Fire-resistant drywall: characteristics and scope

When choosing certain building materials for repair work, experts recommend relying on those of them that are fire safe and reliable. One of the best examples of such materials is fire-resistant drywall, which has the ability to withstand high temperatures. Many consumers doubt the quality of the plasterboard material at relatively high temperatures, but first you need to familiarize yourself with the main distinguishing features of a fire-resistant plasterboard product and ordinary plasterboard.

Fireproof drywall is a special material that includes components such as cardboard and gypsum. This material is additionally processed with special substance (fire retardant).

Due to the properties of the materials, drywall can withstand up to 60 minutes of open fire.by not allowing the smoke to spread and preventing further burning. Refractory drywall in its construction has crystallized water (1%), which in the process of burning for a long time inhibits the further spread of fire.

Plasterboard materials are called fireproof, because the material is made by maximally compressing the elements, as a result of which air does not penetrate the structure. The burning process is impossible without free access of oxygen, and if it is not, then the fire will stop its spread.

The use of GKLO has several advantages:

• It is possible to use fire-resistant drywall in any room.The material is made from environmentally friendly products, because it is often used in children's rooms, schools, hospitals.

• The moisture-resistant gypsum plasterboard has a high fire resistance due to the crystallized water in the composition.
• The composition of the material includes clay, which contributes to excellent sound insulation and thermal insulation.
• Unlike identical analogues of such material, drywall will last 5 years longer.
• Provides accelerated surface leveling process.
• Building material is easily cut and bent, which allows to achieve the desired size and shape of the plate.

Despite all the advantages of non-combustible drywall, this material will also have some negative aspects:

• Weak strength indicator. Any slight load leads to deformation of the building material. Installation of fasteners (nail, screw, hanger) requires additional measures to strengthen.
• For painting drywall will require special coloring products and fillers. To cover such surfaces with wallpaper of light shades (beige, white) it will take a lot of effort to block the pink color of the drywall.
• The high price of products.The cost of a refractory plasterboard product is twice the cost of regular plasterboard. However, family safety is certainly more important for each person than an opportunity to save money.

Heat-resistant drywall withstands exposure to an open flame for a certain time, depending on the type of material. When the time limit is reached, the plasterboard product is destroyed. The GKLO system has a core in the form of fiberglass (filaments from 4 mm to 3 cm long), interspersed with clay and crystallized water are additions to the protection against fire. It is thanks to these components that drywall can resist burning for a long time.

In the construction market you can find several types of gypsum boards,who possess fire-fighting qualities.

• GCR - ordinary plasterboard sheets.
• GKLVO - gypsum plasterboard moisture resistant fireproof. They are used for finishing work in industrial premises in which high humidity of the air prevails and high requirements for fire safety are established. The color of this material is green with red markings;
• GKLO - fire-resistant gypsum sheets, which have a high resistance to open fire due to the reinforcing components. GKLO is able to withstand up to 20 minutes of contact with open fire. The color of this material is gray (beige) with red marking.

Comparative table of types of fire-resistant plasterboard materials.

Plasterboard sheets vary by edging pattern:

• PC - straight;
• Criminal Code - refined;
• PLC - semicircular from the front;
• PLUK - semicircular and refined;
• ZK - rounded shape.

The fire-resistant model of the middle sheet GCR has approximately such specifications:

• The standardized value is 2500x1200x12.5;
• Weight - 30 kg;
• Density - 850 kg / m3;
• Flammability discharge - G1 (fireproof);
• Flammability - B1 (fire resistant);
• Toxicity - T1 (harmless);

• Heat conductivity - 0.22 W / Mk;
• Thickness - 6.5, 9.5, 12.5, 14, 15, 16 mm;
• Width varies from 0.5 to 1.3 m;
• Length - up to 5 m.

