Welcome back! You are now signed in.
You have been logged out due to inactivity
Please enter the email address you used to create the account. We'll send you a link that lets you create a new password.
Please check your email. Click the link in the email to create a new password.
Success! Your password has been updated.
Success! Your password has been updated.
Gypsum is the foundational bedrock of USG; there would be no drywall without it. But the construction industry existed for centuries, and USG was hardly the first entity to capitalize on the fire-resistive qualities of gypsum.
This wonder mineral, known as “hydrous calcium sulfate” (CaSO4·2H2O) has been crushed, and air heated, or “calcined,” which drives off three-fourths of the water as steam, in the earliest reaches of recorded history to create a “hemi-hydrate of calcium sulfate,” but more commonly called Plaster of Paris, or stucco.
Archaeologists have discovered that gypsum plaster was used by the early Egyptians for urns, vases, and the construction of royal tombs. Grecian temples were filled with plaster ornamentation, as were ancient German and French monasteries and cathedrals; in fact, Plaster of Paris got its name from the vast gypsum deposits in the Paris Basin of France. Farmers in the 18th and 19th centuries called it “plaster rock” or “land plaster” and used it to improve and enrich their soil.
It’s undeniable that plaster had a rich history of use in construction due to its ability to create fire-resistant structures by the time USG opened its doors in February 1902. At the time, USG offered five product lines, three of which were plaster-based: ground gypsum for land plaster, Plaster of Paris for use as casting plaster, bedding for plate glass and gauging lime putty, and wall plaster.
But it wasn’t until Augustine Sackett sold his patent to USG for alternating, laminated sheets of Plaster of Paris and straw paper in 1909 that USG had its first iteration of modern drywall, a full 7 years after the inception of the company.
Simply put, without plaster, there would be no drywall—or USG.
Even after USG started marketing the predecessor to Sheetrock® Brand drywall in the early 1900s, it would be some time before drywall as we know it today would take over as the preferred method for interior walls; Sackett Board was originally marketed as an upgrade from flammable wood lath that was traditionally used in the construction of walls, acting as a more receptive plaster base due to the rough paper face of the panels.
By the time Sackett Board was re-branded and re-formulated to an early iteration of Sheetrock® Brand Gypsum Panels, USG had made breakthrough innovations that provided the company with substantial advantages over other manufacturers of plaster board. Larger panels with thicker, folded paper edges could now be more seamlessly joined and finished along a wall, creating a smoother surface that could be decorated without applying plaster.
During these years of transition and introducing a new product category to the industry, USG experienced a shift in its business. Land plaster was beginning to decline as the agriculture industry turned to other fertilizers, while gypsum-based wall plasters were replacing lime as a preferred base and finish coat thanks to its improved setting characteristics.
USG continued plaster innovation into the 1920s, which led to the first concerted branding effort by the company. Developing a process that increased the surface area while grinding stucco for bagged plaster created a fluffier material that was easier to handle on the jobsite, but also increased the volume of the product and could no longer fit into the jute bags designed to hold a hundred pounds of product.
The solution was simple enough; additional length of jute was sewn to the openings of the bags to increase the capacity. But it wasn’t until it was suggested by former Vice President of Sales, Charlie Henning, that the added strip of material be colored red to contrast with the grey bag that USG introduced Red Top® plaster. This bit of marketing magic in branding, inspired by the red barns outside of Chicago, on top of a superior quality product caught the attention of the trades, and soon most plasterers in the country were wearing a cap bearing the Red Top trademark.
USG remained committed to plaster in the following decades. The USG Sweetwater, TX plant was founded in 1924 in part to mine gypsite, a key ingredient in wall plaster; Sabinite was an acoustical plaster introduced in 1926; the former USG Boston plant was established in 1929 and fueled the veneer plaster industry in New England that still thrives today; Hydrocal calcined gypsum was introduced in 1930, providing a stronger, denser gypsum plaster that gained widespread use for accurate molds and casts for America’s burgeoning aircraft, automotive, and foundry industries.
A stabilized set was developed in 1932 for gypsum wall plasters, which improved hardening characteristics and made them easier to apply and adapt to decorative applications of plaster like cornices and moldings. Plaster would even make an appearance in the New York World’s Fair of 1939; 170 of its 214 buildings used Gyp-Lap plaster board or Sheetrock® Brand panels during construction.
While there was much innovation in plaster during these formative years of USG, there were also significant advancements in gypsum drywall wall and ceiling systems in the early 1940s. During this time, project cost and speed of installation became dominant factors in most construction over the hard, monolithic surfaces of plaster.
Post-World War II, residential and high-rise construction experienced a boom and drywall further established its foothold as the preferred solution for fire-rated walls and ceilings. While this coincided with a movement away from plaster, it also represented the growth of veneer plaster.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, veneer plaster started gaining popularity as a specialized application for interior walls and ceilings. These systems improved the speed of installation while providing a harder, abuse-resistant surface with a monolithic appearance. Veneer plaster could also be applied at a reduced overall thickness compared to plaster surfaces of the past, reduced from the standard 1/2" to 7/8" to a mere 1/16" to 1/8" with veneer plaster. This was achieved by using high-strength plaster in product formulations.
The combination of reduced thickness in a high-strength material with reduced drying time and a more serviceable finish elevated veneer plaster to a niche solution for high-end interiors, even despite the popularity of drywall. The skillset required for applying veneer plaster is unique and thrives in markets such as Green Bay, WI and the New England area where it is often preferred over standard drywall.
In comparison, drywall joint treatment can be completed after about five days of multiple drying cycles, while a single-coat veneer plaster can be ready for decoration in as little as 24 hours. This requires only a single drying cycle and allows builders to complete a job three to four days sooner for more efficient sequencing of trades.
As acceptance of veneer plaster systems grew, so did the demand for the ultimate in long-term system performance, and a truly monolithic, abuse-resistant surface. No one veneer system could meet all of these market demands, so USG developed a family of veneer systems during this time; Imperial® Veneer Finish in 1963, and Diamond® Veneer Finish in 1976.
Today, both products are USG’s most widely specified veneer plaster solutions in strong, devoted markets across the nation.
“In modern day building construction, plaster still thrives, primarily through the veneer plaster industry,” says Chris Borovka, USG Contractor Specialty Rep – Performance Surfaces.
“Even though the upfront cost of a veneer plaster system is usually higher than standard drywall, overall job cost can favor a veneer plaster solution because of its faster finishing time. In fact, in plaster markets like the Valley region of Wisconsin or New England, veneer plaster is typically more cost effective than standard drywall finishing.”
Aside from veneer, conventional plaster systems are another choice for attaining a uniform, smooth surface that make intricate architectural details and ornamental shapes possible. Conventional plaster systems offer excellent acoustical performance, proven fire resistance, increased abuse resistance, design flexibility for curves and compound surfaces, and lifecycle cost reduction due to lower maintenance costs. USG’s portfolio of conventional plaster products include Red Top® Brand Gypsum, Gauging, and Finish Plaster; Structo-Base® Gypsum Plaster; and Structo-Lite® Basecoat Plaster.