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Looking for drywall options that won't go up in flames
Hey folks, I'm in the middle of remodeling my basement into a home theater and gaming room (finally convinced the wife, haha). Anyway, I started thinking about safety stuff, you know, electrical wiring, insulation, and all that jazz. Someone mentioned to me there's drywall that's specifically designed to slow down fires or something like that. Honestly, I didn't even know that was a thing until yesterday.
Has anyone here used this kind of drywall before? Is it worth the extra cost and hassle? I'm not exactly rolling in cash, but if it genuinely makes things safer, I'd consider it. Also, is it harder to install than regular drywall? I'm decent with DIY but definitely no pro, so if it's tricky, I might need to call in some favors from buddies who owe me pizza and beer.
Any advice or experiences would be awesome.
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2 replies
I've used fire-rated drywall (Type X) in my basement reno last year - also a gaming cave, coincidentally enough. Honestly, it's not much harder to install than regular drywall... maybe a little heavier and tougher to cut, but nothing your pizza-and-beer crew can't handle. Cost-wise, yeah it adds up slightly, but think of it this way: you're already investing in electronics and comfy seats, might as well keep them safe from surprise BBQ disasters.
"Honestly, it's not much harder to install than regular drywall... maybe a little heavier and tougher to cut"
Did you find scoring and snapping it trickier too, or did you just go straight for the saw? I ended up using a drywall saw more often - bit messier, but saved some frustration.