What is the difference between 5/8" fire resistant drywall and blue board?

Which would be better for a bathroom ceiling?

is Blue board heavier?

You want it to resist moisture and avoid mold/mildew. Some have blue and others are green. There is also a paperless drywall that will work as well.

The 5/8 FR is used where a fire rated wall is needed - like between living space and an attached garage. You can make a case to use 5/8 drywall on a ceiling if your ceiling framing is on 24" centers, but it does not need to be FR rated unless your house is a part of a multi-unit set-up.

In most places in a bath, ordinary 1/2" drywall will work on the ceiling. Moisture resistant drywall (greenboard, blue board, purple board ....you get the idea) will also work and will provide more life to your drywall in the event that they get soaked. For the most part though, moisture resistant is only needed near the shower, sink and tub.

Besides being 5/8 inch thick, fire resistant drywall has glass fibers added to the gypsum to hold the gypsum layer together in one piece even if the face paper burns off.

If you're wanting a highly water resistant drywall, look no further than Dens-Shield made by the Georgia Pacific Company. Dens-Shield has a gypsum core like drywall, but the gypsum has been treated with a water repellant that keeps it dry even if the stuff is submerged in water. Also, instead of paper on both sides, Dens-Shield has a water resistant plastic coating on the front and a fiber backing on the rear.

I had a piece of Dens-Shield submerged in a pail of water for a week to ensure it was water resistant enough to replace the drywall in my sister's basement after her basement flooded.

Thank you all. I was told that 5/8" did not belong anywhere in the house however it is a 3 family building.

If they are owned separately, then there needs to be a firewall not only on the common wall but on the ceilings (and attic space) for 4' from each common wall. Since you cannot just transition from 5/8" to 1/2" in the ceiling in the middle of a room, that's why you have the 5/8" ceilings.

I would prefer you for drywall and not for blue board. The reason is that if plaster is done to blue board then it is difficult to remove. If remove forcefully it may damage blue board. So I must suggest you for the drywall.


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If you're just going to paint it, use greenboard (i think it's actually purple now). Cement board or hardyboard is for when you are tiling. Use regular drywall on the ceiling.

FIRE RESISTANT BOARD