What kind of walls do we have?
#1
11-03-14, 05:43 PM
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What kind of walls do we have?
We live in an old apartment building, and our walls vary in their easiness to drill through. Is there a good rule of thumb to figure out what kind of walls we are dealing with?
#2
11-03-14, 06:09 PM
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Sounds like lath and plaster.
A drill may go through the plaster quickly, and then when hitting the lath in other spots, it will be harder to drill through and the bit will cut deeper.
I wouldn't recommend drilling without knowing what's behind. It's much harder to know with plaster.
One way to tell if it's plaster is to find a hidden spot where you can cut a small hole in wall. Cut maybe a 1" square. Drywall cut edges will be powdery, and you will see paper tears, Plaster cut edges will look like cement and will chip out while cutting.
A drill may go through the plaster quickly, and then when hitting the lath in other spots, it will be harder to drill through and the bit will cut deeper.
I wouldn't recommend drilling without knowing what's behind. It's much harder to know with plaster.
One way to tell if it's plaster is to find a hidden spot where you can cut a small hole in wall. Cut maybe a 1" square. Drywall cut edges will be powdery, and you will see paper tears, Plaster cut edges will look like cement and will chip out while cutting.
#4
11-04-14, 04:03 AM
Sheetrock is a brand name of drywall. In some areas everyone calls drywall - sheetrock.
Pull a lightswitch/receptacle cover off and examine the gap between the wall and the electrical box. That should help you determine what type of walls you have. Plaster is typically harder/tougher than drywall. Older homes will have wooden lath, then came drywall/gypsum lath with modern homes having a plaster veneer over blue board drywall. Drywall is normally just finished, maybe textured and then primed/painted.
btw - welcome to the forums!
Pull a lightswitch/receptacle cover off and examine the gap between the wall and the electrical box. That should help you determine what type of walls you have. Plaster is typically harder/tougher than drywall. Older homes will have wooden lath, then came drywall/gypsum lath with modern homes having a plaster veneer over blue board drywall. Drywall is normally just finished, maybe textured and then primed/painted.
btw - welcome to the forums!
