Is there a use for the scraps left over from plaster board, or sheetrock, as I call it? We're redoing the basement and have odd pieces of this left. Not in any sizes that we could use for construction, so what can be done with it? Safe to break up and add to compost? Any hazards to garden if I do this, or will it add any nutrients? There must be something that one can do with this, besides hauling it to the landfill. Thanks, Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), February 02, 2001

Answers

An old farmer down the road and I are buddies. He said that old sheet rock is great mulched into acid soil!!! Great if you have long strips and you put it along the row too! It breaks down if you get plenty of rain and can be tilled under.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), February 02, 2001.

Sheetrock/plaster board is basically a lime material. Break it up was fine as possible and either add to the compost pile or incorporate into the garden directly. Only basically difference between gypsum and limestone is limestone can affect pH, while gypsum won't.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 02, 2001.

Out of the overstuffed filing cabinet I call my brain . . . I have read that you can put the scraps inside the walls. I believe the idea was to sheetrock a partition wall, glue the scrap pieces to the back of the sheetrock, then put up the rest of the sheet rock. Use construction adhesive, I guess.

The extra sheetrock helps decrease sound transmission, so you would want to determine where there might be undesireable sounds (like around a bathroom), and concentrate using your scraps there. They don't have to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The spaces between the pieces would act as further baffles. The additional sheetrock might even add a bit of thermal mass and/or fire retardance. BTW, I've also heard of gluing empty egg cartons inside walls for sound deadening, but probably most homesteaders need their cartons for eggs.

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), February 02, 2001.

you can pulverize it and mix it into papercrete base to make more drywall, using thescraps as a bond fore the cardboard slurry.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 02, 2001.

They must make a different kind of sheetrock in other states. Here in Arizona the most common sheetrock type is the gypsum panel. Our sheetrock contains a gypsum core sandwiched between two layers of special paper that is probably treated with noxious chemicals for fire retardation purposes.

-- Lynn Goltz (lynngoltz@aol.com), February 02, 2001.

I always thought it was the gypsum itself that cause the fire resistance. As in the thicker the gypsum, the greater the fire resistance.

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), February 02, 2001.

Broken up real well, it makes a good floor in dirt floor chicken coops, horse stalls or goat barns.

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), February 02, 2001.

Drywall is made of gypsum and a host of chemicals depending on the company and the type of wallboard.Can have asphalt,fiberglass,and various things for fire resistance. Some folks use it around and under their tomatoes.No thanks.I use crushed oyster shell for mine.

-- JT in Florida (gone2seed@hotmail.com), February 02, 2001.

We just stuffed our scraps into the walls. As we screwed up our sheetrock horozontally, we would put the bottom sheets up first, then put as much of the scraps into the walls as we could fit, even having the longer taller pieces going up the wall cavity, then place the next sheet up to cover this. We also thinks it worked very well for soundproofing, especially between the living room wall and the laundry room. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 02, 2001.

I remember reading somewhere that you can give pieces to rabbits for them to chew their teeth down. Eeww! Just the idea of teeth scraping through the board gives me shivers. Like nails on a chalk board. Speaking of chalk, we use some small pieces as chalk for the kids to draw.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), February 02, 2001.

Here's some info for anyone interested in using drywall in the garden. Great article appeared in the May/June 2000 issue of Back Home mag. (sorry CS!). Don't want to make this too long, so I'll just list some highlites here: According to studies conducted by the Dept of Soils and Natural Resources at Ohio State Univ Ag Tech Institute- beneficial effects on crops have been the same as ag-grade gypsum used by farmers to improve their soil. Drywall (wallboard, sheetrock, etc.) is made of gypsum; glue; reinforcing fibers; and cellulose backing. The mineral gypsum is a source of calcium and sulfer used regularly by farmers to improve growth in soils depleted of essential nutrients. Gypsum further benefits the tilth of heavy (clay) soils promoting root penetration and allowing air and water to flow more freely. Though gypsum does not neutralize acidity the same way as lime, in the arid SW states it has helped replace sodium with calcium in soils where salinity levels are too high. Drywall recycling can be handled manually, or mechanically. Mechanical methods include using a chipper/shredder, tub grinder, etc. If processing mechanically, make sure all nails, screws, staples, corner bead, etc are removed first. Gypsum breaks down slowly. It can be dry-stored for seasonal use without losing potency or nutritional value. MAKE SURE TO AVOID MATERIAL FROM OLD CONSTRUCTION SITES WHICH MIGHT CONTAIN LEAD!!!! Once processed material can be applied manually, or by using a broadcast spreader. This was a really good article. Seems like a good way to avoid dumping material in landfills, plus get a good soil amendment at the same time.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), February 02, 2001.

We use our scraps for mulching around fruit trees. Large scraps get pieced together and used on odd sections of wall.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), February 02, 2001.

Sounds like it would be good to use in the garden! Can't fill in behind the walls, as that's already sealed up, but our soil can use all the help it can get. Thanks for the response, everyone! Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), February 02, 2001.

Since Steve hangs drywall for people around here, we drywalled in the garage walls and ceiling with all the big scraps he brings home. I finially had to say no more please! Good ideas about putting them inside walls you're putting up.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), February 03, 2001.

Scraps of drywall have two main uses around our place. Stuff smaller than 12" wide gets chunked into sitting boards and clawing boards for the rabbits, who love to tear the paper off of it, dig at it, toss it around and generally make a mess to their little bunny hearts' content.

Larger scraps go to the garden, either between wide rows or put down in garden and let kids or me at it with hammers and pound the bloody h*ll out of it to release frustrations and pulverize it to be plowed in the next time the garden gets worked over. With our clay we need all the help we can get.

urth

-- urth (urthmomma@aol.com), February 03, 2001.

hi, i have given sheetrock scraps to my chickens for a calcium source. it doesn't cause bloody eggs like the oyster shell does. i usually melt it in some water over nite then mix with scraps and soy grits and set the bowl out for them. they love it. kim k

-- kim kimbrell (kimk61252@hotmail.com), May 03, 2001.