Drywall Glossary — Terms Every Calgary Homeowner Should Know

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z

A

Acoustic (Soundproof) Drywall

A denser, multi-layer or dampened drywall panel built to block sound transfer between rooms or units — commonly used in shared walls, home theatres and legal basement suites.

Acoustic Ceiling Tile (T-Bar)

A suspended ceiling of light tiles dropped into a metal grid, used where services above need to stay reachable. Common in basements, offices and commercial fit-outs. See our acoustical ceiling service →

Angle Bead

A metal or vinyl strip installed on outside drywall corners to keep the edge straight and protect it from impact damage before mudding and sanding.

Attic Insulation

Insulation laid or blown across an attic floor, above the ceiling of the top storey. Attic work is usually about achieving an even depth across the whole area rather than choosing an exotic material — the thin spots along the eaves, around the hatch and where someone has walked are what undo it. See our attic insulation service →

B

Backing (Backer)

A piece of lumber fixed behind a joint or a fixture position so there is something solid to screw into later. Missing backing is why a towel bar pulls out of a wall or a drywall joint cracks in a corner — the board had nothing behind it. See our framing service →

Backrolling

Rolling over paint immediately after it is sprayed, to work it into the surface and even out the texture. It is what stops a sprayed wall looking flat and patchy in raking light. See our interior painting service →

Baffle (Insulation Baffle)

A rigid channel stapled between the rafters at the eaves so insulation cannot block the soffit vents. Baffles keep an air path open from the soffit into the attic when insulation depth is increased. See our attic insulation service →

Basement Drywall

Boarding, taping and finishing drywall for a basement development — framing walls around a concrete foundation, insulating, vapour-barriering, then hanging and finishing board for a livable lower level.

Batt Insulation

Pre-cut lengths of fibreglass or mineral wool sized to fit between studs or joists. Batt performs to its rating only when it fills the cavity completely and is not compressed — a batt squeezed into a shallower space performs worse than a correctly sized one, because the trapped air it depends on is squeezed out. See our batt insulation service →

Beadboard

A decorative panel with narrow, evenly spaced vertical grooves, often installed over or instead of flat drywall on lower walls, wainscoting and ceilings for a classic look.

Blocking

Short pieces of lumber fitted between studs or joists to stiffen the frame, break up a cavity, or give an edge of drywall support. Sheet edges that land in mid-air rather than on blocking are a common cause of cracked seams. See our framing service →

Blown-In Insulation

Loose material fed through a hose into a cavity or across an attic floor, rather than cut and fitted by hand. It fills irregular spaces and cavities that cannot be opened up, which is where batt cannot go. See our loose fill insulation service →

Blueboard

A specialized gypsum board with a treated blue paper facing designed to bond with veneer plaster instead of standard joint compound, used for a very hard, smooth plaster finish.

Board Foot

How sprayed foam is measured and priced: one square foot at one inch thick. It is why two quotes for the same room can differ — they may not be quoting the same thickness. Wikipedia ↗

Board Layout

Planning where each sheet lands before hanging — keeping joints off door and window corners, staggering butt joints, and running sheets across the framing. Good layout removes more future cracks than any amount of mud. See our drywall installation service →

Bottom Plate (Sole Plate)

The horizontal member the wall studs sit on, fastened to the floor. On a basement slab it is usually pressure-treated, because it is in contact with concrete.

Bulkhead (Soffit Framing)

A boxed-in frame built below the ceiling to hide ductwork, plumbing or beams — common over kitchen cabinets and in basements. Bulkheads are mostly outside corners, so they need more bead and more finishing than flat wall of the same size. See our basement drywall service →

Bullnose Corner

A rounded, soft-edged corner (instead of a sharp 90° angle) formed with a flexible bullnose bead, popular in newer homes for a smoother, more modern look.

Butt Joint

The seam where two ends (not the tapered long edges) of drywall sheets meet. Butt joints are flat rather than recessed, so they take extra skill to tape and feather smooth without a visible hump.

C

Casing Bead

A trim bead installed where drywall meets a different material (a window frame, brick, or an exposed edge) to give a clean, finished transition line.

Caulking

A flexible bead run where two materials meet — trim to wall, wall to ceiling — to close a gap that would otherwise show as a dark line once painted. Caulk moves; drywall mud in the same spot cracks. See our repair & painting service → Wikipedia ↗

Ceiling Repaint

Refinishing a ceiling after texture removal or repair. Once popcorn is scraped off, the surface underneath is bare and patchy — it needs skimming, priming and painting before it looks finished. Removal is only half the job. See our service →

Ceiling Repair

Fixing cracks, water stains, sagging board, nail pops or damaged texture on an existing ceiling, then blending the patch into the surrounding texture so it disappears.

