Plasterboard Brands: British Gypsum

British Gypsum is a well-established brand of plasterboard and gypsum products. It is a part of the global company Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. but still operates several manufacturing sites for insulated plasterboard in Britain. British Gypsum plasterboard is considered to be reliable and adaptable for many uses.

British Gypsum - History and Reputation

Although plasterboard was initially developed in the US the idea soon spread to the UK, where British Gypsum began manufacturing gypsum plaster at various sites throughout the country. Using insulated plasterboards was not a common building practice in the UK at the time, so the industry was slow to adapt and begin buying products. However, sales steadily increased during the reconstruction of many of the UK’s towns and cities following WWII.

Following a series of acquisitions in the following decades of various German, South African, American and Belgian manufacturers of wallboards and other building products, British Gypsum was itself acquired. The current owners are French company Saint-Gobain, which bought British Gypsum for £3.9 billion (or US $6.7 billion) in 2005. 

Since its inception British Gypsum has carved out a reputation as a well-known brand and has product lines competing with several other large multinationals, typically targeting the following sectors: 

• Industrial: Whether it is a factory that needs moisture-resistant plasterboard or a distribution centre that wants to protect stock from fire and humidity inside, British Gypsum looks to be the go-to manufacturer for new large-scale industrial projects - and their products tend to fit the bill.
• Residential: The UK’s housing sector is a key part of its economy and British Gypsum plasterboards likely adorn the walls and ceilings of many homes. The brand seeks to continue this trend and manufactures products in the UK for the housing stock in the country, as well as overseas.
• Commercial: The service economy of the UK needs safe, sturdy building materials to meet rigorous Building Regulation requirements and other high standards. British Gypsum plasterboards fulfil these quite successfully, as there are many specialist boards available that perform very consistently.

British Gypsum has a good reputation for quality in all the products it creates, it is a very solid all-rounder. British Gypsum offers an extremely wide selection of good moisture-resistant, acoustic-insulated, thermally-insulated wallboards - as well as boards that provide fire protection to structural steel or timber stud partitions. 

What Are Some Good British Gypsum Plasterboard Products?

Getting building materials is difficult if you have a supplier who does not deliver when they say they will - so be careful choosing where to buy your British Gypsum products.  

While there are many products made under the British Gypsum moniker some are particularly notable, especially when it comes to things like acoustic performance, fire ratings and moisture-resistant properties.

The following are excellent British Gypsum plasterboard products:

British Gypsum GYPROC FireLine MR

This is one of the best GYPROC wallboards for fire protection. The 60-minute fire performance of the GYPROC plasterboard is due to special additives in the core of the board, which complies with the international standard EN 520. This is a rather nice dual-feature British Gypsum plasterboard as it is also very moisture-resistant.

As it is so durable it is suitable for areas where structural steel needs protection from fire, such as in the common areas of purpose-built or converted flats.

British Gypsum GYPROC SoundBloc Plasterboard

For sound insulation, this is one of the most popular British Gypsum plasterboard products. The SoundBloc line of products uses just a 12.5 mm thick board and delivers effective acoustic insulation using a high-density core. They are also good as insulated boards, with a low thermal conductivity of 0.25W/mK.

SoundBloc boards are light thanks to an aerated gypsum core and comply with the BES 6001 standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products.

British Gypsum GYPROC ThermaLine PIR Insulated Plasterboard

Few products balance this excellent level of thermal insulation performance with effective vapour control - to reduce condensation and conserve energy. British Gypsum’s ThermaLine series of products does this with a PIR foam insulated board combined with two layers of control materials, it is also CFC and HCFC-free.

A board great for both new builds and refurbishments, they will also offer up to 30 minutes of fire protection when placed on timber frame constructions.

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The company is also heavily involved in making plaster and operates a proprietary certified plasterer scheme. British Gypsum’s finishing products, such as plaster or sealant, are also generally of good quality and are useful when plastering or decorating your plasterboard walls and ceilings. British Gypsum also produces many standard fixings using their brand. 

What is the Difference Between Plasterboard and Gypsum Board?

The terms ‘plasterboard’ or ‘gypsum board’ are sometimes used interchangeably. Plasterboard contains gypsum, which is the main substance in plaster of Paris. As a result, there can be some confusion between the two terms - but plasterboards and gypsum boards are essentially the same thing. 

Although the key component of the boards is the gypsum mineral, there are several other materials contained within them, often various fibres and other functionalities such as moisture-resistant layers - so saying ‘gypsum board’ is not entirely accurate as a catch-all term for ‘plasterboard’.

Where is British Gypsum Based?

British Gypsum is a very internationalised organisation at this point, so there is a global reach to the parent company (Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A.). As a result, there is no single location for the brand. However, the original company had its headquarters in East Leake, a large village in the Rushcliffe area of Nottinghamshire.

Despite its evolution, there is still a presence for British Gypsum plasterboards in the UK - with plants in the following locations:

• Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire
• East Leake, Nottinghamshire
• Kirkby Thore, Cumbria
• Mountfield near Robertsbridge, East Sussex
• Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire

British Gypsum also has training facilities in London, Clevedon, North Somerset, and Flitwick.

How Do You Fix British Gypsum Plasterboard?

You can easily fix British Gypsum plasterboard just like regular plasterboard, by using either mechanical fixings and adhesives with the dot and dab method. You can joint and skim British Gypsum plasterboards and paint directly onto them, or you can plaster over them before decorating.

As British Gypsum plasterboards are often a product selected for high performance, such as boards that are acoustically insulated, moisture resistant or provide a good fire rating, it is advisable to fix boards to walls using adhesive wherever possible. This helps avoid any gaps in the insulation made by the mechanical fixings.

It is also possible to use British Gypsum in tandem with other boards if you want to overboard multiple layers. This can be useful when you require a certain area to have extra insulation, such as when using acoustically insulated boards for a noisier part of a building.

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