Drive
through any urban area and you will notice high rises under
construction, sheathed with the bright colors of glass mat gypsum
sheathing. These gypsum panels are also seen on façades of single-story
fast-food restaurants, offices and residential towers, hospitals and
mixed-use structures. The advantages of glass mat gypsum sheathing are
many. The panels offer extended weather protection, mold and moisture
resistance, and—thanks to its type X core—exceptional fire resistance.
The ability to score and snap the panels means easier and more efficient
construction. In addition, numerous claddings lend themselves to
application over exterior glass mat gypsum sheathing, including the
increasingly popular metal panel systems, stucco, vinyl and composite
siding products.
Glass mat gypsum sheathing has gained widespread
acceptance in the commercial building sector. Yet, use of this gypsum
sheathing product remains rare in residential construction. Interested
homebuilders are out there, and over recent years, the Gypsum
Association has been hearing from them with increasing frequency. They
want to know how to use this material. It is true that the International
Residential Code, to which most builders of one- and two-story
dwellings must adhere, is oriented around wood-based sheathing
materials. However, only a little digging is necessary to discover the
rules around building a code-compliant residence using glass mat gypsum
sheathing.