One question, three answers
The classic mistake is treating gypsum panel as a single product. They are in fact different families with different cores, and the selection criterion is always the same: how much moisture that surface will take.
A dry-interior panel placed behind a shower fails within months. An exterior panel installed in a bedroom is money thrown away. Getting it right is a matter of reading the wall's condition properly before buying.
Dry interior: Light Rey
The Light Rey lightweight gypsum panel consists of a non-combustible core made essentially of gypsum, covered on both sides with 100 % recycled paper. The face paper wraps the panel's bevelled edges along their full length for greater strengthening and core protection.
It is the panel for interior partitions, ceilings and suspended ceilings in homes and offices. Where there is no water, it is the efficient choice: light, quick to install and easy to finish.
Wet areas: Perma Base
Perma Base consists of a lightweight cement core between two layers of fiberglass mesh. That composition produces an exceptionally durable surface capable of withstanding moisture.
It is the panel for bathrooms, kitchens and laundry areas, and it is also the best substrate for tiling in wet zones. Using ordinary board as a tile base in a shower is one of the mistakes most expensively paid for in remodelling.
Exterior: Glass Rey
Glass Rey is the exterior gypsum panel: a non-combustible core specially treated to resist water absorption, protected on both faces by a fiberglass coating resistant to mould growth, with a rating of 10 on the ASTM D3273 test.
It has guaranteed performance for up to 12 months against degradation, delamination and deterioration when exposed to weather under normal climatic conditions: UV, rain, wind, ice and snow. That period is an exposure guarantee, not an invitation to leave it unfinished indefinitely.
What you need besides the panel
Metal or timber framing, screws suited to the thickness, reinforcing tape and joint compound. Niasaready compound is made from vinyl adhesives and can be applied by hand or with mechanical equipment straight from the pack; it works easily, sands well and does not crack at thicknesses under 3/8 of an inch.
And one recommendation that saves complaints: do not skimp on joint treatment. A crack in a panel wall almost always appears at the joint, not in the middle of the board. Properly applied tape and compound are what make two boards behave as a single wall.
