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Photograph of an antique book on philosophy - before drywall was inventedLow Toxicity Drywall?
Toxicity & performance of "green" MgO Magnesium Oxide, QuietRock® & other similar wallboard products used at building exteriors or interiors

Green or low-toxicity drywall: reader opinion:

This article discusses a reader question and opinions on environmentally friendly or low-toxicity drywall or gypsum board, "green" building products including green drywall, and green building product certifying agencies as well as green drywall suppliers.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

What are you getting if you buy the "Green" or "low toxicity" drywall or gypsum board panels

Mold-free drywall in an attic © Daniel Friedman

Reader Question: performance of & issues with MagO walls?

Any thoughts regarding MagO walls?

Researching less toxic options since the walls we got from Certianteed (@$32 bucks a sheet) are coming apart just months after installation; don't think they're cleaning our air( 75 yrs pure air up to 25v coats of paint also made from COAL ASH GYPSUM + = yuk) as their commercials w/ Mike Holmes & Ty Pennington claim.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Hard to find precautionary principal rules to apply; takes a mortality rate for eons before affirmative actions.

Lots of lawsuits w/ china & american made; meanwhile people are negatively impacted. Your thoughts?

Is there such a thing as green drywall? If so, what alternatives to conventional drywall do you recommend? | Green Home Guide - cited by reader, http://www.greenhomeguide.com/askapro/question/is-there-such-a-thing-as-green-drywall-if-so-what-alternatives-to-conventional-drywall-do-you-recommend

Found a lot of info touting the miracle of MagO products like Dragonboard (China) & JetBoard (Texas) also found a company AmeriForm supplier near us in Cicero, ILLinois.

Quotes from various sites please refer to below; Youtube has many videos sing praises of MagO fire safety etc.

GeoBoard® - Decorative Cement Board | Ameriform www.ameriformllc.com/geoboard.asp

GeoBoard® is a decorative cement board used in both interior & exterior applications such as exterior ventilated rain-screen systems, exterior & interior cladding ...

The Most Innovative Building Product at the 2014 IBS – JetBoard by JetProducts.

"Winners of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) second annual Best of International Builders’ Show (IBS) Awards were selected in February at the 2014 International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas

Awards were given to exhibitors with a product or line that showed the best combination of design, functionality and innovation.

More than 250 exhibitors applied to be considered for the seven awards, including the Most Innovative Building Product Award."
" Product Description: Calcium silicate board --- Magnesium oxide board

Magnesium Oxide Board has the features as follows:

(1)Non-flammability:

Gemtreeboard is non-flammable and conforms to the national grade A1 standard (GB8624-2006 Grade A1). In case of fire, the board will not burn and not give off poisonous smoke, and is ideal in multi storey building such as offices and apartments for escape routes and shaft wall, or dividing walls in commercial units.

(2)Water-proofing and moisture-proofing:

The product is allowed to long-term expose to moist environment.

Test results prove that after this material has been immersed in water for one month,it keeps its original shape without deformation or expansion and its dry-wet deforming ratio is 0%.

(3)Problem-free:

Gemtreeboard provides good insulation against bugs, fungus and corrosion. It can last for a long-time and will not corrode.

(4)High-Strength and Lightweight: Owing to the density is not high ,the board is light weight, in this case, it can decrease weight of building greatly. At the same time, the material is high-strength and not easy to be damaged.

(5)Easiness to construct:

Gemtreeboard is easy to cut, saw nail, stick. Gemtreeboard has a smooth finish one side that can be taped and jointed ready for decoration including wallpapering, painting, texture coat and veneer, and a rougher side for tiling.

(6)Environment:

Gemtreeboard does not contain any organic solvents, formaldehyde, asbestos, oils or other toxic substances that can have a negative impact on the environment and waterways. As such, saw dust from Gemtreeboard can safely be disposed off in landfills. Off-cuts of Gemtreeboard can be reground and reused back at the production factory.

(7)Polywood substitution,

particle board substitution and MDF substitution.

Performance:Testing Item Data Basis Apparent density 0.85-1.5t/m3 JC688-2006 Moisture content≤8%JC688-2006

Percentage of dry shrinkage≤0.3%JC688-2006

Percentage of water swelling≤0.6%JC688-2006

Screw- withdrawal force≥70N/mmJC688-2006

Dehalogenation resistance No water and no moisture createdJC688-2006Content of chloride ion≤10%JC688-2006

Fireproof performance

A1 non-flammabilityGB8624-2006Fire resistant time2hA 90mm-thick partition with 6mm mgo board on both sides of studs

Fire resistant time4hA 99mm-thick partition with 12mm mgo board on both sides of studs

Sound insulation42dB9mm MgO board+75 stud+50 rockwool

Bending strength16MPa9mmImpacting strength5.5Kj/m29mm

Environment No reaction, asbestos or formaldehyde freeGB656-2001

Water permeability No moisture or water CECS9597

Alkali Resistance CECS9597

Thermal conductivity0.109

Average temperature: 30±5Kcal/m°chr

Suitable places for application:

Interlayer walls

2.External walls

3. Partitions

4.Sound-resistance structure

5. Fire-proof structures

6.Fire-proof doors

7.Water-proof doors

8.Ceilings

9.pillar wrapping

10. Cabinet board

12.Flue board

13.Addition structure

official website ---www .gemtreeboard .com "

- anonymous by private email

Reply:

Anon:

We've heard similar complaints about drywall and "green-certified" drywall performance as well as about other products from readers who've been to "Green" websites or sought and bought "green-labelled" products.