In order not to be mistaken with the choice of drywall product, it is strongly recommended that the product bundle has a quality certificate that must contain certain indicators of fire safety:

• D1 - the formation of smoke;
• B3 - flammability;
• G1 - combustibility;
• T1 - the content of toxins.

Also pay attention to such features plasterboard material:

• appearance - sheets should be perfectly flat and without mechanical damage (cracks, scratches, bends);
• product labeling - on the back of the product there should be a label describing the manufacturer, size, model, GOST;
• storage conditions - it is necessary to make sure that storage was carried out correctly (at air temperature not lower than 10 degrees).

The use of fire-resistant drywall is common for the following types of work:

• facing works in rooms with high and non-standardized temperature conditions (swimming pool, boiler room, boiler room);
• children's rooms and hospitals;
• creating wall partitions in educational institutions;

• finishing works in rooms whose construction is made of wood;
• lining of fireplaces and ventilation systems - heat-resistant drywall can be used not only as a means of protection, but also for decorating the premises.

Manufacturers of drywall offer a large range of drywall constructions. The German manufacturer Knauf is very popular. 70% of consumers in Russia prefer this particular brand.

Knauf company has more than 10 own plants throughout Russia. Positive customer reviews are based on high-tech material. The main parameters of fire-resistant gypsum plasterboard Knauf - this is a high limit of fire resistance and a relatively small mass of material. Heat-resistant drywall counteracts open fire for 50-60 minutes.

Pros:

• accelerated installation process;
• additional GCR processing is not required;
• installation work is done without dirt;
• the material allows the walls to breathe under it;
• the heat conductivity of drywall is higher than that of other similar building materials;
• high strength of the product allows to mount such special material even on surfaces exposed to external mechanical damage;
• reasonable price of production.

Disadvantages:

• to create complex geometric forms of KNAUF drywall will require a lot of effort and additional tools;
• the difference in price between Knauf products and similar materials is 15-20%.

10% of the population use drywall products from manufacturers of the trademarks Rigips, Lafarge, Giproc. Another 20% of buyers speak positively about domestic manufacturers, namely, about Magma and Volma companies.

Production of the company "Magma" - The winner in the category of value for money. Heat-resistant drywall has high class A parameters. Fire resistance is about 45 minutes. Many manufacturers provide the opportunity to order fire-resistant drywall non-standard sizes.

Volma gypsum plasterboards have been produced by a Russian manufacturer for more than 10 years. Refractory sheets are made according to technology that meets all standards of fire safety.The technical and operational qualities of the GKLO of this nonsense are not inferior to their foreign counterparts, with the result that the great demand of buyers looks quite justified.

Benefits:

• due to the durable and elastic construction GKLO allows you to carry out finishing work of complex shape (arch);
• compared to the prices for Knauf Volma products, it is 30% cheaper, which saves on surface finishes;
• the quality of the thinned edge of the sheet makes it possible to cut the material evenly and without crumbling.

Disadvantages:

• does not have marking lines, which complicates the process of alignment of sheets during installation;
• sheets are characterized by a slight waviness.

• To enhance the effect of fire resistance, you can install two layers of gypsum board or install GKLO on steel frames. When installing two layers of drywall, the laying step between the profiles should be reduced.
• Experts do not recommend installing fire-resistant material on a wooden frame, because the wooden coating is very well lit. For installation it is better to use metal profiles.

• When installing heat-resistant drywall on top of electrical wiring, it is necessary to perform additional insulation of cables.
• The partitions are mounted in such a way that there are no gaps, otherwise sound insulation will not be sufficient.
• The quantity of fire-resistant drywall purchased is calculated with a margin of 10%.

The use of refractory drywall sheets really increases the fire safety of the dwelling. GKLO can also regulate the humidity of the air in the room due to the fact that this material has the property of absorbing excess moisture. If the air in the room becomes dry, then a reverse process takes place - moisture is released into the air space. It can be said that installing drywall helps to normalize the indoor climate.

In the next video you will see a drywall fire test.