Fiberglass-reinforced drywall displaces drywall with steel

Burglar-resistant novelty 

As the number of apartment buildings increases, so does the demand for quality burglar-resistant interior walls. Often a gypsum wall supplemented with a steel plate is then chosen. Siniat's burglar-resistant partition wall matches the European standards for burglary protection with an innovative, burglar-resistant gypsum wall. 

Siniat is a brand name of Etex Building Performance. The company specializes in dry finishing products. In addition, the company is constantly on the move. By combining products and solutions from the market leaders in the dry building sector, it develops unique system innovations that result in increased building performance and highly advanced construction methods. To this list also fits Resistex. 

Responding to market demand

The development of the burglar-resistant partition wall Resistex was initiated to meet demands in the market. "Until now, the focus for partition walls in apartment buildings was mainly on the fire-resistant and acoustic qualities," says Toon Plompen, Product Manager of Siniat. "The demand for burglar resistance was smaller. If this did play a role, a steel plate was simply placed in front of it. Now that is a pricey and cumbersome way to make a wall burglar-proof. Resistex is equivalent and easy to install."

Equivalent, quick and effective

To establish this equivalence, the three Resistex resistance classes were compared to the European standards for burglar resistance. Six Resistance Classes (RCs) are distinguished within the European standards, with RC 2 through RC 4 being the most commonly used. "Each class provides resistance to burglary for a certain time. For RC 2, a burglar with standard tools, such as a hammer, needs at least three minutes. For RC 3, he needs at least five minutes with heavier tools such as cutters, and for RC 4, he needs at least 10 minutes with power tools such as grinding tools. We have developed a system for each resistance class." For RC 2, the burglar-resistant qualities can be expanded to include fire-resistant (fire reaction class A2) and moisture-resistant (H2) properties.

User-friendly

As much as burglar-resistant qualities were paramount in the development of the product, Resistex is remarkably user-friendly. The walls are quick and easy to install, and they do so using the same methods and tools that installers use for standard drywall. Plompen explains: "The extra strength of the wall is in the fiberglass-reinforced core. This core - with a density of 896 kg/m3 - exhibits improved cohesion at high temperatures, resulting in increased mechanical strength."

Resistex has now been on the market for a year and a half and has been well received by contractors. The walls are used in both residential and non-residential projects.      

Processing advantages of Resistex:
- Processable with a breaker knife.
- Fastening with standard drywall screws.
- Steel plate coating or other metal accessories unnecessary.
- Deployable with standard profiles.