Drywall is all around us, but it is often misperceived as a building material that doesn’t demand the skillful manipulation of a traditional construction material. Anybody who has worked with drywall knows, instead, that the product is not so cooperative.
Getting that perfect cut of drywall tape demands an expert eye, and embedding the tape seamlessly in joint compound a steady hand. As for feathering and sanding those joints and applying a skim coat of compound to the entire surface for uniformity? Excellent craftsmanship is the only option, especially when a commercial project is specified at the most exacting Level 5 finish.
Crossings at Northwest Plaza in St. Ann, Mo.
Yet quality drywall installations do not have to rely solely on highly skilled labor for that execution. Continental Building Products has created the off-the-shelf Rapid Deco Level 5 System to guarantee precision. Rapid Deco Level 5 comprises the manufacturer’s skim-coated Bison Board drywall and complementary joint compound: Bison Board takes the guesswork out of on-site applications by incorporating skim coating as part of temperature-controlled, industrial production; Rapid Deco joint compound is specially formulated to match the skim coat. No other American manufacturer produces a similar solution, according to Catherine Boggs, Director of Marketing and Architectural Services at Continental Building Products.
Boggs says that architects are increasingly recognizing that “to realize their vision, you need to start with an excellent, uniform foundation, and that’s the value that Rapid Deco delivers.” She adds, “There are a lot of new wall coverings gaining popularity in the market that demand Level 5 specification.” For example, metallic and dry-erase finishes cannot tolerate defects in the substrate.
The rising importance of daylighting has also contributed to the design community’s growing reliance on Level 5 finishes. Jeff Dreisewerd, Director of Operations at Lake St. Louis, Mo.-based TJ Wies Contracting, says sunshine that hits surfaces from building fenestration also exposes their imperfections. He also observes that while Level 5 is specified for approximately five percent of his workload, that number doubles after natural illumination is observed on a job site.
A smooth, uniform surface reassures architects that they’re attaining the Level 5 finish that was specified.
As the Rapid Deco Level 5 System requires so little time to refine the surface with joint compound after installation and does not as heavily rely on skilled labor, the system offers significant savings in comparison to Level 5 projects for which the skim coat is hand- or spray-applied in the field. “You’re going to have a little more labor on the hanging side because Rapid Deco is a little bit heavier, but the product takes away the time associated with taping and skim coating,” Dreisewerd says of calculating cost. “That can also be an advantage from a project’s outset: when you’re submitting a competitive bid, especially if other people are figuring on hand application, then Rapid Deco can create a big difference.”
Another reason architects should consider replacing the costly labor of a Level 5 finish with a factory-made product: they cannot handpick the drywall installers and finishers to ensure on-the-job quality, for example, and, even if they could (as can be the case with design-build entities), there’s still no control over erratic weather conditions that affect drying or overall quality of the skim coat. “We are taking out a lot of the variability that occurs on a job site,” Boggs says.
With Rapid Deco Level 5 applied, surfaces look flawless even when hit with direct light.
The Rapid Deco Level 5 System also offers environmental savings, as Bison Board is made entirely of synthetic gypsum. Also known as calcium sulfate, synthetic gypsum originates from the desulfurization process that coal-fired power plants undertake to reduce air pollution. Whereas other gypsum manufacturers mine for natural gypsum, and most power plants discard desulfurization waste, Continental’s assorted factories recycle the material from their local energy partners; in fact, it is the only company in North America that entirely shuns natural gypsum.
Underscoring the smartness of its approach, synthetic gypsum is 96 percent pure, better than the average gypsum content of raw gypsum, and makes for more consistency across Continental’s inventory. Now, with Rapid Deco Level 5, the company has achieved dependability under the most rigorous standards of built environments. “During design and construction, anything can go wrong. And a lot of times, designers, in my opinion, are forced to compromise on things in order to move the project forward or not incur additional expenses on the owner,” Boggs says. Whether project success is defined by uniform superior performance or ecological responsibility, “using Rapid Deco will help you achieve the design the way you intended.”