If you're planning a home renovation, knowing what's the difference between drywall and plaster is the first step to determining your budget and just how much of a headache the project might become. It's one of those things most people don't think about until they attempt to hang a large picture frame or notice a crack spidering across the ceiling. While these people both result in flat, paintable areas, they are realms apart in terms of how they're made, the way they sound, and how they'll treat your finances.
For most of human history, if you wanted a wall, you were getting plaster. It wasn't until around the mid-20th century that will drywall—often called sheetrock—started taking over the construction world. Today, nearly every new home is built along with drywall, while plaster has become the bit of the "lost art" found mostly in historic homes or sophisticated custom builds. Let's break up why these types of two materials are so different and which one may be hiding at the rear of your wallpaper.
The Old School Way: How Plaster Works
If your home was built just before the 1950s, there's a very higher chance you have plaster walls. Plastering is really a labor-intensive art that requires a lot of skill and even more endurance. In the day time, builders would nail hundreds of thin wood strips, called lath , horizontally across the wall studs. Then, a craftsman would smear layers associated with wet plaster over those strips.
The magic occurs the plaster "oozes" through the gaps in the wood. When this dries, it creates these little hooks called keys that lock the plaster to the wall. Usually, it's the three-coat process: the scratch coat (to get those secrets set), the dark brown coat (to level things out), and finally, the finish coat (the smooth part you really see).
Because it's applied wet and by hand, plaster is incredibly heavy. It's almost such as having a thin level of rock over your walls. This makes it feel really solid—if you topple on a plaster wall, it won't sound hollow; it'll feel like bumping on the sidewalk. It's also naturally fire-resistant and does the fantastic job associated with blocking out sound from the next room.
The Modern King: Knowing Drywall
Drywall changed everything mainly because it made creating a house much, much faster. As the name suggests, it's a "dry" process—mostly. Drywall consists of a core of gypsum (a soft sulfate mineral) sandwiched between two thick bed linens of paper. This comes in big, heavy panels, usually 4x8 feet, that are simply screwed directly into the wooden or even metal studs associated with the house.
The only "wet" part of drywall is the finishing. Once the boards are up, you have seams where they meet. A contractor applies document or mesh video tape over those seams and covers all of them with layers associated with joint compound, or "mud. " As soon as the mud dries, they sand it down until it's smooth and invisible.
It's efficient, it's cheap, and almost anybody with a bit of grit and a YouTube tutorial may learn how to do it. That's exactly why it's the regular today. It doesn't need a master craftsman; it just needs a steady hands and a good sanding mask.
Audio, Insulation, and the "Feel" of the Room
One of the biggest functional distinctions you'll notice is definitely how your home sounds. Because plaster is definitely so thick and dense, it's an amazing sound dampener. If you live in a good old plaster-walled house, you might hardly hear your neighbours. In a contemporary drywall home, a person might hear the sneeze three areas away.
Drywall is basically a hollow sandwich. There's the board, the big gap of air (usually filled up with insulation), and after that another board. While you can buy specific "soundproof" drywall, standard plaster still usually wins the noise battle.
Then there's the visual. Plaster can be molded and bent. If you see a house with gorgeous arched doorways or even curved corners, that's almost certainly plaster. Drywall is firm. As you can curve it with enough water and effort, it's actually designed for flat surfaces and 90-degree perspectives. Plaster has a certain handmade "soul" to it—it's never perfectly flat within the way a factory-made board will be, which gives old homes their personality.
Which One Is Harder to Repair?
This particular is where the drywall vs. plaster debate gets genuine for homeowners. When you need in order to run new electric wiring or repair a plumbing drip behind the walls, you're going to have to reduce a hole.
With drywall , this is the breeze. You reduce out a square, do your function, screw in some sort of new piece of table, tape it, dirt it, and you're done. It's such as a puzzle item.
With plaster , it's the nightmare. Plaster will be brittle. When a person attempt to cut straight into it, it seems to crack and crumble. Often, the vibrations from a saw can result in the "keys" upon the returning to break off, meaning the plaster starts pulling away from the wood lath. Before you know it, a small hole has changed into a massive amount of the wall falling off. Plus, matching the texture of old plaster with modern materials is an art type that many contemporary contractors haven't learned.
The Price Tag: Why Drywall Usually Wins
If you're building a new addition and wondering what's the difference between drywall and plaster regarding your bank accounts, the answer will be simple: plaster is much more expensive.
The material cost regarding plaster isn't in fact that bad, yet the labor cost is astronomical. It takes days, if not weeks, with regard to a multi-coat plaster job to dry and be finished. Drywall could be strung in a day time and finished within a few even more. Because time is definitely money in building, drywall is nearly always the even more economical choice. You're also going to have trouble even getting a professional plasterer these days. It's a niche trade, and they cost accordingly.
How to Tell Exactly what You Have
If you aren't sure what's in your walls, there are two simple ways to find out.
- The Thump Test: Give the wall structure a good hit. Does it tone like an empty drum? That's drywall. Does it seem like knocking on a solid brick? That's plaster.
- The Pushpin Test: Attempt to push the simple thumb add or pushpin straight into the wall. If this goes in relatively easily, you've got drywall. If the pin bends or even refuses to budge, you're dealing with plaster.
Durability and Cracking
Plaster is definitely incredibly tough, yet it doesn't manage "settling" perfectly. Because a house shifts over the decades, plaster doesn't flex; it cracks. This is the reason you see all those long, jagged ranges in the ceilings of old Victorian houses.
Drywall is the bit more forgiving. It's softer, therefore it can handle the little bit of movement without instantly splitting. However, drywall is extremely susceptible to water damage. In case a pipe leaks, drywall turns into the soggy sponge and begins to grow mildew very quickly. Plaster, getting more like stone, deals with moisture a little bit better (though the wood lath at the rear of it can still rot).
Final Thoughts: Which Is Much better?
There isn't a "winner" here, only what's best for your particular scenario. If you're dwelling in a historical home, you'll probably want to stay with plaster to maintain the worth and the acoustic soul of the house. It's reduced product that seems high-end.
Nevertheless, for most of us doing the basement renovation or even renovating an extra bedroom, drywall is usually the practical option. It's faster, cheaper, and way easier to fix when your kid accidentally moves a soccer basketball through the wall.
From the end of the day, understanding what's the difference between drywall and plaster can help you respect the workmanship of the history while appreciating the convenience of the present. Whether you're dealing with messy damp plaster or dusty drywall sanding, with least you'll find out exactly what you're getting into before you grab the hammer.