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Questions tagged [lath-and-plaster]

or "plaster and lath" is an old fashioned technique for finishing interior walls. It consists of horizontal strips of wood (the laths) nailed to the stud work and then that is plastered.

This technique for plastering interior stud walls and ceilings has been virtually replaced by or plasterboard.

The plaster was often mixed with a binding agent - usually horsehair - to ensure that it was sufficiently stiff to cover the laths.

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How to fix cracks in lath and plaster?

I have an old house with lath and plaster walls. When I moved in a year ago I fixed dozens of cracks in the plaster with spackling, but many of them have opened back up again. What is the best way to solve this with a more permanent solution?
jdickson
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Can I plaster over metal lath without a backing material?

One alternative to traditional drywall is plaster over metal lath. Most of the videos I've watched use some kind of backing (e.g. brick, OSB, or plywood) with a layer of tar paper over the top behind the metal lath. Can I plaster over metal lath…
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Do 1920s homes with lath-and-plaster walls have lath-and-plaster ceilings?

I'm in an old home and learned extensively about lath-and-plaster. I'm dealing with a problem like in What methods for installing light fixture in middle of room, with lathe and plaster ceiling?. However, I don't actually know if my ceiling has…
AdamO
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Cut hole for light switch into lath & plaster. How to stabilize loose lath?

I have cut a hole into an old lath-and-plaster wall for an electrical switch. I used a drill, followed by a drywall saw. Despite being very slow and careful, the lath is now loose from the plaster. This is how it looks: Unfortunately the hole is…
divB
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Exposed lath and keys on entire ceiling

We bought a house built in 1846. In one room, the ceiling has suffered immensely from a previous, serious roof leak. In said room, almost all the plaster skim coats over the lath and keys are missing, broken, falling down, etc. The room is quite…
Jaci Jacobs
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No frills repair of a Lath & Plaster hole?

I cut a piece of the ceiling out in my (small) closet for electrical work. Since I was already at it, I installed a box for a closet light as well. This shows the closet ceiling with the hole with 0.5% magnification from bottom upwards (this is to…
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Reframing after taking down Lath and Plaster

hoping someone can help.Our lath and plaster walls have many cracks and some bulges.We need to rewire house and are thinking of taking down the lath.Our concerned is -will we need to reframe in order to insulate and put up drywall?Thanks
Penny
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