Drywall and gypsum board product attributes

Gypsum board catalogs grow quickly because every combination of type, thickness, width, length, edge and facing is its own SKU. Supplier files tend to fold several of those into a product name and leave the rest to a PDF. The result is a catalog where a 5/8 Type X tapered board and a square-edge version sit under one description and get substituted for each other.

Fire-rated work depends on details that the word Type X does not carry. Rated walls and ceilings are tested as assemblies, and those designs name a manufacturer's proprietary board designation rather than a generic type. Without that designation stored per SKU, a buyer cannot tell whether a board belongs in the assembly on the drawings. Moisture, mold and abuse ratings follow separate ASTM test methods that also need their own fields.

Handling data matters on the jobsite. Panel weight, pieces per bundle and whether a product is sold per sheet or per thousand square feet drive delivery, stocking and pricing. Capturing these alongside the technical ratings keeps quotes consistent with how the board is actually shipped.

The drywall attribute template

18 candidate fields in 4 groups, ordered the way a record gets built: identify the item, capture its specifications, then record fit and the evidence behind any claim. 10 are marked Core: without them the item cannot be identified or filtered. Example values show the expected format only; they do not describe a real SKU.

Identity

Which exact item, variant and pack this record describes.

Check before use: Preserve leading zeros and punctuation, validate against the manufacturer record, and check the GTIN check digit and packaging level before linking.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Brand / Product Line brand_product_line	Text	Core	Example Brand Fire-Rated XP
Manufacturer Part Number (MPN) manufacturer_part_number_mpn	Identifier	Core	GYP-58X-4812-GM
GTIN-14 / UPC gtin_14_upc	Identifier	Core	10614141330079

Technical specifications

Measured or rated values that must travel with their unit and test conditions.

Check before use: Store the number and unit separately. Convert only when the source unit and test conditions are known.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Nominal Thickness nominal_thickness	Number · in	Core	0.625
Panel Width panel_width	Number · in	Core	48
Panel Length panel_length	Number · ft	Core	12
Weight per Square Foot weight_per_square_foot	Number · lb/sq ft	Core	2.3
Mold Resistance Score (ASTM D3273) mold_resistance_score_astm_d3273	Number	Buyer decision	10
Abuse & Impact Class (ASTM C1629) abuse_impact_class_astm_c1629	Text	Buyer decision	Abrasion L3, Indent L2, Soft L3, Hard L1
Maximum Framing Spacing maximum_framing_spacing	Number · in o.c.	Buyer decision	24
Nail Pull Resistance (ASTM C473) nail_pull_resistance_astm_c473	Number · lbf	Buyer decision	87

Selection attributes

The type, material and option choices buyers filter and compare on.

Check before use: Map supplier wording to a governed vocabulary only after checking the source text and which variant it applies to.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Board Type board_type	Controlled list	Core	Type X
Edge Profile edge_profile	Controlled list	Core	Tapered
Facing Material facing_material	Controlled list	Core	Glass mat

Evidence & compliance

Listings, standards, classifications and origin claims that need a document behind them.

Check before use: Link the manufacturer document or label with its edition or date. Never copy a certification from a neighboring SKU.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Product Standard Compliance product_standard_compliance	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	ASTM C1658/C1658M
UL Type Designation ul_type_designation	Text	Channel / evidence	Type FR-G (manufacturer designation)
Surface Burning (ASTM E84) surface_burning_astm_e84	Text	Channel / evidence	Flame spread 0 / Smoke developed 0
Country of Origin country_of_origin	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	United States

Normalize supplier values

The same value arrives in many spellings. Map each raw string to one governed value, and keep the raw text beside it so a reviewer can see what the supplier actually wrote.

Often missing from supplier files

These fields are commonly absent from price lists and basic feeds, even though the information usually exists in a datasheet, label or installation manual. Treat an empty value as a request for evidence, not as permission to fill it from a similar model.

• UL Fire-Resistance Design Numbers
• Facer Color (face and back paper)
• Tested Assembly STC
• Water Vapor Permeance (ASTM E96)
• Pieces per Bundle / Panels per Lift

Questions the record must answer

Buyers and counter-sales reps choosing drywall ask questions like these. Each one needs a specific field, sourced for the exact variant.

• Is this the board named in the one-hour wall design on the drawings?
• Will it hold up in a bathroom or behind tile?
• Can it span 24 inches on center on a ceiling without sagging?
• How heavy is one 4x12 sheet for the crew to carry?

From supplier file to record

1. Resolve identity first. Link the supplier SKU, manufacturer part number and packaging identifiers without merging distinct variants or pack sizes.
2. Extract with the source attached. Pull values from rows, tables and datasheets, keeping the raw text, unit and page or row reference.
3. Map to your classification. Assign the ETIM, ECLASS, UNSPSC or internal class your company licenses, and keep the supplier's original terms.
4. Review, sync and watch. Hold conflicts and safety-related values for a category expert, write approved values to ERP or PIM, and recheck when the supplier sends a new file.

For the full method, see how to build a category attribute template and the category catalog gap audit.

FAQ