Ceiling Texture

The finish applied to a ceiling — smooth (Level 5), light orange peel, or knockdown — sprayed or hand-applied over taped drywall to hide minor imperfections and match the rest of the home.

Cellulose Insulation

A blown-in insulation made largely from recycled paper fibre, treated for fire resistance. Denser than blown fibreglass and good at packing around obstructions; it settles more over time, which is accounted for by installing to the right depth. See our loose fill insulation service → Wikipedia ↗

CGC / Type X Drywall

Type X is a fire-rated gypsum board (often manufactured by CGC/USG) with added glass fibres in the core, giving it roughly one hour of fire resistance per layer. It's required by code in garages, furnace rooms and shared walls between suites.

Closed-Cell Spray Foam

A dense sprayed foam with sealed cells. It gives a higher R-value per inch than open-cell, adds rigidity, and resists moisture movement — which is why it is common at rim joists and in basements.

Corner Bead

A metal or vinyl strip run down an outside drywall corner before mudding, giving the corner a straight, durable edge that resists dents and cracking.

Cripple Stud

A short stud above a header or below a window sill, filling the space between the opening and the plate. Cripples keep the stud spacing consistent so the drywall still lands where it should.

Cutting In

Painting the edges by hand — along ceilings, corners and trim — where a roller cannot reach cleanly. The straightness of a cut line is the fastest way to judge whose work you are looking at. See our interior painting service →

D

Deflection Track

A slotted top track used in steel framing that lets the structure above move slightly without loading the wall. It is what stops a non-load-bearing partition from cracking when the floor above deflects. See our steel stud framing service →

Drywall Anchor

A small plastic or metal fastener that expands or grips inside a drywall wall, letting you hang shelves, TVs or mirrors on drywall where there's no stud behind it.

Drywall Boarding

The first stage of a drywall job: cutting and screwing gypsum panels to wall and ceiling framing before any taping or mudding happens.

Drywall Clip

A small metal bracket used at the edge of a wall or ceiling, in place of extra framing, to support and fasten the edge of a drywall panel.

Drywall Dust

The very fine gypsum dust produced by sanding joints. It travels through a house and settles on everything, which is why containment and vacuum sanding matter more on an occupied renovation than on a new build. See our skim coating service →

Drywall Lift

A mechanical jack used to raise and hold heavy drywall sheets (especially ceiling panels) in place while they're screwed off, reducing strain and improving accuracy on solo or two-person jobs.

Drywall Removal & Demolition

Stripping out old, damaged or water-affected drywall down to the studs so a room can be reframed, re-insulated and re-boarded from scratch.

Drywall Screw

A coarse or fine-threaded screw (coarse for wood studs, fine for metal studs) used to fasten drywall to framing. Correct screw depth is critical — too deep tears the paper, too shallow leaves the head proud.

E

Eggshell

A low-sheen paint finish, slightly reflective, commonly used on walls because it wipes cleaner than flat while still hiding minor surface imperfections.

Expansion (Control) Joint

A flexible metal or vinyl strip installed in a long, uninterrupted span of drywall to absorb building movement and prevent the board from cracking along that line.

F

Feathering

Spreading joint compound out in progressively thinner layers past the edge of a seam or patch so the repair blends invisibly into the surrounding wall, with no visible ridge or hump. See our drywall patching service →

Fibreglass Insulation

The most common insulation material in Calgary homes, made from spun glass fibre and supplied as batts or as a loose blown product. Lighter and less expensive than mineral wool, and available in the depths that suit ordinary framing. See our batt insulation service → Wikipedia ↗

Fire Taping

A minimum, code-required taping pass (embedding tape and one coat of mud over every joint and fastener) on fire-rated assemblies like garage ceilings, done for fire separation rather than a paint-ready finish.

Fire-Rated Drywall

Type X or Type C gypsum board built into a wall or ceiling assembly specifically to slow the spread of fire between spaces — required by Alberta building code in garages, furnace rooms and between attached suites.

Five Levels of Finish (L0–L5)

The industry-standard scale for how smooth a taped drywall wall is finished, from Level 0 (no taping at all) up to Level 5 (a full skim coat over the entire surface for a flawless, glare-free finish under any lighting).

