Walls - Drywall vs. Plaster

An often overlooked detail when discussing wall finishing with your contractor

Not all walls are created equal!

We often hear from our clients that they never even knew there were options in the construction and finishing of walls.  This often overlooked detail and the decisions made actually can have a significant effect on how your walls look and feel over time.  And they will definitely perform better.  Below I give my take on the key differences between drywall and plaster walls, the 2 main options widely used in the United States these days. 

Drywalling involves screwing gypsum board sheets (1/2" or 5/8" thickness) to the wall frame which is normally constructed of 2" x 4" vertical wall studs nailed to a ceiling and floor plate (pressure-treated lumber if on concrete).  Since normal stud spacing is 16", additional thought should be given to making sure the ends of the gypsum boards (which come in standard sizes) overlap with the studs.  Joint compound is applied to the seams between the boards and the screws.  The gypsum board is then primed and painted and the walls are done.

Plastering is similar to drywalling in that you still start with the same wall frame but the spacing of the studs is less important in this case.  The reason is that wood lath is nailed horizontally to the vertical studs which will support the plaster.  These horizontal lath strips of wood are sometimes replaced by blueboard to make the process a little easier.  But make no mistake about it.  Plastering is an art form and requires skill and experience.  This is why it became less and less popular starting in the 1900s as building volume increased dramatically.  Once the lath or blueboard is up, the plaster, which is a soupy pasty mix of powdered gypsum, lime or cement that is mixed with water, is applied.  If you want to get all scientific, the water actually liberates heat through crystallization and the hydrated plaster then hardens.  Application is similar to how exterior stucco is applied and requires application with a trowl and multiple coats of the plaster until a smooth hard coat result.  This normally takes at least 3 layers of application.  This is then what is primed and painted.

While the results may look very similar, there are differences.  Here are some of the pros of each option:

Plaster:

1. Better sound, vibration and moisture insulation and overall isolation of the rooms

2. Better fire resistance, especially with metal lath/backing

3. You have more control over the finish texture and contour of the wall framing though you can add texture to drywall

Drywall:

1. Easier and normally cheaper to install

2. Easier to repair and patch walls

3. Easier to hang pictures, mirrors, etc. on the walls

4. Less prone to cracking as homes settle over time

5. When it comes to priming, you can use water-based primers rather than oil-based primers preferred for plaster which emit more volatile organic compounds.

In our opinion, plaster is making a comeback these days and, if applied correctly, it just looks better and suits most of our work a little more.  With some care, repairs and hanging things on the walls are not an issue with plaster.  These days, many of our walls are covered with wallpaper or other design features so normally any hanging is done on those materials.  You can still get the same straight finish after patching with joint compound as needed.  But ultimately it's up to each of our clients and partially driven by the different circumstances of each build.  The key is to talk to your contractor about it and decide together on what works best. 

Let us know what your thoughts are on the age old battle between plaster and drywall!