Modern Gypsum Design

The predecessor today’s gypsum board was called Sackett Board, a composite material made of layers of thin plaster placed between four plies of wool felt paper. The manufacturing process was patented in 1894 by Augustine Sackett, now considered the grandfather of the gypsum board manufacturing industry.

From a somewhat humble beginning as a basic building material, gypsum board has become the interior finish material of choice in the North American construction market. The ability of the basic gypsum mineral to adapt to a variety of circumstances has allowed it to be recast and reformulated over many centuries into a variety of differ- ent materials. Adaptive uses for gypsum are still being sought and its future as a building material remains bright.