When
people say the construction industry refuses to change, move on, or the
people are just stubborn, maybe we should point to gypsum sheathing.
Resistant to change? Gypsum sheathing has changed dramatically over the
years. Gypsum sheathing was a spin-off of standard gypsum wallboard that
went through almost as many changes itself. It would be fair to say
that today’s gypsum sheathing is not the product your father put up.
It
all started in 1909, before gypsum sheathing was even a thought or
idea. The company that made a product known as Sackett board was sold to
United States Gypsum. They eventually turned it from a plaster
baseboard to a gypsum wallboard system. By the 1940s, other
manufacturers, such as CertainTeed and National Gypsum, joined the
innovation craze and released gypsum wallboard made especially for
exterior walls. They added a moisture-resistant face paper and
eliminated the tapered edges since there was no need to finish the
joints. A treated gypsum core soon followed to make the product better
at handling moderate weather.