Abstract: Satisfactory or enhanced dry bond between the gypsum core of plasterboard and paper facing sheets is achieved by treatment of at least the inner faces of the paper sheets with a water soluble zirconium salt before contacting the sheets with a core slurry containing gypsum plaster and starch as a dry bond assistant. The preferred zirconium salt is zirconium acetate although other salts such as oxychloride, nitrate and sulphate can also be used. The preferred level of zirconium is from 1 to 2 g. per square meter of paper, expressed as zirconium dioxide, and excellent dry bonds are formed with as little as 0.2% starch by weight of core solids, which represents an important economy in the use of starch.