Gypsum Vs Pop False Ceiling: Which is best for your home?

Gypsum Vs Pop

Modern homes must have false ceilings because they add style and insulation and protect your home from the summer heat, cold, and noise.

False ceilings are also required for concealing electrical wiring and setting up a central air conditioning system.

However, the only way to guarantee the durability of a false ceiling is to choose a high-quality material.

Gypsum boards and plaster of Paris (POP) are the two materials that are most frequently used to create false ceilings. Despite sharing gypsum as a base, the two are not exact.

Below, we’ve compared these two false ceiling materials for your convenience.

Difference Between Gypsum And POP False Ceiling

Composition

Gypsum is a mineral that occurs naturally. The precipitation of seawater primarily forms gypsum.

Plaster of Paris is created. Gypsum is the main component of pop. Pop is made by heating gypsum boards with specific additives to 175 °C and then powdering them. 

Chemical composition

Gypsum contains calcium sulphate dihydrate (CaSO42H2O), whereas pop contains calcium sulphate hemihydrate (CaSO41/2H2O).

Form

Gypsum boards or panels are prefabricated and ready to install.

Pop is a powder that must be mixed with water on the site before applying.

State

A Gypsum board is a hardened solid gypsum board.

Gypsum in powder form is known as pop.

How is it created?

Gypsum plasterboard comprises a precise mixture of different contents, reducing the risk of poor quality compared to pop. Gypsum board is factory manufactured from gypsum with water and a few additives sandwiched between paper.

Pop is made by hand, which increases the likelihood of incorrect proportions in the mixture.

Gypsum Vs. POP False Ceiling

Durability

For long-term durability, gypsum boards are screwed to a frame of metal fastened to the ceiling slab. Make sure that you only choose rustproof metal frames.

Pop is more durable than gypsum board since the same substance is used to fill joints. It does not easily show cracks. 

Flexibility

When compared to pop, gypsum boards provide less design flexibility.

Pop has more design flexibility than the gypsum board and can be moulded into a different curved shape. Pop is also great for creating cornices. 

Strength

Gypsum plasterboard is stronger than pop.

The pop powder is applied to a chicken net, which provides mechanical strength but is less durable than a gypsum board.

Installation

Screws make it simple to attach gypsum boards to steel mesh frames.

On-site mixing of the pop for the false ceiling is a messy and time-consuming process that necessitates extensive cleaning.

Decorative function

Gypsum board is used in straight-covering applications.

Pop in powder form can decorate modern designs by making moulding and corners.

Installation time 

Gypsum board installs faster.

The installation of the POP false ceiling takes time.

Cracking Risk

When compared to pop, there is a low risk of cracking.

On the other hand, pop has a higher risk of cracking.

Gypsum Vs. POP False Ceiling

Wastage

A gypsum false ceiling has a lower wastage than a pop ceiling and produces less dust during installation.

In the case of the POP false ceiling, a significant amount of POP mixture is wasted in the application process, which necessitates adequate time to dry.

Cleanliness

Gypsum plasterboard installation is clean, efficient, and healthy, with significantly less dust and untidiness than pop false ceiling installation.

False ceilings made of pop are time-consuming, messy, dusty, and have an unfinished appearance.

Time

In comparison to pop, gypsum plasterboard installation is quicker.

Putting up a pop false ceiling could take up to a month.

Moisture

Gypsum boards are employed for the false ceiling for several reasons, one being their inertness to water. Fungal growth or warping might result from moisture entering the gypsum ceiling through a leaking slab/roof or an air conditioning drain pipe.

As a precaution, only high-quality gypsum board allows for minimal water retention.

When installing the POP false ceiling, it cannot be installed if the surfaces are wet. The issue is most prevalent during the monsoon season. Before installation, let the surface fully dry. If there is a leak in the roof, the pop will fall immediately.

Quality

Because the mixture is made with precision in factory conditions, a gypsum false ceiling quality remains consistent on boards of good brands.

In the case of POP, unless the mixture is correctly prepared in the correct proportions of POP and water, it will be of poor quality and will shrink or crack. Only skilled workers should mix and prepare the mixture on-site to ensure long-term durability.

Skilled labour

Both require skilled labour, but in the case of POP, it is preferable.

Cost

Gypsum false ceiling is more expensive than Pop false ceiling.

Pop is 20 to 25% less costly than a gypsum ceiling.

Final Words

So, dear friends, I hope I’ve covered all of the differences between gypsum and POP false ceilings in this article.

We appreciate you reading this article. Please spread the word about it.

FAQs

Are gypsum and pop the same thing?

Gypsum boards, sometimes plasterboards, are hydrated calcium sulphate boards made in factories and used for false ceilings. While Plaster of Paris (POP), is essentially powdered dehydrated gypsum or calcium sulphate.

Which false ceiling material is best?

Gypsum boards are the perfect material for the most excellent false ceiling designs since they are manufactured precisely in factories, maintaining their uniformity in design.

Which false ceiling is most affordable?

One of the least expensive false ceiling materials available is POP.

How Long Does a False Ceiling Last?

False ceilings made of POP can persist for several decades. POP false ceilings that are specially created and of high quality will endure for longer than 20 years under typical circumstances.

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