The main difference between paperless drywall and regular drywall is that paperless drywall is covered in fiberglass rather than recycled paper. Other than this difference, the two types of drywall are relatively the same. Regardless, this type of drywall is becoming increasingly popular for a variety of reasons that both homeowners and contractors find appealing.
Paperless drywall is ideal for rooms that have a high moisture content. Since this type of drywall tends to repel mold, mildew does not grow. Contrastingly, drywall that is made from recycled paper retains moisture causing excessive amounts of mold and mildew to appear. Another reason why this newer drywall has made such a splash has to do with the overall durability of fiberglass when compared to paper.
Paper drywall can easily peel, crack, and flake over time. When paper drywall comes in contact with water, it begins to buckle and warp. This is not the case with drywall made from fiberglass. Unlike its predecessor, this type of drywall does not crack, chip, or warp easily. In short, drywall that is not covered with paper simply lasts longer. Lastly, paperless drywall does not require as much installation work as paper drywall does.
When installing regular drywall in any kind of high-moisture room, a moisture barrier must be installed first. This barrier keeps any water particles from penetrating the drywall. When installing paperless drywall, a moisture blocker is not necessary. As previously explained, this type of drywall does not soak up moisture making a moisture barrier completely unnecessary. While all of these details are intriguing, there are couple of drawbacks to paperless drywall as well.
If you are concerned about cost, then you may not want to install fiberglass drywall. Regular drywall is far cheaper than drywall that does not contain paper -- just keep in mind that fiberglass drywall will last longer, which may be worth the added cost. Fiberglass also has the ability to cause skin and respiratory problems during the installation process, though this can be managed with a simple face mask and proper work gloves.
You'll also find that fiberglass drywall tends to be difficult to find, though this is slowly changing. As more and more homeowners choose fiberglass over paper, home improvement stores have begun to stock this material regularly. If you cannot find fiberglass drywall in your area, consider looking on the Internet for stores and manufacturers that may ship to your neighborhood.