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  1. About Mud
    1. When Did Joint Compound Contain Asbestos?
    2. Manufacturers and Distributors of Asbestos-Containing Joint Compounds
    3. Drywall vs. Plaster Installation
    4. Job sites in New York Where Joint Compound Was Used
      1. University At Buffalo
        1. University at Buffalo’s North Campus and Exposure to Asbestos
        2. University at Buffalo Image Gallery
        3. Our Clients Describe Their Asbestos Exposure at the University at Buffalo
          1. Electrician describes his exposure to asbestos during the construction of the U.B. Law School
          2. Plasterer describes the use of asbestos-containing fireproofing at the University at Buffalo
      2. Amherst Central High School
      3. Cornell University
        1. Cornell University Image Gallery
      4. Emerson Vocational School
      5. Hudson Plastering Corporation
      6. Marine Midland Center
      7. Marine Midland Plaza, Rochester
      8. Mercy Hospital
      9. Monroe Community College
      10. Rochester Davis-Fetch Corporation
      11. 9 more items...
  2. Exposure to Joint Compound
    1. Home Exposure to Joint Compound
    2. Building Renovations and Asbestos Abatement
    3. Exposure Through Drywall Installation
      1. Exposure Through Set-Up and Mixing
      2. Exposure Through Sanding
      3. Exposure Through Clean-Up
  3. U.S. Government Position on Asbestos
    1. Failure to Warn
    2. Countries That Have Banned Asbestos
  4. Mesothelioma & Joint Compound
    1. What is Mesothelioma?
    2. Symptoms of Mesothelioma
    3. Mesothelioma Diagnosis
    4. Legal Claims for Mesothelioma
    5. Joint Compound Legal Decisions
    6. Settlements for Joint Compound Workers
    7. Questions About Our Mesothelioma Practice
    8. Mesothelioma Book Request

Home > About Mud > Drywall vs. Plaster Installation

Drywall vs. Plaster Installation

Before the end of World War II, the interior walls in homes and office buildings were almost exclusively made on site by workmen who applied wet plaster to an underlay called lath. Lath is a backing composed of thin strips of wood or metal nailed to the studs, which gives the wet, sticky plaster a solid base. The plastering process was extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming, because wet plaster has a lengthy drying time. With the end of the War and veterans returning to civilian life, a housing shortage developed; construction companies wanted to increase output and shorten building times. To meet the demand, building trades turned to another method.

At the time, drywall was not widely used and entailed building homes with pre-finished factory made gypsum board that is quickly installed and finished. Drywall or sheet rock, as it is sometimes called, is similar to plaster; but in the production process, drywall forms when gypsum plaster is pressed between sheets of paper and dried in an oven at the factory. Drywall is shipped hard and ready for installation. During the building process, drywall is simply installed by nailing it to the wooden framing and filling the seams where the nailed sheets meet.

The differences between traditional plaster and drywall construction are illustrated below:

Both plaster walls and those constructed of drywall start with the identical wooden framing.

A traditional plaster wall requires an underlay of wood or metal lath as a base for the plaster.
A drywall finished wall entails nailing up hard pre-finished boards of gypsum.
Water is mixed into plaster and troweled onto the lath and allowed to dry.
Joint compound (also called joint cement) is mixed with water or scooped from a bucket of pre-mixed paste and applied to seams. Once dry, this layer is sanded. Generally, up to three coats of joint compound are applied to the seams. Each coat must dry, and then be sanded before the next coat is applied.
The wall is finished and is ready for painting.