Why old homes have plaster
For most of the region's history, walls were built with plaster over wood lath or, later, over gypsum lath. Roughly seventy percent of the homes in this area were built with plaster. It is harder, more soundproof and more fire resistant than drywall, and it is part of what gives an old house its solid, quiet feel.
Plaster vs drywall, honestly
Drywall is faster and cheaper to install, which is why new construction uses it. But it is softer, its taped seams can crack, and it does not match the density of the original plaster in an old home. Plaster is harder and seamless, but it needs a skilled tradesperson to repair. Neither is simply better; they suit different situations.
When to repair plaster instead of replacing it
If your plaster is cracked or has a few damaged areas but is largely sound and keyed to the lath, repairing it keeps the character, the density and the value of the home, and is often less disruptive than a full tear-out. Replacement with drywall makes sense only when the plaster has failed extensively. The mistake we see most is tearing out sound plaster that could have been saved. Towns full of Victorian houses see this constantly; it is the heart of our plaster repair in Melrose, where most homes still have their original lath and plaster.
The middle path: blueboard and veneer
When a wall genuinely does need to be redone, blueboard with a veneer plaster skim gives you a modern, seamless, hard surface that matches the density of the original plaster far better than taped drywall. It is the way to keep an old home feeling like an old home.