Fire Protection

Gypsum is approximately 21 percent by weight chemically combined water which greatly contributes to its effectiveness as a fire resistive barrier. When gypsum drywall is exposed to fire, the water is slowly released as steam, effectively retarding heat transmission.

Fire rated gypsum drywall is more fire resistant because it contains glass fiber reinforcement and other additives within its specially formulated gypsum core to help it hold up longer to a fire exposure.