OPINION: Unfortunately for people with a particular levels of concern about various aspects of the terms "green" or "environmentally-resonsible" or "healthy home" products, the construction industry, as other industries, has recognized the marketing value of the "green" label. Meanwhile "green-labeling" itself has become difficult to navigate as self-appointed, self-labeling, self-certifying agencies spring up to fill the market need. Some of these may be serious players, others simply less-obvious industry-marketing agencies.

Even LEED building certification is confusing, as the point-system allows a builder to earn points on some areas of energy conservation while paying them or at least missing them on others, leaving a consumer confused about just what "certification" means to them.

We cannot and don't in general recommend any specific product and we are as stymied as you about green building product or energy-efficient product labeling and agencies.

Whether reading ratings by a certifying agency or reading online product reviews, kudos, or gripes, consumers have to read with care as producers and sellers are acutely aware of the possible impact of good or bad publicity as well as review and website and search engine gaming techniques.

Consumers are left having to read the fine print and think for themselves.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information provided free to the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

We are dedicated to making our information as accurate, complete, useful, and unbiased as possible: we very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles. Working together and exchanging information makes us better informed than any individual can be working alone.

If you agree, I'll post your comment and concern as well as our reply an an appropriate website page and give you that link; our default is to keep you anonymous unless you want to be identified.

Often allowing the sun to shine on a public concern can be helpful and it can also bring comments from more-expert readers, consumers, etc. F]

Magnesium Oxide Board Update

Question: MgO board failure in new construction in the UK

Peeling failing surface of Magnesium Oxide wallboard in the UK (C) InspectApedia.com BuildingAdvisor.com Your BuildingAdvisor.com site had a question about Magnesium Oxide boards back in 2016 following the problems experienced when used on external fascias in Denmark, but do you know of any experience like ours, where these boards have been used on internal walls?

We live in the UK and have a new build, closed panel, timber frame house using Magnesium Oxide boards on all internal walls, completed in 2017. Soon after moving in cracks appeared around all the boards and, despite using the recommended primer, large areas of plaster de-bonded and have burst off the walls.

A structural survey found that the Magnesium boards had bowed but that this was not due to any movement of the timber frame. The ceilings are made from plasterboard and are still perfect.

At present at least three of the major build insurers (NHBC, LABC, Premier Guarantee) will not insure buildings which use Magnesium Oxide boards - there is a court case ongoing which makes it impossible to discover how widespread our problem might be.

Are you aware of internal problems with Magnesium boards like this, on your side of the Atlantic? We have been trying to get answers and compensation for three years.

Thanks for reading this, and so grateful for any information you can offer. - Anonymous by private email to InspectApedia.com 31 March 2021

Moderator reply:

Steve Bliss, my comrade over at our sister website BuildingAdvisor.com https://buildingadvisor.com/ fielded this question. The two of us have cooperated and shared information for decades but still I apologize if that has led to some confusion.

Steve's comments are at MAGNESIUM-OXIDE WALLBOARD & SHEATHING at BuildingAdvisor.com where back in 2018 he wrote that the material was knew and its long-term performance was still unknown.

Watch out: in 2018 Steve warned that "... Few, if any, miracle building products have lived up to their initial hype...."

and

he also warned that " ... the boards can absorb moisture from the air during periods of high humidity and, later, release the moisture as condensed water high in dissolved salts. The leaking salt water leads to accelerated corrosion of metal fasteners and fittings. Also the high moisture levels caused mold growth on some projects. ..."

Recent research on MgO wallboard suggests that performance varies a lot by manufacturer, that there have been crying problems in this wallboard and other failures, but also that some products have preformed well (Aiken 2021).

For your particular case I'd want an onsite inspection to understand

- the specific MgO brand and product wallboard that was used

- building moisture conditions and leak history

- the nature and extent of the failure - for example in our forensic lab we often look closely at the surfaces of separated material and can sometimes identify the underlying fault, distinguishing among an external cause such as abnormal moisture conditions, an installation fault (installing under improper conditions), and a product fault.

See examples of this approach

at PAINT FAILURE, DIAGNOSIS, CURE, PREVENTION

MgO Wallboard & Drywall Standards & Research

QuietRock® for sale at Lowes, 2022 cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

Illustration: QuietRock® as shown for sale at a Lowes building supply U.S. website in April 2022.

