U.S. GYPSUM NOW OFFERS LEVELROCK® BRAND FLOOR UNDERLAYMENT MADE WITH ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY RECAPTURED GYPSUM

Company Leads the Way in Innovative Raw Material Sourcing

The Industrial Products Division of United States Gypsum Company has announced that several of its innovative LEVELROCK® Brand Floor Underlayment products are now being manufactured from recaptured (synthetic) gypsum, making the company the first in the industry to introduce an environmentally friendly poured gypsum concrete underlayment.

During the last few decades, air pollution regulations have required that coal-fired electrical power plants add flue gas desulfurization (FGD) equipment to limit their emissions of sulfur dioxide and help reduce acid rain. Some power plants further process the FGD gypsum to make it usable for a number of products and applications, including gypsum wallboard and now flooring underlayment products. The use of this recaptured gypsum eliminates the need to dispose of the material in landfills.

USG's manufacturing plant in Gypsum, Ohio, has recently begun utilizing recaptured gypsum in making three LEVELROCK Brand Floor Underlayment products. They are:

● LEVELROCK Brand Floor Underlayment 2500 - An economical, fast-installing choice for multifamily and light-commercial construction with compressive strengths ranging from 2,500 to 3,200 psi (pounds per square inch).

● LEVELROCK Brand Floor Underlayment 3500 - An ideal option for hard-surface upgrades in multifamily projects and as a topping to correct cracked and uneven concrete floors. With compressive strengths ranging from 3,500 to 4,000 psi, it offers excellent performance for high-traffic areas in both new construction and remodeling projects. It also meets resilient floor industry underlayment requirements for commercial vinyl applications.

● LEVELROCK Brand Floor Underlayment RH (Radiant Heat) - Designed especially for use over radiant heat tubes, the product provides an ideal thermal mass for efficient heat distribution. It delivers compressive strengths from 2,500 to 3,200 psi.

U.S. Gypsum pioneered recaptured gypsum's use more than 25 years ago and is the nation's largest user of the material. Today, the company's plants use more than 3.0 million tons of recaptured gypsum annually in making SHEETROCK® Brand Gypsum Panels, FIBEROCK® Brand underlayment and panel products, SECUROCK™ Brand Roof Board and now LEVELROCK Brand Floor Underlayment.

During the next decade, total annual production of all scrubber byproducts could almost double as new scrubbers are added at additional power plants. It is anticipated that most of these new scrubbers will produce gypsum as a byproduct, thereby increasing the use of recaptured gypsum in the gypsum industry and other markets.

For additional information, contact the Industrial Products Division of United States Gypsum Company at P.O. Box 806278, Chicago, IL 60680-4124, call (800) 487-4431. The Industrial Products Division of United States Gypsum Company is a leading producer and marketer of a wide range of industrial products used in manufacturing, tooling, plastics, coatings, construction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, food processing, statuary, ceramics, road repair and other applications.

United States Gypsum Company is a subsidiary of USG Corporation, a Fortune 500 company with business units that are market leaders in their key product groups: gypsum wallboard, joint compound and related gypsum products; cement board; gypsum fiber panels; ceiling panels and grid; and building products distribution. For additional information, visit the USG Web site at www.usg.com.