Editing Lath and plaster (section)

==Historical transition==
In addition to wood lath, various types of '''metal lath''' began to be used toward the end of the 19th century.<ref name=oldhouse/> Metal lath is categorized according to weight, type of ribbing, and whether the lath is [[galvanized]] or not.  Metal lathing was spaced across a {{convert|13.5|in|adj=on}} center, attached by tie wires using lathers' nippers.  Sometimes, the mesh was dimpled to be self-[[furring]].

In use as early as 1900, '''rock lath''' (also known as "button board," "plaster board" or "gypsum-board lath"), is a type of [[gypsum]] wall board (essentially an early form of drywall) with holes spaced regularly to provide a 'key' for wet plaster.<ref name="oldhouse">{{cite web|last=MacDonald|first=Marylee|title=Repairing Historic Flat Plaster Walls and Ceilings|work=Old House Online |url=https://www.oldhouseonline.com/repairs-and-how-to/repairing-historic-flat-plaster-walls-ceilings/|date= 11 October 2016|accessdate=8 May 2021}}</ref> Rock lath was typically produced in sheets sized {{convert|2|by|4|ft|mm}}. The purpose of the four-foot length is so that the sheet of lath exactly spans three interstud voids (overlapping half a stud at each end of a four-stud sequence in standard construction), the studs themselves being spaced {{convert|16|in}} apart on center (United States [[building code]] standard measurements). By the late 1930s, rock lath was the primary method used in residential plastering.<ref name=oldhouse/>

Lath and plaster methods have mostly been replaced with modern [[drywall]] or [[plasterboard]], which is faster and less expensive to install. Drywall possesses poor sound damping qualities and can be easily damaged by moisture. Traditional lime based plasters are resistant to moisture and provide excellent sound isolation.