How Gypsum Cover Boards Help Defend Your Designs

Convince project stakeholders to greenlight the gypsum cover board you recommend—without the uphill battle. Beyond protecting your design intent, highlight what can happen when gypsum cover boards are value-engineered out of a project.

Point out the various roof-use scenarios:

Aside from their buy-in, there are several other reasons to consider specifying gypsum roof board to help better protect your designs.

Your recommendation can do more than help prevent commercial roof damage to your designs. For your stakeholders, it can mean they save time and money in both the short and long term.

During construction, your building product specifications can help ensure crews stay focused on new roof jobs instead of dealing with costly callbacks. By guiding stakeholders to invest in gypsum roof boards, you help them protect their margins and help avoid delays on projects that are not yet in development.

As for long-term benefits, your inclusion of the right substrate can add structural support, as well as dramatically reduce damage. In testing, DensDeck® Roof Boards held up to double the pressure of roof assemblies without a cover board and roof assemblies using HD ISO for a cover board. 1This added impact protection to both the membrane and insulation of your roofing system design can help mitigate the risk of even small holes that can allow water to seep in, stay hidden and allow mold to grow and weaken the structure.

Let your stakeholders in on these short- and long-term benefits so they see the return on investment when they agree to use the right assembly up front. Share how your recommendation to add an impact-absorbing layer, like the fiberglass-mat-faced gypsum used in DensDeck Roof Boards, can help dramatically reduce damage and associated costs.

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Gypsum roof board doesn't just protect your designs against punctures; it also helps defend against severe wind, hail and fire. With severe weather increasing across the country, you’ll want to consider the excessive damage hailstorms can cause. Hail can devastate commercial buildings, even when a storm is brief. So, depending on the building's location, you may want to consider DensDeck® StormX™ Prime Roof Board in your design specs.

This premium cover board has enhanced moisture resistance compared to alternative gypsum boards and is FM classified for Very Severe Hail (VSH) in approved single-ply assembliest. As with all DensDeck® Roof Boards, its non-combustible gypsum core also gives your designs enhanced protection against fire.

Gypsum cover boards are not required in roofing assemblies, but your stakeholders should know roof boards are worth the investment. They may prevent the potential major expenses of roof repairs, replacement, and overwhelming damage that threaten the integrity of your projects. A recent FMI study found that using a cover board can save building owners an average of $1.40 per square foot in O&M costs over the lifespan of the roof. 2Your thoughtful material recommendations in the design phase can have a long-lasting impact on cost and performance.

While less expensive solutions may seem attractive up front, stand by your gypsum roof board specification to improve the building's resiliency, protect the owner's investment and reinforce your reputation for attractive and durable designs.

For more information or to speak with a gypsum roof board expert, go to DensDeck.com/StopCallbacks

1 Three types of tests were performed: Test 01, Modified ASTM D4833 Slow Speed Puncture; Test 02, Modified ASTM D5635 Dynamic Puncture; Test 03, The Screwdriver Test

2 FMI Roof Cover Board Survey completed in May 2020. Actual results may vary.