a real savior. Corkboard works as a functional wall. Usually, people prefer installing a wall that can hold and cling some special notes and pointers essential for your work and studies. 

Corkboard allows you to attach and hang all essential pointers. It allows you to be creative and manages to maintain a decent look in your interiors. Thus if you are looking for the exact drywall alternatives for your working space, you can try Cork Boards. 

Manifest Concrete Wall

Aesthetic ambiance with a modern feel is all that we look for in our homes, Right? Being an interior designing enthusiast, I have discovered that people love to maintain the authenticity of their traditions and aesthetic culture. 

The Manifest (Exposed) Concrete Wall is an excellent source of alternatives for drywall. It is easy and quick to achieve and install. If you notice, the wall gives you an incomplete look with elegance and an engaging feel. 

They are sturdy and long-lasting. Add the perfect dark-colored furniture to make the room look complete with the best features. Enjoy the rustic, incomplete look of your rooms with this raw and luxurious exposed concrete wall. 

Corrugated Metal Panels

Why do you want a permanent wall when you can play with metal panels to build the most exciting wall? The corrugated metal panels are exciting and unique in appearance. They are installed within a day. No mess and no dirt will leave you in great relief when you find out the final result. 

Corrugated metal panels look amazing with wooden frames that give a complete royal look. Just ensure that you are not installing the panels on all four walls. This can ruin the entire wall leaving you helpless. 

These corrugated panels are an excellent alternative for drywall in corporate and public places, especially if you have a rented home of professional space for yourself. 

Wahoo Walls

Wahoo Walls are the best drywall alternatives for basements. They are specially designed to cover up concrete walls in the basement. As we know, basements usually face leakage issues. In such conditions, if you install drywall, it can lead to significant damage. Go for Wahoo walls to avoid such mess and maintain the same quality of satisfaction and long-lasting material. 

Wahoo walls are moisture-resistant, and you can keep all your stuff and furniture in the basement without any risk. Suppose you are planning to convert your basement into an activity or entertainment room. In that case, wahoo walls will maintain the decency of the room and space. 

The Bottom Line

I understand, we believe that drywalls are the best option for our interior walls. When you are putting in so much effort, and still, in the end, you have to experience damages and expenses, what is the point of investing? Thus, interior designers recommend choosing drywall alternatives, which are elegant, modern, and can work with all the interior themes. Look for your requirements and tastes and choose accordingly.

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If you’re thinking about doing a revamp project for your homes, then sheetrock and drywall are always in the picture. Both of these materials have been in debate for the longest time, what is more preferable? Which material lasts long? What is the maintenance process for each?  Through this article, we will be laying down the merits and demerits while comparing sheetrock vs drywall in interior design. 

Drywall Vs Sheetrock: What’s the Difference

Sheetrock is a brand of Drywall and not a different kind of interior material. They are the same things. Here drywall is made up of gypsum plaster which is pressed between two thick sheets of paper. Whereas, Sheetrock is a brand that comes under Drywall that is patent by the US Gypsum Company to use as a material. 

The applicability of both these materials is the same, they are using for walls and ceilings. The sheetrock wall has a certain chemical formula that allows it to patent but other than that there is no concrete difference between both these materials. 

Let’s look at some of the specifics of both of these materials. 

What Is Drywall?

In the early days, people used plaster to make their walls and ceilings. This made the work extremely critical and cumbersome to execute. It even took them tons of time to curate this project successfully. This led Augustine Sackett to create the Sackett board, back in time it was a revolutionary idea introduced to create walls and ceilings. It took half the time and effort to make these walls.

It took a while to adapt actively but when World War II ended, drywall methods became an instant hit. As the labor force in the United States shifted their focus towards manufacturing than creating. Somewhere this initiative was taken to compensate for the heavy cost spent on the war. 

This was even reflected in the way people built their homes. Plastering due to the requirement of skilled labor became a tedious and costly process, drywall became the next savior. And ever since its advent, people haven’t looked back, the material is here to stay.

The term ‘drywall’ came up with the thought that the core material was dry with no wet materials needed for its installation. It was a stark contradiction to the plaster as it was a wet material that took a long period to dry off. Hence the name, ‘drywall’ was a literal meaning of the material and its handy qualities.

In modern times, the drywall is lightweight and sturdy as it is made from a material called Gypsum. It turns into a fine powder and presses between two thick paper pieces to form a wide sheet or board. This construction technique has made drywall a popular choice in the building industry due to its versatility and ease of installation. However, traditional drywall is not waterproof, which can be problematic in areas with high moisture levels or dampness. To address this concern, homeowners and contractors can opt for 1, which is designed to withstand exposure to water and prevent mold growth, ensuring the long-term functionality and durability of the walls in damp environments such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, or basements. There are typical standard sizes in which these boards are available, namely 4 foot by 8-foot sheets.

But you can get it custom-made as well. The key here is precision, These drywall boards are cut with finesse and are nailed to the wooden framing of a structure. The advantage of having drywall is the natural soundproofing qualities it offers in a lesser time frame for execution.

What Is Sheetrock?

Sheetrock wall is a brand of drywall that was invented in 1917. It was also an active replacement for plaster and lath. The only difference between sheetrock and drywall is that the US Gypsum Company can only call their product “Sheetrock”. To make it simple, all sheetrock can be drywall, but all drywalls cannot be termed as sheetrock.

It is due to the trending captivity towards sheetrock that every company has started naming their drywalls with the name. It has been using as a marketing terminology that strangely has seen wide adaptability across a global audience. 

