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What is Greenboard Drywall?

What is Greenboard Drywall?

what is drywall greenboard?

Green board – so called because of the distinctive green color of its paper backing – is a variety of moisture-resistant drywall board that’s been available since the 1960s. It is similar to standard drywall but the paper backing is thicker and coated with wax to help block out moisture.

is greenboard waterproof?

No, green board is more resistant to moisture than standard drywall but it isn’t waterproof and will still deteriorate in the presence of constant humidity or direct water flow. However, the wax coating helps it fair better in damp environments than standard drywall because water has a harder time penetrating to the gypsum core of the board. The wax coating also makes green board more resistant to mold, since mold growth on drywall occurs on the paper (the gypsum core isn’t a good environment for mold).

Greenboard Bathroom

Using greenboard

The best areas of a house for green board are those that experience regular, moderate humidity (like kitchens or bathrooms except for the bath/shower enclosure). In these areas, you can expect green board to hold up better and last longer than standard drywall.

Green board isn’t a great fit for saunas, indoor pools, shower enclosures, or any other environment where you can expect high levels of humidity around the clock, though. In these cases, you’d be better off using cement board which is waterproof and intended for use in truly wet – not just damp – environments.

Green board is not more fire resistant than standard drywall, so if you’re looking for a board for hot environments or fire-risk areas, you should consider Type X drywall rather than green board.

phasing out greenboard

Though still in production after more than 50 years on the market, green board is starting to become less popular thanks to the invention of paperless drywall. This relatively new addition to the drywall market is gradually replacing green board because it’s suited to the same tasks but even more water- and moisture-resistant than green board. Paperless drywall consists of a water-resistant gypsum core and a fiberglass (rather than paper) backing. As a result, paperless drywall resists mold growth even better than green board – but it costs more, so it might not be right for every project or budget.

2 thoughts on “What is Greenboard Drywall?

  1. Reply
    Lorraine Campbell - August 23, 2023

    I want to know what the NRG stands for . Also how long is the board expected to last on the exterior a home ??

    1. Reply
      joe@wallboardtrim.com - August 24, 2023

      I don’t see anywhere in this article the mention of NRG. NRG doesn’t seem to exist in drywall terms but NRC does. NRC stands for Noise Reduction Coefficients.

      The NRC is often listed as a percentage based on its decimal. Drywall with paint on it has an NRC rating of 0.05, which means 5% of the noise is absorbed and 95% is reflected

      To answer your other question, green drywall must never be used on the outside of a house. The article states that the product is best suited for moderate humidity, like in kitchens or bathrooms. Outdoors would be classified as very high humidity area and would eventually crumble and fall apart.

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