c. 3700 BCE
Gypsum plaster
Jericho and Egypt used burnt gypsum.
Gypsum board did not arrive as a finished commodity. Sackett 1894; US Gypsum 1916 around United States still explains who makes it and which tests it sits in.
Ten dated points, five eras and three milestones below are the spine — not a complete industrial history.
Where it began
Sackett 1894; US Gypsum 1916United States
Timeline
c. 3700 BCEGypsum plaster
Jericho and Egypt used burnt gypsum.
1894Sackett Board
Paper-faced gypsum panels in the US.
1916Sheetrock
US Gypsum brands the wall.
1940sWar housing
Speed over lath-and-plaster.
1950sType X
Glass fibres in core for fire assemblies.
1970sMetric plasterboard EU
12.5 mm as the module.
1980sMoisture boards
Green / blue boards, still not exterior grade.
1990sEN 520
European board types (A, F, H, D…).
2000sDensely lined shafts
Multiple layers for EI 60–120.
2020sRecycled gypsum
Closed-loop from jobsite offcuts in some markets.
The eras
1916
Sheetrock
US Gypsum brands the wall.
1950s
Type X
Glass fibres in core for fire assemblies.
1980s
Moisture boards
Green / blue boards, still not exterior grade.
2000s
Densely lined shafts
Multiple layers for EI 60–120.
Milestones
War housing
1940sSpeed over lath-and-plaster.
Moisture boards
1980sGreen / blue boards, still not exterior grade.
Recycled gypsum
2020sClosed-loop from jobsite offcuts in some markets.
Knowing this timeline is how to read a mill certificate without treating Gypsum board as timeless.
Keep exploring
More in Fire performance
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Nomex
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Overall 65 🧯Intumescent coating
Paints that swell into insulating char — the thin-film way to give steel an R-rating without bulky boards.
Overall 58 🌡️Ceramic fibre
Spun refractory fibres for 1000–1400 °C — kiln linings, gaskets, and a respirable-fibre caution that AES grades try to ease.
Overall 62