#Lathe and plaster walls horsehair how to#

Pictures were hung on longer wires or cord to whatever height preferred by the homeowner and hung on small hooks that latched onto the picture rail. The height is often variable depending on local traditions and builder preference, but seeing picture rail anywhere from about 1/2” to 1’ below the ceiling is not uncommon. The picture rail is nailed to the studs, giving it better holding strength and was installed toward the top of the wall. Picture rail was installed to give you a place to hang things like mirrors, art, pictures and anything else you want to decorate your walls with without putting holes in your plaster. It has a wonderful purpose and that is to protect your walls and make your life easier.

Don’t confuse this little piece of molding at the top of your wall for some kind of miniature crown molding. If you’re one of the fortunate ones, you may have picture rail in some of the rooms of your home. Plaster has lath (wood, metal mesh, or rock lath) behind it that supports it, whereas drywall has nothing behind itĪll these differences mean that the two require different fasteners and fastening methods for decorating.Drywall is usually 1/2” thick, compared to historic plaster, which can range from 3/4” to just over 1” thick.There are a few things that make the two different, especially related to attaching things to your walls.

What’s the Real Difference Between Plaster and Drywall? It’s important not just to make the decorating process simpler, but to also avoid costly damage.

#Lathe and plaster walls horsehair how to#

Everything from how to find a stud in plaster walls to what type of fasteners your should use is different.Įveryone wants to decorate their walls, so learning how to hang things on plaster walls is important for every homeowner to learn. Most of the handy devices for hanging things on our walls were designed for drywall, not plaster.