Furring Strips (Furring Channel)

Thin wood or metal strips fastened to an uneven wall, ceiling or masonry surface to create a flat, level plane for drywall to be screwed to.

G

Garage Drywall

Drywall installed in an attached or detached garage, almost always required to meet fire-rated Type X code between the garage and living space or neighbouring unit.

Green Board

A moisture-resistant gypsum board with a green-tinted paper facing, traditionally used in bathrooms and laundry rooms in areas that get humid but aren't in direct, constant contact with water.

Gypsum

The soft mineral (calcium sulfate) that forms the solid core of every drywall panel. It's naturally fire-resistant because it releases bound water vapour when heated. Wikipedia ↗

Gypsum Board

The formal name for what's commonly called drywall or sheetrock — a rigid panel made of a gypsum core sandwiched between two layers of paper. Wikipedia ↗

H

Hairline Crack

A fine crack, usually at a joint, corner or above an opening. Most are movement rather than failure; the fix is to re-tape and refinish the joint, not to patch over the line, which will simply reappear. See our drywall repair service →

Hanging Drywall

Trade shorthand for installing (screwing or nailing) drywall panels onto wall and ceiling framing — the boarding stage of a job. See our drywall installation service →

Hawk

A flat, handled tool a taper uses to hold a supply of joint compound while spreading it onto the wall with a taping knife.

Header

The beam across the top of a door or window opening that carries the load around it. Sizing is a structural question, not a finishing one — on a load-bearing wall it is not a judgement call. See our framing service → Wikipedia ↗

I

Ignition Barrier

A lighter protective covering used over foam in spaces that are not habitable but are occasionally entered, such as some attics and crawl spaces. It is a lower requirement than a thermal barrier, not a substitute for one.

Inside Corner

A 90° corner that folds inward (like where two walls meet in a room), usually taped with folded paper or mesh tape rather than a rigid corner bead.

Insulation Installation

Installing batt, blown-in or spray-foam insulation inside wall and ceiling cavities before drywall goes up — standard on basement developments, additions and exterior wall renovations.

Interior Painting

The paint stage that follows a finished drywall job — priming and painting walls and ceilings once taping, sanding and texture are complete and fully cured.

Intumescent Coating

A sprayed or brushed coating that swells when heated to form an insulating char layer. It is one of the accepted alternatives where a conventional gypsum thermal barrier over foam is impractical. Wikipedia ↗

J

J-Bead (J-Trim)

A J-shaped metal or vinyl trim piece used to finish a raw drywall edge where it meets another material, such as an open ceiling edge or a wall-mounted fixture cutout.

Jack Stud (Trimmer)

The shortened stud that sits under each end of a header and carries its load down to the plate. It is nailed to a full-height king stud alongside it.

Joint Compound (Mud)

The paste — either pre-mixed or powder-mixed — used to embed tape over drywall seams and build up smooth, feathered coats over fasteners and joints before sanding. Wikipedia ↗

Joint Tape

Paper or fibreglass mesh tape embedded in the first coat of mud over every drywall seam, reinforcing the joint so it doesn't crack as the building settles.

K

King Stud

The full-height stud running from bottom plate to top plate beside an opening, fixed against the jack stud. Together they hold the header and keep the opening square.

Knockdown Texture

A two-step spray texture: compound is sprayed on in stipple peaks, then lightly flattened ("knocked down") with a wide knife before it dries, leaving a subtle, mottled finish popular on ceilings.

L

Lath

The base surface — historically wood strips, later expanded metal mesh — that plaster is applied directly to in older (pre-drywall) homes; still relevant when patching or transitioning old plaster-and-lath walls to drywall.

Legal Suite Drywall

Drywall built to the specific fire-separation and soundproofing assembly required by Alberta code for a legal secondary suite, including rated board, resilient channel and sealed penetrations between units.

Level 4 Finish

The standard finish for most residential walls: joints and fasteners taped and coated, ready for primer and a flat or low-sheen paint. It is the level most homes are finished to, and it is adequate unless the lighting is unforgiving. See our Level 4 finish service →

Level 5 Skim

A thin, full-surface coat of diluted joint compound rolled or sprayed over an entire wall or ceiling (the top of the five levels of finish), eliminating flashing and texture differences for the smoothest possible paint-ready surface.

