What's Lath and Plaster?

Lath and plaster is a building process used to finish mainly interior dividing walls and ceilings. It consists of narrow strips of wood which are nailed horizontally across the wall studs or ceiling joists and then coated in plaster.

Why did they stop using lath and plaster?

Then, the entire structure was coated in plaster, which provided the structure with its integrity. There are countless builders that leaned on lath and plaster for many years because it was strong, soundproof, and able to resist fires. Eventually, lath and plaster fell out of favor as drywall became more popular.

When did houses stop using lath and plaster?

By the late 1930s, rock lath was the primary method used in residential plastering. Lath and plaster methods have mostly been replaced with modern drywall or plasterboard, which is faster and less expensive to install, and much less susceptible to settlement and vibration.