Georgia-Pacific Gypsum ToughRock® Now Lighter and Stronger

ATLANTA, May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia-Pacific Gypsum – among the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of gypsum building materials – introduces an innovative upgrade to its ToughRock® line of paper-faced gypsum panels. Improved 1/2-inch ToughRock gypsum boards are up to 25 percent lighter than traditional 1/2-inch wall and ceiling drywall products and have increased impact resistance for greater durability than original 1/2-inch ToughRock. Improved 1/2-inch ToughRock gypsum boards are available through retail and distributor channels in Northern California and the Midwest.

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"Installers and subcontractors told us they are eager for a lighter board but they made it clear the board has to perform as well as our traditional drywall.  With this new ToughRock gypsum board, we deliver a product that addresses the demand for lighter weight and provides superior strength compared to other boards in the market," said Todd Kuykendall, director of Product Management, Georgia-Pacific Gypsum.

Due to the product's improved impact resistance, the boards are less subject to pre- and post-installation wear and tear. Among other attributes of the improved product are:

• Greater flexural strength, meaning the boards are less prone to breakage during handling and installation;
• Sag resistance for ceiling use, which means one product can be used on walls and ceilings. The board conforms to applicable ASTM C 1396 standards;
• Potential reduction in environmental impacts from transportation due to lighter weight products.

Both existing and improved 1/2-inch ToughRock gypsum boards are GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified®, GREENGUARD Children & Schools(sm) Certified and listed in CHPS® High Performance Product Database as a low emitting product.

ToughRock boards may qualify for LEED® credit contribution in Materials and Resources-Recycled Content (MR 4) and Materials and Resources-Regional Materials (MR 5.) Visit www.gpgypsum.com and click on the LEED Calculator link to determine credit contribution.

About ToughRock® Gypsum Boards

The family of ToughRock® Gypsum Boards includes paper-faced wallboard, ceiling board, soffit boards, abuse-resistant panels, mold-resistant panels, veneer plaster base systems and enhanced Type X (sometimes referred to as Type C) boards used in fire-rated assemblies.

Please visit www.gpgypsum.com for more information.

About Georgia-Pacific

Headquartered at Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of building products, tissue, packaging, paper, cellulose and related chemicals. The company employs more than 40,000 people at more than 300 locations in North America, South America and Europe. Georgia-Pacific creates long-term value by using resources efficiently to provide innovative products and solutions that meet the needs of customers and society, while operating in a manner that is environmentally and socially responsible and economically sound. The company has long been among the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers, with brands such as Plytanium® plywood, DryPly® water repellent plywood, Ply-Bead® panels and Wood I Beam™ and XJ 85® joists offered by Georgia-Pacific Wood Products LLC. DensArmor Plus® interior panels, DensGlass® Sheathing and ToughRock® drywall are offered by Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC. The familiar consumer brands of Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Sparkle®, Mardi Gras® and Vanity Fair®. Dixie Consumer Products LLC, a Georgia-Pacific company, manufactures the Dixie® brand of tabletop products. For more information, visit www.gp.com

Please visit the Georgia-Pacific Gypsum media room at www.gp.com/gypsummedia.

Unless otherwise noted, all trademarks are owned by or licensed to Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC. GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified and GREENGUARD Children & Schools are registered certification marks used under license through the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.  CHPS is a registered trademark of Collaborative for High Performance Schools, Inc.  LEED is a trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council.

SOURCE Georgia-Pacific Gypsum