
The overall cost of a lath and plaster wall is usually higher than that of a drywall wall. By comparison- after hanging drywall sheets- it only takes 12-24 hours for each coat of joint compound to dry up. Correctly applying plaster through the lath takes lots of time- as you have to wait for about five days for the plaster keys to set.
#Plasterboard over lath and plaster wall install
It takes more time and effort to properly install plaster finish when compared to installation of drywall panels. However- modern soundproof drywall and fire-rated drywall perform just as well as lath and plaster walls in terms of noise dampening and ability to hold off fires, respectively. Plaster blocks off sound transfer better than drywall since it is denser. And that’s not all- it also performs better than regular drywall in terms of soundproofing, insulation, and fireproofing performance. Plaster is a hardier wall finishing material compared to drywall. Drywall- on the other hand features gypsum core construction- with the core being enclosed between two paper backings. Lath and plaster walls are made out of lath strips made out of wood, metal, or rock. Lath and plaster gained popularity in the building industry due to its excellent soundproofing capabilities. Once the plaster keys are firmly secured to the wall- which is usually after five days- you can then apply two more coats of plaster. The gaps between the lath strips allow for plaster- a cement and cement-based building material- to be applied through them and form plaster keys that reinforce the structural strength of the wall. Lath may also be built from extruded metal (metal lath) or stone (rock lath). The wood strips are installed onto the joists, one above the other, with a gap of at least 9mm between them.

It consists of horizontal strips of wood (wood lath) coated with plaster. Lath and plaster is a construction method used in finishing interior walls and ceilings. To answer your question, we’ve written this detailed review of lath and plaster versus drywall. You may be wondering why this is the case- when plaster walls clearly look great and provide decent-if not great- insulation. At some point during the past century, drywall surpassed lath and plaster as the finishing material of choice for interior walls and ceilings.
