Sheetrock alternatives for new build

[Ccat]

Sheetrock is everywhere, it looks nice when first installed, but has problems in high humidity areas like Puna.  I want to minimize mold, among all the other problems, in a new house build.

What are the alternatives?

Thanks,

[Carey]

In our main house remodel, we used HardiPanell (flat surface) for many reasons, the most important was that we were dealing with an SIP that had preformed rails for Masonite, & the thinner smooth HardiPanel (from HPM) fit the rails....but we chose the HardiPanel over Maosonite because of itsʻ durability & most of it has been in for over a decade & still looks good.

When we remodeled our Ohana, which was stick-built, not SIP, we used the Green mold/moisture resistant sheetrock for the living areas & the Hardipanel for the bath,
You may wonder why we did not just continue using Hardipanel for everything, because it is very hard (literally) to work with, little things like outlet pukas will eat away at tools & the Ohana is not as used as the main house, so the rock hard durability of HardiPanel was not really needed.... & after almost a decade, it too, still looks great - even after the lava flow, with earthquakes & us taking in a family with 4 BIG dogs in the Ohana for quite a few months..

[Rob Tucker]

There are a number of issues with drywall. I stopped using drywall twenty years ago.

In my house I used 1/4: hardi panel with a skim coat if Imperial plaster. I like Imperial plaster. It's been around for a few thousand years. Drywall is nothing more than cheap imitation plaster (sometimes called plaster board). Been around since post WWII.

If you are okay with cheap imitation plaster but don't want the mold problems there is a wall board with a yellow fiberglas mesh on it - yellow board.

[Ccat]

So, you are talking about a “plaster of Paris” type coating, rather than the putty made from “aged under water” quicklime.

Thanks,

Ccat