GKLV: decoding, specifications, comparison of manufacturers and prices

More and more home craftsmen are choosing “dry” technologies for repairs and replacing traditional plaster and cement mortar with gypsum-based slabs. With the help of drywall, you can easily level walls and ceilings, build suspended structures, niches and boxes, partitions and built-in wardrobes. For finishing rooms with high humidity, GKLV is used - a moisture-resistant type of drywall.

Types of drywall

Since the invention of drywall in 1894 by American engineer O. Sackett, the material has changed significantly. Today in hardware stores you can buy 4 types of sheets with different characteristics:

• Ordinary drywall - GKL. They consist of a gypsum mixture enclosed between two layers of cardboard. A standard sheet of such material has dimensions of 1200 × 2500 mm with a thickness of 9.5 mm or more. Suitable for home renovations. It cannot be used in the bathroom and toilet: cardboard and gypsum do not tolerate a humid environment.
• Moisture resistant drywall, abbreviated as GKLV. It is easy to distinguish it even without reading the marking: the sheets of this material are painted light green. Hydrophobic impregnation protects cardboard and gypsum from moisture. At the same time, it also increases the weight of the product.

A standard drywall sheet with a thickness of 9.5 mm weighs about 22 kg, and the GKLV element of the same size will “pull” 27.

• Fire-resistant drywall - GKLO. It is used for lining fireplaces and wall stoves in rooms with high air temperature, public buildings with high traffic. Its leaves are painted in a reddish color.
• GKLVO - universal sheets that can simultaneously withstand the effects of high temperatures and moisture. They are used in baths or saunas, in boiler rooms, when sheathing wooden houses to protect them from fire, in damp rooms with increased fire safety requirements.

When choosing the type of drywall, it is important to consider its suitability for the application. It makes no sense to use moisture-resistant or fire-resistant material in ordinary rooms. Given the higher price, the investment will not be justified: the unique qualities of the sheets will not be used. Why overpay for material properties that are not useful in a particular room?

GKLV characteristics

Moisture resistant high quality drywall has the following properties:

• Resistance to moisture penetration. It tolerates room humidity up to 90%.
• Antiseptic additives do not allow mold to develop.
• The material is resistant to mechanical damage.
• Made from environmentally friendly components.
• It is not subject to combustion, with prolonged exposure to high temperatures it only chars.
• The volume of moisture absorbed is 1/10 of that of conventional drywall.

The video will demonstrate how different the result is when pouring water on GKL and GKLV.

Sometimes moisture-resistant drywall is called waterproof, but this is not entirely true. Still, this material is not intended for direct contact with water and requires additional protection in the form of moisture-resistant putty and a suitable finish.

GKLV is often confused with similar abbreviations GVL or GVLV. Despite the presence of gypsum in the composition, this is a completely different material - gypsum fiber sheets ordinary and waterproof. The difference lies in the manufacturing technology: cellulose fibers are added to the gypsum, which, after pressing, create a homogeneous structure. Such sheets do not have a shell, they are stronger and heavier, and even more expensive.

Dimensions, types of edges

For the convenience of consumers, sheets of various sizes are produced:

• The length ranges from 2000 mm to 4800 mm.
• Width - from 600 to 1200 mm.
• Thickness - from 6.5 to 24 mm.

GKLV also differ in the shape of the edges:

• PC (SK) - straight.
• UK (AK) - thinned.
• ZK (RK) - rounded.
• PLC (HRK) - semicircular.
• PLUK (HRAK) - semicircular refined.

The shape of the edge affects the features of sealing seams between sheets.

Deciphering the GKLV marking

Consider an example. Suppose we have a sheet of drywall with the inscription:

GKLV-A-PK-2000 × 1200 × 9.5 GOST 6266-97 DIN 1 81 80

The decoding of this marking looks like this:

• Moisture resistant drywall.
• Accuracy class A.
• Straight sheet edges.
• Length - 200 cm.
• Width - 120 cm.
• Thickness - 9.5 mm.
• Products have a technical certificate of conformity GOST 6266-97 DIN 1 81 80

Scope of moisture resistant drywall

GKLV has a wider scope compared to conventional GKL:

• The material is used for finishing work in rooms with a humidity level of more than 60%: in the kitchen, on the balcony, loggia, toilet and bathroom, washing rooms of baths and saunas.

• With its help, they carry out a full range of work, characteristic of ordinary drywall: they level ceilings and walls, construct partitions, niches, boxes and multi-level structures.

• GKLV is indispensable for the repair of premises experiencing high operational loads: offices, warehouses, production workshops. The properties of the material allow regular wet cleaning in them without the risk of damaging the interior.

GKLV "Knauf": new designation, features, price per sheet

moisture resistant Knauf drywall now has the GSP-N2 marking (gypsum building board with additives that reduce water absorption). Manufactured in accordance with GOST 32614-2012 (EN 520:2009). By default, GKLV is equipped with a thin semicircular edge (PLUK marking), which contributes to the formation of a tight joint. On request, the manufacturer produces sheets with other types of edges.

The durability of the erected structures is ensured not only by the high quality of the material, but also by the observance of the conditions prescribed in SNiP 23-02-2003 "Thermal protection of buildings" during installation. Knauf makes the following recommendations:

• The temperature in the repaired room must be above 10 ˚С.
• Drywall sheets are aged at the installation site for at least a day. This will allow them to acclimatize and not change their linear dimensions in the future.
• The edges of the ends of the GSP-N2 drywall are rectangular, therefore, for high-quality sealing of the seam after installation, they are first chamfered. The angle of its inclination is approximately 45˚, and the depth is 1/3 of the thickness of the sheet.

The cost of GKLV from Knauf in Moscow:

• for a standard sheet 2500 × 1200 × 12.5 - from 280 to 350 rubles;
• per sheet 2500 × 1200 × 9.5 - from 275 to 350 rubles.

GKLV "Volma" (compare with "Knauf")

Some novice masters believe that Volma and Knauf drywall differ only in price, and the latter is higher solely because of the brand's "hype". Indeed, GKLV Volma is cheaper:

• sheet 2500 × 1200 × 12.5 costs from 216 to 330 rubles;
• price per sheet 2500 × 1200 × 9.5 - from 210 to 325 rubles.

In practice, the differences are more significant. Moisture-resistant Volma drywall is heavier: a 2.5 × 1.2 m sheet with a thickness of 12.5 mm weighs 37.5 kg, while the weight of a similar Knauf sheet is 25 kg. Also, judging by the feedback from the forum, it is harder and more brittle, so it is more difficult to cut it.

Sealing joints of structures made of moisture-resistant drywall

Operation in a humid environment requires the maximum protection of drywall from moisture penetration. The most vulnerable places are the seams between the elements, so special attention is paid to their sealing.

In general, this procedure differs from the finishing treatment of conventional GKL only with the materials used. For GKLV, fiberglass tape and waterproof putty are used. The holes formed by the caps of the self-tapping screws are also closed up last.The durability of the structure depends on the quality of the sealing of the seams.