Drywall or plaster: which is better, the cheaper it is to level the walls

What building material is more preferable when leveling the walls - plaster or drywall? This is one of the most pressing repair issues that must be resolved in advance so as not to encounter many problems that are inevitable with the wrong approach. Both materials show excellent results when leveling walls and ceilings and look great. after finishing work, but both of them have flaws, and work with each of them has its own the nuances.

To answer the question, which is better - drywall or plaster, it is worth comparing their characteristics, consider the pros and cons.

Types of Drywall

The modern construction market presents many types of drywall from Western and Russian manufacturers, designed for different purposes, differing in size, sheet thickness and operational characteristics:

• Standard GKL gray with blue markings for walls and ceilings in rooms with low and normal levels of humidity.
• Waterproof gypsum plasterboard GKLV with silicone granules, which includes antifungal components designed for rooms with high humidity and unstable temperature air. GKLV color is green, marking - blue.
• Fireproof gypsum plasterboard GKLO pink or gray with a red marking is used to protect the premises from fires. In the apartment, such material is sometimes chosen for the nursery.
• Water-resistant and fire-resistant material GKLVO green with red marking for industrial premises with a high level of humidity and increased fire safety requirements.

By thickness, drywall is divided into wall (from 12, 5 mm), ceiling (8–9.5 mm) and arched (6 mm).

The advantages of drywall over plaster

Drywall has the following advantages:

• High sound absorbing properties. Plaster also has soundproofing characteristics, but not to this extent.
• Convenience of arranging heat and sound insulation. Materials are placed between the frame and the wall or ceiling.
• Cladding with gypsum plasterboard is easier and faster than leveling with plaster, especially in the case of a ceiling that is especially difficult to plaster.
• Drywall is indispensable for creating complex structures - arches, figures, interior and zonal partitions, multi-level ceilings.
• Suitable for walls of any curvature.
• Drywalling is a relatively clean way to level surfaces, after which only dry garbage remains.

Disadvantages of Drywall

Among the shortcomings of the GCR:

• fragility of the constructed structure;
• reduction in floor space;
• the need for a complete replacement of drywall in cases of flooding from the upper floors;
• difficulties with placing heavy objects on the walls, special fasteners are required, and to hang on the drywall heavy cabinets in the kitchenwill have to think through ways to strengthen it.

Drywall the walls involves a whole range of work. To create the perfect surface, you will need to seal the joints and the location of the screws with putty, apply a primer layer on the entire surface of the drywall, and then putty, after drying - sanded. When everything dries, you can start wallpapering, staining or decorating with decorative plaster.

Types of plaster

The plastered walls and ceiling are an ideal base for painting or wallpapering. Types of plaster for leveling surfaces:

• The most economical option is a cement mixture, which provides a durable coating with high heat and sound insulation and fire protection characteristics. The composition withstands a high level of humidity, while it has a large weight, which complicates the application on walls and especially on ceilings. It needs puttying and sanding before painting or laying tiles, however, if it is successfully leveled, it can last a very long time.

• Cement-lime plaster has antibacterial properties, protecting the room from the appearance of mold and microorganisms.
• Gypsum - a dry mixture consisting of gypsum powder with plasticizers. Gypsum plaster is plastic, vapor permeable, environmentally friendly, has a low weight compared to cement, compatible with concrete and brick surfaces, does not require puttying before painting or gluing wallpaper.
• Decorative plaster - It can be silicone, mineral, silicate, used for finishing, allows you to create unusual and unique surfaces. Such exclusive types of this material as travertine, Venetian, Moroccan plaster, compare with drywall does not make sense, since their cost significantly exceeds the most expensive types of GCR together with finish.

The advantages of plaster over drywall

Plaster is one of the oldest building materials, the composition and properties of which have changed over the centuries. Modern mixtures with a variety of additives have been successfully used for both interior and exterior work, preserving the excellent appearance of the cladding for decades. Among its main advantages:

• High strength and reliability.
• Long operation.
• Space saving.
• Low cost of material
• No problems with the placement of wall cabinets and any other items.

Stucco disadvantages

Plaster has significant disadvantages:

• Plastering is a laborious and dirty process.
• The need to use beacons to create a uniform layer.
• The risk of cracking when applying a thick layer.
• Long drying time. When plastering in several layers, repairs can be delayed for several weeks.
• Plastering the walls for a novice without special skills will be difficult.

What material to choose

Before proceeding with the repair, it is necessary to consider several important factors to decide which of these materials is suitable in a particular case.

• If speed is important and repairs must be completed quickly, drywall needs to be preferred.
• Walls in rooms with a high level of humidity are better to level with cement or cement-lime plaster, which is an excellent basis for tiles of all kinds and heavy wall structures - shelves, mirrors, water heater. The plastered surfaces in the kitchen, bathroom and toilet will last for several decades.

• Surfaces with large differences are much more profitable to level with plasterboard rather than plaster. When using GCR, the curvature of the walls does not matter, when using a plaster mix, you will have to spend a lot of material.

Which is cheaper - plaster or drywall? The cost of the plaster mix is ​​lower than the cost of gypsum plaster, plastering will also require lower costs, but if plastering is really a good experienced master, his work will be paid higher. In this case, the price of work with these materials will be approximately the same.

• If the ceiling or walls need to be insulated, it is better to choose drywall.

• When choosing a paint as a finish, it is worth choosing GKL, since it will not cause microcracks.
• It is desirable to finish the walls in new buildings with gypsum or cement plaster in order to minimize cracking of the surfaces when the building shrinks.
• In a small room, it is better to plaster the walls and ceiling so as not to waste space due to the plasterboard frame.
• In the kitchen or in other rooms where heavy cabinets or other objects will hang, it is more advisable to choose plastering.