TIL that drywall thickness changes are a sneaky way to use less material

Builders are in on it to save money, not improve homes.

4 comments

4 Comments

Lol that take is way too simple. Thinner drywall is way lighter and easier for the crew to put up, which is a legit benefit. Maybe it's not about using less stuff, but using better, stronger stuff now. If it meets the same building codes for strength, who cares. Cheaper material cost could even mean a lower price for the buyer, that's not a bad thing. Calling it sneaky just sounds like looking for a problem where there isn't one.

robertperez1mo ago

Ever seen what happens to thin drywall after a few years? It's a shortsighted move. @dixon.mia talks about it being lighter, which is true for the crew, but what about the people living there? Like in my cousin's place, they used thinner board and now you can hear every step from upstairs. Codes might say it's strong enough, but codes don't cover everything, like noise or how it feels. Just seems like cutting corners to me...

tarar3825d ago

That bit about hearing the cat purring made me laugh. It reminds me of my old place where the walls were so thin I could hear my neighbor's phone vibrate on his nightstand. I actually learned his whole ringtone schedule. It's wild what you end up tuning out, like the exact time he'd watch TV every night. You just get used to the background noise of other people's lives.

thomas.river1mo ago

Visited my friend's new apartment and the walls were so thin we heard the neighbor's cat purring!