Before sheetrock, there
was plaster. Like most industrial housebuilding materials,
sheetrock is a recent invention. Before World War II, the majority
of American houses were plastered. Before the 20th century, plaster
was the standard interior finish. In many parts of the world, it
still is. Plaster is made from either lime or clay (or both) mixed
with sand and fiber–traditionally animal hair, but now more often
straw or hemp. Unlike sheetrock, it can be applied to a variety of
building materials, such as cob, straw bales, or the standard for
wood buildings, wood lath. Plaster can be a finished wall surface
on its own. Earth plasters are often mixed from particularly
attractive clays and left "unfinished." Chopped straw can offer
subtleties of color and texture. The wall texture itself can be
altered by a variety of techniques applied to the finish plaster,
such as hard troweling, burnishing, or sponging. Whatever the
finish technique chosen, a plastered wall always delights the eye
with slight, but infinite variations in texture and color. Plaster
accommodates itself to the design, rather than the design being
limited by the material. With plaster there's no waste at all,
since only enough is mixed to plaster the job at hand. Any small
leftovers are reusable. Plaster is also extremely adaptable to
non-standard or unusual design features, such as plastered window
reveals or exposed timbers. And perhaps most comforting, plaster is
made from simple, natural materials: clay, lime, sand,
straw.
