Product Showcases

25 Years of Georgia-Pacific Gypsum Dens® Products: How a Frigid Maine Winter Heated the Market for Fiberglass Mat Panels

A quarter century ago, during a typically frigid winter on the seacoast of Maine, two partially completed structures weathered the storms and icy temperatures quite well.

And, much like the lighthouses that dot this craggy shoreline at the family resort of Old Orchard Beach, south of Portland, the buildings shone a light on something significant - in this case, the beginnings of a new way to construct commercial and residential properties.

Pat Huempfner proudly remembers that time, in late 1984. Then a just-hired sales representative for Georgia-Pacific's Gypsum Division, Huempfner recalls that the two condominium projects -five- and seven-stories tall, respectively -- were the first installations of a product that would revolutionize the construction industry: fiberglass mat exterior sheathing.

"Every gypsum company was looking for a way to avoid all of the issues related to paper - mold, moisture, warping and delamination," says Huempfner, who is also in his 25th year with Georgia-Pacific Gypsum. "But it was our R&D guys who made the big breakthrough."

Indeed, at Georgia-Pacific Gypsum testing laboratories on the opposite coast of the U.S., near Portland, Ore., researchers had made a significant discovery. They invented a technology breakthrough whereby a gypsum core could be effectively wrapped in a fiberglass mat and embedded in the core, eliminating the need for gypsum panels with paper-faced mats. Traditionally, gypsum panels were produced by encasing a slurry of calcined gypsum plaster with paper facings - so the Georgia-Pacific Gypsum fiberglass-based method was a momentous innovation.

"By every indication, it looked like it would work great," recalls Huempfner. "But we needed to field test it to be sure."

Enter Sto Industries, the inventor of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS). Sto was eager to find an improvement on traditional paper-faced gypsum sheathing. This was particularly vital in cold-weather environments, since the final coating on an EIFS system requires that the ambient temperature be above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

"It was October, and Sto had two under-construction projects on Old Orchard Beach that would be exposed to cold weather for about six months, because it was too cold to finish the EIFS job," explains Huempfner.

Nearby stood two other under-construction condominium projects, also on hold for the winter. Those, however, had been built using paper-faced exterior sheathing. So, while Georgia-Pacific Gypsum was field testing its products, company representatives had the opportunity to compare its performance - side-by-side - with the technology it hoped to replace.

"We were going to get six months of snow, rain, ocean salt and wind - we couldn't have asked for a better test," emphasizes Huempfner.

And as it turned out, Georgia-Pacific Gypsum and Sto couldn't have asked for more dramatic results. Despite bracing winds and sub-zero temperatures, the then-unnamed Georgia-Pacific Gypsum exterior sheathing performed impeccably on the two condominiums.

"Six months later, when winter was over and it was warm enough to finish the EIF system, our panels held up beautifully," says Huempfner. "Not one of them had to be replaced."

And the other two under-construction condominiums, which had left paper-faced gypsum panels exposed to the harsh Maine winter? Over 50 percent of those panels had to be replaced, recalls Huempfner - and, of course, this time they used the still nameless Georgia-Pacific Gypsum product.

Tom Remmele, now technical director for Atlanta-based Sto Corp., also is grateful for the groundbreaking work done by GP to introduce fiberglass mat gypsum sheathing into the market as a substrate for EIFS.

"The GP product was the first of its kind and really overcame the exposure limitations of ordinary paper-faced gypsum sheathing," says Remmele. "The early work done by Sto and Georgia-Pacific Gypsum to marry the two products together formed the basis for many years of successful installations. We continue to specify fiberglass mat gypsum today as a substrate for Sto EIFS."

Bolstered by the successful Maine test, Georgia-Pacific Gypsum in 1986 commercially launched the industry's first fiberglass mat gypsum panels: DensGlass® Sheathing. Over the next year, Huempfner and a small team of salespeople successfully sold architects, specifiers and contractors on the benefits of the new, category-defining product.

"Our Maine testimonial was a great selling tool," recalls Huempfner. "Sure, we listed all the attributes - that it didn't delaminate, warp or sag; and that it was also moisture-resistant and fire-rated. But all they needed to see were the slides I had of those first installations on Old Orchard Beach."

Ten years later, while on business in the area, Huempfner and a colleague returned to Old Orchard Beach to see how the condominiums that had first used DensGlass Sheathing were holding up. He was not surprised to learn that nothing had changed in a decade.

"We spoke to one of the owners, and looked closely at the structures," he recalls. "The buildings looked great."

Interestingly, they discovered that one of the structures had incurred some leaking in a carport ceiling, and that 3/8" holes had been drilled to allow the water to drain out sometime after the leak had occurred. "We thought it was amazing that the water build-up - over time - did not negatively impact the DensGlass panel in that area," adds Huempfner. "We call it 'moisture forgiveness'," he said, "because our products may give you enough wiggle room during the life of the building to survive this type of event."

Driven by the success of DensGlass Sheathing, and customer feedback, Georgia-Pacific Gypsum in 1987 introduced its first extension of the Dens® brand line -- DensShield® Tile Backer, which featured a proprietary coating that enables the panels to be used in wet areas behind tile.

Enthralled by the advantages of these products, customers were clamoring for more application-specific products - and in the same year, DensDeck® Roof Boards were introduced. Over the past 25 years, the Dens® family of gypsum products has continued to evolve. Since the introduction of DensGlass® Sheathing, Georgia-Pacific Gypsum has steadily expanded its portfolio of fiberglass mat gypsum panels to include DensArmor Plus® High-Performance Interior Panels, DensArmor Plus® Abuse-Resistant Interior Panels, DensDeck® Roof Boards, DensGlass® Shaftliner, DensShield® Tile Backer and the recently released DensArmor Plus® Impact-Resistant Interior Panels.

"It was exciting to be at the forefront of something big," says Huempfner, "and to continue to see how well received our products are - and how well they work - to this day."

And while other companies have entered the fiberglass mat industry, Huempfner is quick to emphasize that none has Georgia-Pacific Gypsum's quarter-century legacy of innovation, field testing, experience and leadership - all of which crystallized during that frigid winter on the coast of Maine.

"Sure, the number of options has grown," Huempfner says. "But there's just one original with that familiar GOLD color, and I'm proud that Georgia-Pacific Gypsum continues to be the standard bearer for this industry."

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