Load-Bearing Wall

A wall carrying weight from the structure above, as opposed to a partition that only divides space. Whether a wall is load-bearing decides what may be removed in a renovation — it is a question for an engineer, never an assumption. See our renovation drywall service → Wikipedia ↗

Loose Fill Insulation

Insulation supplied as loose material rather than batts, installed by blowing it into place. Used for attics, closed wall cavities and awkward framing where a batt cannot be fitted properly. See our loose fill insulation service →

M

Mesh Tape vs. Paper Tape

Two options for embedding drywall joints: self-adhesive fibreglass mesh tape is fast and easy to apply but needs a setting-type compound to resist cracking; paper tape is stronger long-term and the standard on butt joints and corners, but needs more skill to apply bubble-free.

Metal Stud Framing

Steel C-shaped studs used in place of (or alongside) wood framing for interior walls and ceilings — common in basement developments, commercial spaces and fire-rated assemblies because they don't warp, shrink or feed mould.

Mineral Wool

A denser, stiffer insulation spun from rock or slag. It holds its shape in the cavity without slumping, does not absorb water the way fibreglass can, and is the usual choice where sound between rooms matters — party walls, mechanical rooms and media rooms. See our acoustic insulation service → Wikipedia ↗

Mud Pan

A narrow metal or plastic tray a taper loads joint compound into and runs a taping knife across to load the blade evenly before applying mud to the wall.

Mudding

General trade term for applying joint compound — embedding tape, building coats over fasteners and seams, and skim coating — as part of finishing drywall to a smooth, paintable surface.

N

Nail Pop

A raised bump in a finished wall where a fastener has worked its way slightly loose or the framing has shrunk, pushing the screw or nail head (and the mud over it) forward. Repaired by re-securing the board and re-mudding the spot.

New Construction Drywall

Boarding, taping and finishing drywall in a brand-new build or addition, coordinated with the other trades on-site (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) before insulation and drywall close the walls up.

O

On-Centre (OC)

The spacing between framing members measured centre to centre, not the gap between them. 16″, 19.2″ and 24″ are the common spacings, and drywall sheet sizes are designed to land on them. See our free framing calculator →

Open-Cell Spray Foam

A lighter, softer sprayed foam whose cells are not sealed. It costs less per inch and is a better sound absorber than closed-cell, but gives a lower R-value per inch and is more permeable to moisture.

Orange Peel Texture

A light, fine spray texture that leaves the surface with a subtle bumpy grain resembling the skin of an orange — one of the most common wall and ceiling textures in newer Calgary homes.

Outside Corner

A 90° corner that projects outward (like the corner of a wall you'd walk around), reinforced with a corner bead before mudding to keep the edge straight and impact-resistant.

P

Plaster Repair

Patching and re-finishing older lath-and-plaster or veneer-plaster walls and ceilings, which crack and behave differently than modern drywall and often need a different repair approach. Wikipedia ↗

Pole Sanding

Sanding joints with a head on an extension pole, so a whole wall or ceiling can be worked at a consistent angle. It is how a large flat surface is kept flat instead of dished at every joint. See our taping & mudding service →

Poly-B Patch-Back

Repairing and re-finishing the drywall that was cut open to access and replace Poly-B plumbing pipe — matching the texture and paint so the repair is invisible once the plumbing work is done.

Popcorn Ceiling (Stipple)

An older spray-on ceiling texture with a heavy, bumpy, "popcorn" or cottage-cheese look, common in homes built before the 2000s. Usually removed by scraping and skimming to a smooth or modern knockdown finish.

Primer

A sealing coat applied to bare drywall and fresh joint compound before paint, so the porous compound and paper don't absorb the finish paint unevenly (a problem known as "flashing"). See our interior painting service → Wikipedia ↗

PVA Primer

A primer formulated for new, bare drywall. It seals the difference in porosity between paper face and joint compound, which is what stops the finished wall showing every seam through the paint. See our ceiling painting service →

Q

Quick-Set Compound (Hot Mud)

A powder joint compound mixed with water on site that chemically hardens (rather than air-drying) in a set time — used to build coats faster on repairs, corner bead and same-day patch jobs.

R

R-Value

The measure of a material's resistance to heat flow — a higher number means more resistance for the same thickness. R-value describes the material as manufactured; what a finished wall or attic actually achieves depends on the assembly, the fit and whether the cavity was filled without gaps or compression. See our insulation installation service → Wikipedia ↗

Renovation Drywall

Drywall work that's part of a broader renovation — opening up walls, patching around new openings, boarding additions, and re-finishing to blend seamlessly with the untouched original walls.

Resilient Channel

A thin, springy metal channel installed between the framing and the drywall to decouple the two, reducing sound transfer through a wall or ceiling — a key part of soundproofing and legal suite assemblies.

