Cephus404

Metal behind plaster and lath

I hope this is the right place to put this. I've got a 1927 house and I've been replacing shelving and have run into a problem. Behind the old plaster and lath, there is metal in the walls. I was screwing in a metal wall anchor and it snapped when it hit it. You can see into the hole and the material is definitely steel gray. This is not any kind of ducting or electrical bridge, it is throughout the entire wall in all directions, since I had to patch that hole, I drilled holes every 2 inches along the wall, some up, some down, and there's metal behind all of them. I remember that I had a similar problem on another wall in the same room years ago, where I couldn't hang something because I couldn't find anywhere that didn't have metal behind it. I've looked around online and it seems that this isn't unheard of, other people have had the exact same problems and I've yet to see an explanation or a solution.

Can anyone help? Thanks.

marksr

Are you saying the entire wall behind the lath is metal? or can you move over a tad and miss the metal? Got any pics? - http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html

Pulpo

http://www.marinoware.com/Images/Pro...Fstriplath.gif

That's probably what it is, wire lath.

Cephus404

It's not wire lath, it's solid and it extends across the entire wall, feet in all directions. I can't take a picture, I already patched the wall.

toolmon

Is this heavy steel plate or light gauge tin. I have seen pressed tin panels similar to tin ceilings on walls. The fact that it is under wood lath is puzzling though. Some kind of old school fire proofing? Bullet proof safe room? If I found that in my house I would have opened up a section just to see what it is. Who knows, your walls might be full of money.

Pulpo

Let's all go to Redlands to look for the money!!! California, here I come.

Cephus404

Heh, no. It's an outside wall, I have no idea if it was an old attempt at fireproofing or what. When I pull the wall open again sometime, I'll have to excavate a larger section and see what it really is, it was gunmetal gray though and very solid, leading me to believe it was a pretty heavy gauge steel.