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Vent: Running alarm wires in an old house's plaster walls is a nightmare.
The lath and plaster just crumble when you drill.
4 comments
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abbyhall5mo ago
Ugh, tell me about it, my last attempt looked like a plaster crime scene, no offense to @eric_gonzalez26's grandma.
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craig.parker6mo ago
Disagree actually. Old plaster walls are tough but they hold up fine if you know what you're doing. Use a sharp drill bit and go slow to avoid cracks. The plaster and lath setup is solid and lasts longer than drywall. Once the wires are in, you don't see any conduits on the walls. It just takes a bit more patience.
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mason2736mo ago
Craig.parker misses the big picture with that "sharp drill bit" advice. The real problem isn't technique, it's the crap mixed into the old plaster itself. You're one wrong drill hole away from kicking up a cloud of asbestos or silica dust. That lath and plaster might be solid, but it's also a health hazard waiting to happen if you don't test it first. His method only works if you already know the wall is clean, and most people don't check. You can be as patient as you want and still poison yourself.
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eric_gonzalez266mo ago
How bad can it really be though? Plenty of houses from the 40s and 50s used plain gypsum plaster without any asbestos mixed in. My grandma's place had the original horse hair plaster and we drilled all over without a mask, nothing happened. @mason273 makes a fair point about testing, but acting like every old wall is a death trap feels over the top. Most post-war plaster is just sand, lime, and water. You'd have to be drilling into popcorn ceiling texture or specific insulation to really worry.
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