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Having lived in a variety of different homes since I was a kid, I have to agree with most of the benefits of that type of construction, except the plaster walls. Those were terrible. I remember watching my parents doing a simple thing like hanging a new picture on the wall, and seeing it turn into a disaster. They would pound the nail in, hang the picture, and watch it drop on the floor and take a chunk of plaster out with it.
Some of my best memories were of the 1950s houses we lived in. Those were really nice. They were new enough to have the nice modern smooth drywall. But old enough to still have real craftsmanship. The thick exterior brick walls, custom wood framed windows and doors, and features like custom built in wooden bookcases, that I don’t think you can find in new homes.
If I had the money, my dream would be to buy an old historic home, and remodel it. I would replace all the plaster with nice smooth drywall, but I would keep all the original woodwork.
That's not a failure of plaster, that's just a lack of understanding of how to take care of plaster. Some homes have picture rails, so that one can hang their picture from that, instead of putting nails into the pristine plaster surface. If there isn't a picture rail, and it's a heavy picture, then a stud needs to be found, just like with drywall.
Here are some reasons why I prefer to keep original plaster:
1. Plaster is harder than drywall, so it's more durable
2. No paper means it's more mold resistant
3. Better sound insulation
My parents built a house in the mid fifties and they put in wall board, so I don't think all houses built then had plaster walls. I think they might have put in plaster if they had felt they could have afforded it.
Doesn't plaster crack when the house settles? And isn't it hard to hang things in it? I really don't like the look of things hanging from mouldings in a room, although I remember seeing this decades ago in a really old doctor's office. My mom said, "Oh, that's so old fashioned."
I do agree that hollow core doors are less desirable than solid wood, but how could you afford them?
And I really don't like fiberglass exterior doors, and if I had the money I'd replace mine.
But, I do like plenty of electric outlets, modern plumbing, central air, a good gas furnace, large windows, a big garage and fewer bad surprises. I do think that in everything there are trade offs. You choose the things that are important to you.
I am sort of surprised that some here are so militant about older homes.
My parents built a house in the mid fifties and they put in wall board, so I don't think all houses built then had plaster walls. I think they might have put in plaster if they had felt they could have afforded it.
Drywall was developed between 1910 and 1930. I believe it was standard in all new construction by 1950. So most 1950s houses have drywall. I would expect that a lot of 1930s and 40s houses were constructed with drywall too.
Drywall was developed between 1910 and 1930. I believe it was standard in all new construction by 1950. So most 1950s houses have drywall. I would expect that a lot of 1930s and 40s houses were constructed with drywall too.
I agree with you on the first part, but I don't think drywall was that common before WWII. It was available, but didn't really catch on until the building boom after.
I just saw a thread on a different site asking about this, today. Their house was built in 1941. They still had plaster walls, but instead of having wood lath, they had what turned out to be rock lath panels.
Drywall was developed between 1910 and 1930. I believe it was standard in all new construction by 1950. So most 1950s houses have drywall. I would expect that a lot of 1930s and 40s houses were constructed with drywall too.
Down here a large number of houses built in the 1950's had tongue and groove knotty pine. Around about the mid 1960's it definately went all drywall, or paneling.
Plaster has never been common down here, and I'm not even sure I've ever been in a house with plaster walls. Those really old houses from the early 1900's often had tongue and groove, but it looked more like bead board ran horizontally.
New home construction, how it was done in 1954. A little farther research. The change from plaster walls to drywall definitely happened during the post-WW2 change to factory manufactured components.
Until morons stop accepting this mediocre wooden construction then you're doomed to complain. A quality structure should be built out of condo / commercial quality glass, concrete, and where necessary steel. That's the only way to guarantee no bugs, no noise, and almost no energy loss. Keep slapping together 2x4s, keep getting crap.
i lived in a house like that overseas and i still had bugs.
Drywall was developed between 1910 and 1930. I believe it was standard in all new construction by 1950. So most 1950s houses have drywall. I would expect that a lot of 1930s and 40s houses were constructed with drywall too.
This could be. Years and years ago DH and I looked at a house built in the late 1950s or so. (This would have been in 1971.) I remember how outdated I felt the floor plan was, (you entered the basement from the garage), and that it had plaster walls and cove mouldings.
Perhaps it was considered the mark of a more expensive home to have plaster walls for awhile in the fifties?
And in St Louis, where I grew up, it was the mark of a finer home to have a brick exterior.
This could be. Years and years ago DH and I looked at a house built in the late 1950s or so. (This would have been in 1971.) I remember how outdated I felt the floor plan was, (you entered the basement from the garage), and that it had plaster walls and cove mouldings.
Perhaps it was considered the mark of a more expensive home to have plaster walls for awhile in the fifties?
And in St Louis, where I grew up, it was the mark of a finer home to have a brick exterior.
Times change.
I have never seen a 1950s house with plaster walls. 1950s house = the mass produced post-WW2 houses, that clearly used drywall. I suspect the house you saw was actually from before the 1950s, or it was a non-typicl homeowner constructed house that used older construction techniques.
My house was built in 1974 and has plaster walls. It is in excellent condition.
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