Rock Lath

An older term for gypsum lath board (a precursor to modern drywall) nailed to framing as a base for hand-applied plaster in homes built roughly before the 1950s.

Rough Opening

The framed hole left for a door or window, sized slightly larger than the unit so it can be shimmed plumb and square. Get it wrong and the finishing has to hide it.

S

Scaffolding

Temporary platforms set up to safely reach high ceilings, stairwells and vaulted walls for boarding, taping and texture work that's out of normal ladder reach.

Screw Spacing

The code-specified maximum distance between drywall screws along framing (commonly 12″ on ceilings, 16″ on walls) to keep the board securely fastened and prevent sagging or nail-popping over time.

Sheen

How reflective a dried paint film is — flat, matte, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, gloss. Higher sheen wipes cleaner and lasts longer, but it also shows every imperfection in the surface underneath. See our interior painting service →

Skim Coat

A thin, wide coat of diluted joint compound applied over an entire surface (not just the seams) to even out texture differences or bring a wall up to a Level 5 finish.

Sound Attenuation

The reduction of sound transmission through a wall or ceiling assembly, measured by its STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating — a key spec for any soundproofing or multi-unit drywall job.

Soundproofing Drywall

A wall or ceiling assembly built specifically to reduce sound transfer — combining resilient channel, mass-loaded or multi-layer drywall, and acoustic insulation — used in shared walls, home theatres and legal suites.

Spot Priming

Priming just the repaired or patched areas before painting the whole surface. Skip it and the patches flash — they dry to a different sheen and stay visible through the topcoat. See our repair & painting service →

Spray Foam (SPF)

Sprayed polyurethane foam, applied as a liquid that expands in place to fill and seal a cavity. It both insulates and air-seals in one step, which is why it is often used where an assembly is hard to seal any other way. Wikipedia ↗

Steel Track

The U-shaped channel fixed to floor and ceiling that steel studs sit in. The stud-and-track system is lighter and dimensionally stable, which is why it is common in commercial work and in basements. See our steel stud framing service →

Stud

The vertical wood or metal framing member drywall is fastened to, spaced at a standard interval (commonly 16″ or 24″ on centre) to give the board a secure, even surface. See our framing service → Wikipedia ↗

T

Taping Knife

A wide, flat-bladed hand tool used to spread and feather joint compound over seams — tapers typically carry several widths, from a 6″ knife for embedding tape up to a 12″+ knife for final skim coats.

Texture Matching

Replicating an existing wall or ceiling texture (orange peel, knockdown, popcorn, smooth) over a patch or repair so the finished spot is invisible once painted.

Thermal Barrier

The protective layer required between foam plastic insulation and the interior of a building — most commonly half-inch gypsum board. It is the reason sprayed foam in a living space is normally drywalled over rather than left exposed. See our insulation service →

Top Plate

The horizontal member across the top of the studs, usually doubled on a load-bearing wall. Most walls need about three times their length in plate material once the double top plate is counted. See our free framing calculator →

Truss Uplift

A seasonal condition where roof trusses flex slightly with temperature and humidity changes, sometimes causing a hairline crack where an interior partition wall meets the ceiling — a common, largely cosmetic drywall callback in Calgary homes.

Two-Coat Coverage

The normal expectation for a finished paint job: two full coats over primer. One coat over a colour change almost always reads thin, particularly on ceilings and in daylight. See our renovation painting service →

U

USG (United States Gypsum)

One of the largest gypsum board manufacturers in North America (parent of CGC in Canada); "USG" or "CGC" board is often used generically in the trade the way "Kleenex" is used for tissue.

V

Vapour Barrier

A poly sheet installed on the warm side of exterior wall and ceiling insulation, before drywall goes up, to stop interior humidity from migrating into the wall cavity and condensing — required by code on basement and exterior wall framing. See our vapour barrier installation service → Wikipedia ↗

VOC (Volatile Organic Compound)

The solvents that evaporate out of paint as it cures, responsible for the smell and for the ventilation requirement. Low-VOC and zero-VOC products are now standard for interior residential work. See our basement painting service → Wikipedia ↗

W

Water-Resistant Drywall

Gypsum board with a treated, moisture-resistant facing rated for damp (not directly wet) areas like bathrooms — distinct from cement board, which is used in direct-water areas like shower surrounds.

Z

Z-Furring Channel

A Z-shaped metal channel fastened to a masonry or concrete wall (like a basement foundation) to hold rigid insulation and create a flat surface for drywall, without building a full stud wall.

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