Are you trying to create a cove ceiling or do you want to install molding? I think I understand that you want to create a cove ceiling. There are pre-cut Styrofoam systems that you can install and plaster over as opposed to going with wood. Traditionally it was done by shaping the lath in the radius and plastering over that so I think you heading the right direction.

We took a more conservative approach when renovating our 1928 Tudor, course our plaster was in fairly good condition. The house needed new wiring, plumbing, and we needed to remodel the kitchen and bathrooms as well. We decided to create arteries to get these new systems up to other floors. Think of potential opportunities for these arteries when you embark on a remodel. Example, when we gutted the kitchen, we used this artery to get the wiring up to the second floor. We gutted one wall in the bathroom to run our new copper plumbing up and some wiring. We did gut our basement entirely of 70's paneling and use that to help us channel the new systems up. So, with a good bit of planning and thinking, you can save the headache of removing the plaster. I for one believe the plaster and some of the cracks and repairs give the house it's age and character. I've seen houses that have been completely gutted and drywalled, they look a bit sterile to me. It freaks me out when I see people on tv and whatnot, bashing away at plaster without a respirator or something, you know they're sucking in tons of lead paint and possibly asbestos. Think people! Negatives of removing plaster: 1. The weight of all that plaster and lathe 2. The lead and asbestos dust, yuck! 3. The nails holding the lathe on take forever to remove, and they're rusty. 4. Removing the character of the old walls. That said, if the plaster is trashed, beyond repair, have a company come in and take it all down. If you want to insulate the exterior walls, you can have a company drill holes on the outside and force blow-in insulation in the cavities. Myself, I think it's better to have the house breathe a bit. I really think some of these new homes are over insulated. We insulated our attics to R38 and insulated the remodeled rooms we have done. So far the house is staying cooler with the AC and Warmer with the heating and our bills have gone down. We put new Marvin Infinity Fiberglass windows in and they've helped a ton. Hope these ideas help!

Hi, Maureen, Since we live in an old house with wet plaster walls, I asked my DH your question. He said there are two ways to go here: the first, more exasperating option would be to start out with a masonry bit and when you hit metal, switch to a hi speed bit. Your bits won't last very long, you risk taking out large chunks of plaster when the masonry bits get caught on the metal lathe, and you will make a lot of trips to the big orange box for more bits, so it's not very satisfactory and not necessarily cheaper in the long run. The better choice would be to go to the link below and order some Bad Dog Rover bits that will go thru anything - wood, masonry, metal, glass, even marble and granite. They are expensive, a small set costs more than $100, but will pay for themselves in the long run if you need to drill elsewhere in the house. Also, he mentioned that if the shelves will hold a lot of weight, they really ought to be anchored on the studs. He wasn't sure what you meant by the 'proper' positions (astheticly pleasing?). Good luck with the project. Here is a link that might be useful: Bad Dog Tools

PorchGuy-with all due respect, the holes in a vinyl windows nail fin are to be nailed tight against the wall sheathing. There can't be any movement or sliding of the window. The window must be sealed properly to avoid any water or air infiltration. Leaving any fasteners loose can open the potential for leakage and possible mold. Gopack-your new windows should have come with an installation guide (which is what you were reading I hope). This tells the person installing the windows how it must be done. Back caulking the nail fin is a "MUST", it's your last line of defense. When a contractor tells you "this is the way everyone does it", doesn't mean it's the right way. There are a lot of contractors doing things wrong out there. I would have them pull every window and re-install them according to the guide. That guide is code! It must be followed exactly as it's printed or your warranty is voided.