So, Why Do They Call It 'Drywall' Anyway?

So, why do they call it 'drywall' anyway?

Making a long history very short, drywall was first invented by Augustine Sackett and Fred Kane in 1894, and called Sackett Board.  It was comprised of gypsum plaster pressed between four layers of wool felt paper.  They were 36" square, and 1/4" thick.  He went into production.

The panels could be nailed into place over the wall boards.  This was the forerunner to the replacement product for plaster.  It represented quicker work.

Then in 1910 the United States Gypsum Corporation, still around, bought Mr. Sackett's company, and in 1917 brought a product to market they called "sheetrock."  This newer product had the additional benefit of fire resistance.

It was manufactured into larger sheets and nailed onto furring strips on the wall.

The strips came in 48", 54", and 96" wide sheets, which were produced into varying lengths.

The common thicknesses were 1/2" and 5/8", but later a 1/4" panel was developed for layering purposes.

Stud wall construction accommodated these dimensions.   It could be easily painted, papered and nailed onto.

Installers became known as sheetrockers, rockers, and drywallers.

So, how did the word 'drywall'  enter the vernacular?

For centuries, actually one discovery of its use dated it at 7500BC, plaster has been used as a decorative wall and molding material.  It is a built-up covering technique, with many layers laid onto a wall.  Walls ended up being very thick, and fairly sound proof.

However, each layer would take time to dry.  During that drying time the walls were wet and had to be treated with care, and the house was very humid.  So when the walls were plastered other construction often had to cease to wait for the walls to dry.

When gypsum board (sheetrock) first came out one of the attractive things was that after installation nobody had to wait for the walls to dry!  They were called "dry walls."

My recommendation:  sometimes words creep into our speech for a reason!  Despite that, I have to warn you that monkeys did not invent the monkey wrench!  That is another story altogether, because of a tool said to be invented by Charles Moncke, or maybe even a tool inventor in Massachusetts named Mr. Monk, or perhaps even creeping in because of a worker in a wrench factory called "Monkey" White.  The tool he made is said to have become known as Monkey's wrench.  All those histories dispute each other!  But drywall was indeed a dry wall!  And I bet I know why they call a certain kind of chewing gum "Bubblegum."