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Question: recent complaints involving Quiet Rock® MgO Board in the United States?

Just ran across your article on MgO board, where there was a question about "MgO board failure in new construction in the UK". We are experiencing the same problems here in CA, as referenced in the article.

If it is useful, to locate the article to which I am referring, the MgO board references appear to be within a publication discussing and Green or Low Toxicity Drywall and found at your website [above on this page - Ed.]. The specific portion of the article is entitled "Magnesium Oxide Board Update", and I attached a page for reference.

I appreciate it if you would have someone call me on this subject at their earliest convenience. I am located in California. - Anonymous by private email 2022/04/01

Moderator reply:

Yes, the article you cite is ours and is [above on this page]

And you're welcome to make printed copies as you've done.

It appears that a Google banner-advertisement appearing on our website may have been confusing. To be cleaer

InspectApedia does not sell any product nor service. Our only product is authoritative, researched, in-depth public information, the creation and hosting of which are supported by Google AdSense advertising income.

We do not sell anything. InspectAPedia provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information.

About calling you to discuss your MgO board failure concern, I'm sorry but the volume of readers and comments at our site precludes individual telephone consulting.

Tell me what you can by email if you're willing. You are also welcome to post questions, photos (one per comment, as many comments-photos as you like) yourself, right on that web article at its bottom as reader commentary.

If you have photos, documentation, information about ongoing MgO board failures in CA I would welcome that and would be glad to add that report to the article to invite further comment from experts or others who are interested.

Reader followup: years of problems with QuietRock® MgO board

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.

We have an issue in [location blocked by Mod] with MgO board, manufactured by QuietRock, which we have been dealing with for ... years. I have tried to locate anyone with a similar issue here in the US, but only seem to have found similar occurrences in Europe. Have you run into anyone in the US that has experienced the issues you noted in your article?

Moderator Reply: updates to product specifications & availability of QuietRock®in the U.S.

In my records of correspondence on this, I kept a note of the U.S. correspondent who commented about Certainteed MgO board failures (I kept her mis-spelling) at the start of our article on this page - and have that person's email.
If you want I can see if that email is still live and if she's willing to be identified and to correspond - if so I can pass on that contact info. It was a U.S. reader.

You might also check with Al Carson in Toronto as he has many U.S. home inspector clients (email by cc above)

and with Steve Bliss who's retired from the Journal of Light Construction and whose companion web article on MgO board we cite above in this article. Steve tells me by email (4/2/22) that he has no other newer information to add to this topic.

You will see "Quiet Rock" also listed as a Certainteed brand, so there might be mis-understanding about who is the actual manufacturer.

Recent QR specifications from Certainteed and from QuietRock's website are included on the page above.

Currently QuietRock® is also sold in the U.S. sold by Lowes - so it's certainly widely available.

On 2021-09-29 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - MgO Board Failre Report from Australia & New Zealand & UK

@NZ consumer,

Thank you for the comment; including a brand and a photo or two would be most-welcome and may help other Kiwis who are considering using that product.

Some MgO board manufacturers complain that the performance of their products are misrepresented; in assessing any building product's performance consumers should be sure that the product was specifically designed for the application where it's to be used, and that it's installed according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Yet there have certainly been exterior use products, installed as directed, and warranted for in some cases 50 years, failed quickly when exposed to the weather.

In our OPINION there is a very long history of efforts make use on the building exterior of products that were not durable, including some hardboard siding products and roof shingles.

Still, in some applications, such as for underlayment or sheathing over which a weatherproof exterior is installed, products like Huber's Exacor (TM) may perform satisfactorily. That company describes their MgO2 underlayment (NOT an external cladding product) as follows:

MgO underlayment panels are made primarily from magnesium oxide (MgO) and they are similar in many regards to a cement panel product. MgO products are manufactured by combining mesh core materials with an MgO blend that hardens during a controlled curing process.

This process allows the boards to become solid, much the same way that a cement slurry mixture becomes a hardened concrete material. EXACOR™ MgO panels are fire resistant[1], contribute to acoustic performance and they can be installed by conventional framing crews.

MgO underlayment contributes to fire resistance [1] and sound absorption ratings [2] as part of the overall floor assembly in multifamily builds
. - source: Exacor, retrieved 2021/09/29, original source: https://www.huberwood.com/

Bottom line: you're on-target in reporting low-toxicity Magnesium Oxide board failures, particularly where the Magnesium Oxide board product is used as an exterior cladding. More details will be helpful.

We're adding to the MgO board research already on the page above, including these authors whose works are cited completely above on this page.

Frankly in our OPINON the inconsistency in research reports on MGO board performance, ranging from "performs wonderfully" to "fails too quickly", means we need to read the research with care and to know its funding, alert for conflicting interests.

On 2021-09-29 by NZ consumer

We have had similar problems, but especially with painted magnesium oxide board certified for use as external cladding.

They absorb moisture and the become more sensitive to heat and tend to crack, shrink and warp. I believe they are unsuited for external cladding


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