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Plaster vs. drywall on walls of Ohio duplex

11 years ago

We are rehabbing a old home that caught on fire in the second floor bedrooms in Ohio. The walls are currently plaster but I have been recommended by a contractor to go with drywall on the exterior facing walls. Looking to improve the house. House faces into colder climate and need to insulate as much as possible. Insurance will pay for plaster. What would you recommend as we redo interior walls on the second floor?

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Comments (8)

PRO
Christopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
11 years ago
"recommended by a contractor to go with drywall on the exterior facing walls."

Why?

Plaster all the way
User
11 years ago
Veneer plaster (blueboard) has the advantages of plaster and drywall and none of the disadvantages. Its a thin coat of plaster over a special drywall so there are no taped joints. It is not available in all markets so the first thing to do is find out if anyone does it. It is standard in Boston.
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Bill - Yes, fishing wires takes more time than stapling them to bare studs, but it's not going to be so expensive that it's more cost effective to gut the place. When you add up the cost of demolition and rubble hauling, and then the drywall and finishing costs you don't save much if anything. If you get hit with lead or asbestos remediation because of removing large quantities of old materials, it quickly gets really expensive to gut. And if you remove 'too much" old material, it becomes a remodel and not a repair ... which triggers other expenses. ============= Hoopersjudge - You will have to be REALLY certain what your plans are for each room. Get several estimates for "if gutted" versus "make holes", ask owners of fixed-up homes in your area who they used, and take your time. Take a survey of the walls and ceilings - tap on them, and push on them and map where they are "squishy" or sound hollow (plaster separated from lath). Cracks can be filled, loose areas re-attached with "plaster washers", and missing areas can be replaced. It's amazing what you can do to fix plaster, and if the lath is intact, replastering is not out of the question. It's tedious and strenuous, but definitely possible. The two rooms that are most likely to benefit from gutting are kitchens and bathrooms: one because the wiring and plumbing runs will probably need major work, and the baths because of decades of water damage.
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One of the original uses for gypsum board material was as a base for two coat plaster. Older plaster was on wood lath (later metal) and required 3 coats. By changing to the gypsum lath the number of coats was reduced to 2. Blue board is usually used with veneer plaster. This is a 1 coat system and teh plaster is normally only the finish layer (about 1/8 inch thick). You can repair the area using any gypsum material you want as a backer and setting type joint compound (Easysand) to fill out to flush woththte remaining wall. Leaks under widows are often from caulking failures on the sides of the window or a rotted sill.
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Fori
11 years ago
It sort of sounds like your contractor doesn't have a plaster guy in his quiver of subs.

Plaster is nicer. (I don't know what blueboard is, though.)
virgilcarter
11 years ago
If insulation is the issue, then seal and insulate the stud cavaties, the top and bottom plates. Finishing with gyp board and paint will be indistinguishable from plaster. It will also be quicker and probably cheaper.

IMO there's little advantage to plaster for a simple vertical wall.

Good luck with your project.
rwiegand
11 years ago
Plaster on blueboard at least as practiced around here provides a much harder and smoother surface than drywall with absolutely no surface irregularities between sheets. It can take a lot more abuse without dents or scratches in my experience.

Of course finding anyone around here who is willing to come back multiple times for a multi-coat drywall finish is really hard, they all try to tell you that a plaster skim coat is cheaper and faster.

Given the speed that those guys work I can't imagine a multi-coat process being faster. Our whole house was skim-coated in less than two days and the plasterers were done and gone.
brickeyee
11 years ago
"Finishing with gyp board and paint will be indistinguishable from plaster."

Haven't seen much Plaster have you?

You can instantly tell a plaster job from anything except a level 5 type drywall job, and those cost almost as much as plaster.

Even them a single rap with your knuckles will show it is NOT plaster.
It is remarkable how quiet a house with even two coat plaster walls is compared to drywall (or even blue-board and veneer plaster).
virgilcarter
11 years ago
What's important here to the OP? Insulation? Some sort of unstated visual appearance? How the wall sounds when you rap it with your knuckles? This application is for a bedroom, not some sort of decorative plaster application found in older, higher quality living and dining rooms.

Other than the surface hardness, there's little reason to consider a plaster wall.

Sounds to me like the major issue is insulation. Maybe I'm wrong.
J.M. Becker
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Veneer plaster over blueboard is a superior wall. If your lucky enough to have anyone who does it in your region, it's definitely worth it, and the cost is similar. ... should be the standard wall everywhere, I'm bummed out that they don't do it around me. The only reason to choose drywall and mud, is if you have no choice.

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