HEAD TO HEAD

DragonBoard vs. Wet pour floor: The Complete Comparison

Wet pour floor has been the default subfloor system for decades. Schedules, budgets, and building codes have changed. Your subfloor should too. Here is how DragonBoard compares across every dimension that matters to your project.

HEAD TO HEAD COMPARISON

DragonBoard vs. Wet pour floor

Aspect
Wet pour floor
DragonBoard
Result
Icon: cure time comparison
01
Cure time
2 to 3 days per floor before foot traffic. 7+ days for full cure.
Zero. Finish trades start same day.
GYP
DB
Icon: installed cost comparison
02
Installed cost
$4.00 to $7.00/SF installed (pump truck, pour crew, finishing).
$3.50 to $5.50/SF installed.
GYP
DB
Icon: weight comparison
03
Weight
10 to 15 lbs/SF. 2.5x to 3.75x heavier than DragonBoard, increasing structural loads.
4 lbs/SF (3/4" panel).
GYP
DB
Icon: fire rating comparison
04
Fire rating
1 to 2 hour ratings via various UL assemblies.
2 hour UL Design G575 per ASTM E119. Listed for fire rated floor and ceiling assemblies.
GYP
DB
Icon: weather dependency comparison
05
Weather
dependency
Cannot pour below 50°F. Rain and humidity affect cure.
None. Install in any temperature, any weather.
GYP
DB
Icon: crew requirements comparison
06
Crew
requirements
Specialized pour crew with pump truck. Separate trade to coordinate.
Existing framing crew. Circular saw + screw gun.
GYP
DB
Icon: sound rating comparison
07
Sound rating
STC ratings achievable but require specific gypcrete thickness and assembly design. Performance varies.
STC 59. Exceeds code minimums.
GYP
DB
Icon: schedule impact comparison 7 floors
08
Schedule impact
(7 floors)
2 to 3 cure days per floor. 14 to 21 days added on a 7 floor build
Save 14 to 21 days on the critical path.
GYP
DB
Icon: sustainability comparison
09
Sustainability
Low VOC. No LEED credits from material itself.
Zero VOCs, zero formaldehyde. Recyclable. LEED IEQ credits, full EPD documentation.
GYP
DB
Icon: installation method comparison
10
Installation
method
Wet pour. Pump truck access. Floor unusable during cure.
Dry installation. Boomable, 22 panels per skid. Work platform immediately.
GYP
DB
Icon: joist spacing comparison
11
Joist spacing
N/A. Sits on top of whatever subfloor is specified.
Supports 24" OC, reducing joists by 33% vs. 16" OC.
GYP
DB
Icon: code compliance comparison
12
Code compliance
IBC compliant. Non-combustible. Established history.
IBC 2006 through 2024. ASTM E84, E119, E136.
GYP
DB
DragonBoard MgO subfloor installation diagram

Backed by 50+ years of steel framing expertise

DragonBoard is backed by Super Stud Building Products, the steel framing manufacturer trusted since 1973. When you specify DragonBoard, you're working with the team that supplies the steel framing underneath it. One source for the structural shell: studs, joists, track, and subfloor.

CONTACT US
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR ROLE

The math reads differently depending on where you sit on the project

General Contractors

You recover days that cascade across every downstream trade. You eliminate the pour crew coordination. You take a line item with three subs and turn it into a scope your existing framing crew owns.

Architects and Specifiers

You get a fire rated floor assembly listed in UL Design G575 per ASTM E119, with STC 59 and IIC up to 64 with carpet. Your detail set gets simpler. Your GC stops calling about schedule risk.

Developers and Owners

You compress your schedule to lease up by two to three weeks. On a 200 unit project, that's $400,000 plus in accelerated revenue. You also reduce structural steel by going lighter, with cascading savings on foundations.

Steel Framing Contractors

You add the subfloor scope to your existing project without specialized tools or training. More revenue per project with the crew you already have.

MgO Benefits

DragonBoard wins on ratings, installation, and long term performance.

DragonBoard is specified by leading architects and trusted across the industry.

Insect resistant

Insect resistant. Dense inorganic composition has no organic matter or cellulose, so it provides no food source for termites, ants, or wood boring insects

Non Combustible

Class A flame retardant per ASTM E84. Listed in UL Design G575 per ASTM E119 for 1 and 2 hour fire rated assemblies.

Moisture resistant

No swelling, warping, or degradation when exposed to water or high humidity. Performs in any humidity condition.

Sustainable

Zero VOCs, zero formaldehyde, fully recyclable. Contributes to LEED IEQ credits with full EPD documentation available.

READY TO SPECIFY

Contact Us

Ready to bring DragonBoard to your next project? Reach out to our team for quotes, technical support, or distributor information.