However, sheetrock has the added advantage of being fire resistant which helps in preventing moisture. Therefore, sheetrock is a preferred material for many designers, contractors, and homeowners who wish to DIY. It is slightly more expensive than drywall due to the added features and also its non-branded counter products.

Many builders and contractors also believe that sheetrock is more comfortable to work with than drywall. Although, some still believe in sheetrock due to the brand recognition it has globally. To date the original sheetrock supplier, the US Gypsum Company is one of the largest distributors of drywall in America. 

Drywall Vs Sheetrock: Weight 

Standard drywall has an average weight of 50 pounds. The extra light versions weigh approximately 13-37 pounds depending on their sizes. This may seem like a lot of weight for a thin board like that, but the gypsum rock between two paper pieces is highly bound, adding a hefty weight to it. 

It might seem like the weight is a lot to carry, but these gypsum boards are easy to carry around and work with. Their compact sizes help them in positioning them correctly in no time. 

Drywall Vs Sheetrock: Thickness

Both of these materials come in a diverse range of thicknesses that can find in the local hardware stores as well. 

1/4th inch is the thinnest size of drywall available in the market. It uses in basements or any type of wall that doesn’t require detailed reinforcement. The 3/4th inch is almost three times thicker than the 1/4th inch. It is using many spaces like bathrooms or laundry rooms where you don’t need much reinforcement or extra support. 

½ inch is moisture resistant and also durable for longevity, therefore it can be used in spaces like kitchens, bathrooms, basements, laundry rooms, etc. In short, it can use almost everywhere throughout your home.

Due to this ease of applicability, ½ inch sheetrock/drywall is a preferred option for many contractors and builders. It is also one of the commonly available materials in sheetrock/drywall in the standard size of 4 feet by 8 feet. This is so, as this size is widely used across various home renovations and construction works.  

Drywall Vs Sheetrock: Cost

As both these materials are more or less the same thing, it also holds true for their cost. A standard drywall or sheetrock costs around $12-$15 at stores. You can use various online calculators available to measure the entire quantity of drywalls/sheetrock you’d need for your home in square feet. The cost for the same also differs as per the individual brands and the type of drywall or sheetrock. The thickness and inert resistant qualities also determine the varying cost of the material. 

Types of Drywall and Sheetrock

There are many types of Drywall and Sheetrock available in the market as per the region. The regular drywall is one type that is most common in the standard size of ½ inch where gypsum powder presses between two pieces of paper.  Here are a few of them that are widely available. 

Greenboard

It is packed drywall that has a paper-back and is using commonly in bathroom and laundry spaces where mildew is an issue. The paper used is unique and helps in inhibiting the growth of mold. They offer slightly more resistance to mold growth than the regular drywall. It helps in curbing the moisture built up also in bathrooms and laundry spaces. 

Mould Resistant

In areas like basements where there is a possibility of mold formation, these drywalls can be the ideal rescue. These types of drywalls either use a fiberglass backing or no backing making it a better option than generic paper-backed boards to cater against mold growth. 

Fire Resistant Drywall

Any drywall in the size of ⅝-inch is considering fire-resistant drywall. Some of them offer glass in the middle to provide more protection. The applicability of these boards is near utility areas, garages, or furnaces 

Moisture Resistant

No drywall has entirely water-resistant qualities, although a moisture-resistant or cement board is much preferable to be used in moisture-prone areas. These boards commonly install under tiles and they come in varying thicknesses from 1/4th inch to ⅝ inch. They can commonly use in bathrooms, toilets, laundry rooms, etc. Moreover, like generic boards, you can even paint them to give an aesthetic appeal as well. 

Acoustic Drywall

These drywalls have enhanced soundproofing qualities, the key is to add a layer of viscoelastic polymers between the gypsum layers that adds sound-resistant qualities to the walls. The conductivity of the gypsum is lessened to lower the sound transmission making them much more enhanced than regular drywall. 

It is not a cheap investment, but considering the advantages and material finesse it offers, it is worth the price. However many contractors and builders do refer to the ⅝ inch regular drywall that offers basic soundproofing qualities at a lesser price. 

Ceiling Drywall

They are mainly used for ceilings textures and are designed to avoid sagging. 

Sheetrock Vs. Drywall: Merits & Demerits

Both these materials have a diverse range of applicability and superior inert qualities, let’s look at some of the pros and cons of choosing them for your homes. 

Merits

The merit of both these materials is the time efficiency they offer in comparison to plaster and lath that would take days to execute depending on the scale of the project it can go as long as months or even years. However, both sheetrock and drywall can be installed within days. 

Also, due to the material gypsum and its inert qualities of water crystallization, they offer fire resistance at a seemingly lower cost. They even help in adding insulation to the walls while being easy to maneuver and hang. 

Demerits

Drywalls can easily damage by excess water exposure, as it has paper as an outer coating. There is also a material wastage to fit in as per the size. This material also emits sulfur gas, so it is crucial to take note of this especially while buying drywall.

Many low-quality brands are seen to manufacture drywalls that emit sulfur which can be harmful to the homeowners, quality check is the key to make sure that you’re choosing a safe material. If you choose sheetrock, on the contrary, you never have to worry about sulfur emissions. 

Why Choose Sheetrock or Drywall?

Comparing the merits and demerits of drywall and sheetrock, the pros are much higher than the cons, making it an ideal choice for your homes. Both drywall and sheetrock commonly use materials in many and are trustful by many builders as well as contractors.

Although, before choosing any material as a homeowner, it is necessary to know a comprehensive guide on the same. There is a strong reason why sheetrock and drywall have seen a wide range of applicability and are still seeing as a common material to use in almost every household. We hope that this article provided you with crisp know-how of the same. 

To get more information:

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