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Mike Goebel
Mike Goebel has been involved in the construction and home improvement industry for more than 40 years and is currently the Senior Vice President of the Home Center Division at Star Lumber & Supply Co. Inc. You may contact Mike by e-mail at mgoebel@starlumber.com or by phone at (316) 942-2221.
Home Improvement
2003-11-01 09:16:00
What is wallboard made from?
ANSWER: Very few people have ever heard of "hydrous calcium sulfate." And even fewer are aware that hydrous calcium sulfate - CaSO4.2H2O as chemists know it - is gypsum, the rock that nobody knows.    In addition to being found in the Egyptian pyramids, gypsum rock is referred to in the ancient cuneiform scripts of the Assyrians. Its use was probably developed by the Greeks, whose influence certainly remains in the name by which the rock is known.  They called it Gypsos, the source of our word "gypsum."    Gypsum is a rock that, like limestone, occurs naturally in many parts of the world, and like limestone, in an absolutely pure form it is white. However, the usual presence of darker impurities produces rock in varying shades of gray, brown, and even black. Since it normally is found close to the surface, gypsum can be mined or quarried easily.    The biggest part of the gypsum rock used in this country goes into wallboard for homes. Gypsum "boards" are formed by sandwiching a core of wet plaster between two sheets of heavy paper. When the core sets and is dried, the sandwich becomes a strong, rigid, fire-resistant building material. Fire-resistant because in its natural state, gypsum contains water, and when exposed to heat or flame, this water is released as steam, retarding heat transfer. Manufactured in unbelievable quantities on continuous machines almost a quarter mile in length, gypsum wallboard and lath, pre-finished wallboard, and gypsum sheathing for use under exterior finishes are among the most important materials used in housing. Here are a few other ways in which gypsum is seen during an average day.    First of all, there is toothpaste. Gypsum forms the basis for some of the well-known brands of toothpaste, and thereby helps to pay the salary of some of television's best-known entertainers.   Most of the fixtures in bathrooms are made of clay formed in a mold of gypsum plaster, and chances are that gypsum board is behind the wall tile.    At the breakfast table, dishes were shaped on
 
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