Lath and plaster

Lath seen from the back with white plaster coat oozing through

Lath and plaster is a building process used to finish mainly interior dividing walls and ceilings. It consists of narrow strips of wood (laths) which are nailed horizontally across the wall studs or ceiling joists and then coated in plaster. The technique derives from an earlier, more primitive process called wattle and daub.[1]

Lath and plaster largely fell out of favour in the U.K. after the introduction of plasterboard in the 1930s.[2] In Canada and the United States, wood lath and plaster remained in use until the process was replaced by transitional methods followed by drywall (the North American term for plasterboard) in the mid-twentieth century.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Oliver, Paul (2006). Built to meet needs : cultural issues in vernacular architecture (First ed). Architectural, Amsterdam; London
  2. ^ Jeff Howell, On the level: is the old plaster best?, The Telegraph (London), May 10, 2006. Retrieved 2012-03-30.