USG Blog: 2024 Year in Review

The USG Blog was created to share insight and thought leadership from our unique perspective as a manufacturer with a century-plus of experience in the construction industry. With another year of articles, here are 10 of the most read and shared posts from the USG Blog in 2024:

Honorable Mentions

These two articles were published in 2024, but just missed the top 10 most-read articles from the past year.

Sound By Design: Achieve Acoustic Excellence with USG

The role that acoustics play in the built environment is inextricably linked to the comfort and well-being of a building’s occupants, but acoustic criteria is often devalued in favor of cost-cutting measures.

Acoustics must be treated as an impactful and space-making factor of design; discover how USG can assist with acoustical assemblies here.

The History of Durock® Brand

On March 10th, 1983, the first truckload of Durock® Brand Cement Board shipped from USG’s Detroit plant. What started as a pilot program for a product innovation turned into an entire business focused on making water-durable and water-resistant panels.

Learn more about the humble beginnings and innovative growth of this iconic USG brand that recently celebrated its 20^th anniversary here.

The Top 10

Finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for since clicking on this article: the top 10 most-read blogs of 2024!

10. Gypsum Concrete in Mass Timber Construction

Mass timber construction is gaining popularity across the nation as a sustainable approach to building construction. While these projects champion sustainable design, there are inherent challenges that must be addressed due to the hard, wooden composition of these buildings.

Learn more about the important considerations that must be taken into account for a mass timber structure and how USG can help push these kinds of projects towards lasting success here.

9. Sustainable Certification Made Easy: The USG Sustainability Tool

USG understands the complexity that sustainability requirements can bring to a project, which makes it critical for our customers to have a resource to aid in sustainable product specification.

The USG Sustainability Tool powered by ecomedes offers all USG customers unprecedented insight into green building initiatives and the products it takes to build with sustainability in mind; discover more about this impactful tool here.

8. The Effect of Environmental Conditions on Drywall Installation & Finishing

USG takes claims about product performance very seriously, and while improper storage of products or expired materials influence the quality of the final installed and finished system, a vast majority of our technical support is related to jobsite environmental conditions and how they affect our products.

Discover why it’s important to have a full understanding of outside factors that affect drywall installation and finishing in this article.

7. The Truth Behind Noncombustibility Claims of Magnesium Oxide Structural Panels

The built environment requires extensive code compliance to protect the life safety of its inhabitants as well as the professional liability of the owner, designer, dealers, and more. The rise of Magnesium Oxide (MgO) structural panels as a cost-effective replacement for poured concrete floors may seem too good to be true—and that is exactly the case.

With so much at stake, it’s important to build with products you can trust to live up to their manufacturers’ claims of noncombustibility; learn more here.

6. USG Durock® Brand Cement Board with EdgeGuard™ Installation Guide

USG Durock® Brand brings proven performance to the backerboard category through Cement Board with EdgeGuard™. This water-durable and mold-resistant cement board installs quickly and efficiently while maintaining the quality and reliability you expect from USG brands.

Get the quick tips and tricks you need to install these panels in this installation guide.

5. Finishing Gypsum Panels in Cold, Humid, or Critical Light Conditions

A great finish is always possible when you choose USG, but certain jobsite conditions outside of your control must be addressed with the correct approach to ensure a perfect finish. Areas with critical light or excess humidity or cold can present challenges to the drywall construction trade that can ultimately affect the finished product.

Inform yourself of industry best practices to improve finishing success on projects in less-than-ideal conditions with this helpful guide.

4. The Ins-and-Outs of Abuse and Impact Resistance: Five Things to Know

Investing in gypsum panel products ideally suited for high-traffic areas will often eliminate ongoing maintenance expenses over standard drywall, adding years of reliable durability and safety to the spaces that need it most.

Here are the five most important things designers, contractors, maintenance personnel, and building owners should know about abuse- and impact-resistance.

3. Green is Good: Understanding Moisture- and Mold-Resistant Gypsum Panels

“Green board” has been around the industry for a few decades now, and has built a reputation as a water-resistant option for drywall installation, so-called for the green-hued paper facer on the panels. But not all “green board” is created equally.

Even if your drywall contains moisture- and mold-resistant properties, it can still be at risk for mold growth if not for careful design, proper construction, and thorough maintenance; discover how you can manage moisture and reduce the risk of mold growth here.

2. USG Joint Treatment Selection Guide

USG finishing products have been specifically designed to meet the needs of our customers and our portfolio is filled with unique and adaptable solutions for a variety of environments. Choosing the right joint compound for a specific job is influenced by several factors: jobsite conditions, shop practices, applicator’s preferences, types of available joint systems, characteristics of products considered, and recommended product combinations.

Find the right product for your specific application here.

1. Type X vs. Type C: What’s the Difference?

Installing Type X drywall panels in place of Type C panels, and vice-versa, is a common jobsite error that can be a costly mistake no matter how you look at it. One of the primary reasons these panels are installed incorrectly is that there’s little visual differentiation between them. Even product name differences are subtle and easily overlooked, which makes it a challenge to identify a panel after it’s been fully installed.

So what’s the difference between Type X and Type C panels? Find out the answer to that question and how these panel types play into fire-resistant structures here.

The USG Blog

USG understands our position as a trusted figure in the industry and we take pride in sharing the knowledge we’ve accumulated with our dedicated customers and clients.

Thank you to all who have taken the time to read an article or share the blog with a friend or colleague, and we look forward to providing you with even more engaging content in the new year and beyond!