A.Myron Ferguson, a
drywall contractor in Galway, N.Y., and moderator
of the JLC Online drywall forum, responds: The
paperless drywall I’ve used —
DensArmor Plus
(gp.com) —
cuts and fastens just like regular drywall, but
instead of an organic paper face it has an
inorganic fiberglass mat covering. Cutting it sends
bits of fiberglass into the air and onto the skin,
so I always wear a long-sleeve shirt and a dust
mask when I’m hanging it.
To reduce the potential for mold growth and
maintain a completely paperless wall surface, the
maker recommends using fiberglass mesh joint tape
with a setting-type compound for at least the first
coat. Vinyl corner beads are recommended for inside
corners.
Earlier versions of DensArmor Plus seemed to
have a very rough surface texture. Although the new
versions are smoother, they still feel a little
like 200-grit sandpaper if you rub your hand across
them. Applying a skim coat of joint compound over
the entire surface after all of the joints and
fasteners have been taped and sanded to a Level 4
finish leaves a thin film that fills in all of the
little nooks and crannies in the facing. Once
everything is sanded smooth, you have a Level 5
finish.
If this sounds like a lot of extra work, keep in
mind that — with both paper-faced and
paperless drywall — the taping and sanding
process produces a lot of different textures. Areas
that are covered with compound — like
seams, fasteners, and inside corners —
become very smooth after sanding. Areas where the
face of the drywall has been sanded (usually along
the edges of taped areas) have a rougher texture,
since the sanding process raises the fibers of the
paper or fiberglass facing. If the sandpaper used
is too coarse, the difference in textures becomes
even greater. Plus there may be untouched areas of
drywall, which have yet another texture and
porosity. All of these differences can become much
more noticeable when the walls or ceilings are
finished with a paint that has some sheen,
especially if the light hits it just right.
Mold-resistant paperless drywall is a specialty
product that costs 10 to 15 cents per square foot
more than standard drywall. Whether I’m
using paperless or paper-faced drywall, I usually
charge about 25 cents more per square foot to
upgrade from a Level 4 to a Level 5 finish on large
areas. For small jobs, I usually don’t
charge a premium, since it only takes a few minutes
to skim-coat a sheet of drywall.