If you own an older home in downtown Jonesboro or any historic neighborhood, you have probably encountered plaster walls — and asked whether it is worth keeping them or replacing them with drywall. This article compares the two materials across every dimension that matters for a homeowner decision.
Installation speed and cost
Drywall wins decisively. A two-person crew can hang and finish 1,500–2,500 sq ft of drywall per day. Plaster requires lath installation, three separate coats with cure time between, and significantly more skilled labor. Plaster installation typically costs 2–3x drywall installation for equivalent square footage.
Repair difficulty
Drywall is much easier to repair. A drywall patch is straightforward work. Plaster repair requires either matching the original lath-and-plaster technique (a dying skill) or using modern plaster button techniques to reattach failing sections before resurfacing. Fewer contractors offer skilled plaster repair, and the cost reflects the scarcity.
Sound insulation
Plaster wins. The dense, multi-coat construction blocks sound noticeably better than standard drywall. STC ratings for original plaster typically run 5–10 points higher than 1/2-inch drywall on the same framing. Modern soundproofing drywall assemblies can match plaster STC but at substantial cost.
Durability and impact resistance
Plaster is harder and more impact-resistant than drywall. Doorknobs do not punch through plaster the way they punch through drywall. The trade-off is that when plaster does fail, it fails in larger, more dramatic chunks.
Wall thickness and feel
Plaster walls are typically 7/8 inch to 1 inch thick versus 1/2 inch for drywall. The extra thickness creates a more solid feel — knock on a plaster wall and a drywall wall and you immediately recognize the difference. Some homeowners care about this; others do not.
Aesthetics
Plaster has subtle texture variation that drywall cannot quite match. Hand-troweled plaster finishes have a depth and character that flat drywall does not. For period-correct restoration of historic Jonesboro homes, plaster (or a high-end troweled drywall finish) is worth the cost.
Lead paint considerations
Plaster walls in homes built before 1978 are likely covered in lead paint. Any plaster work that disturbs the paint film requires lead-safe work practices. This adds cost and complexity to plaster projects in older homes.
When to keep plaster
Original plaster in good structural condition, historic homes where authenticity matters, rooms where sound insulation matters (master bedrooms, home offices), and any project where the additional cost is justified by the result.
When to convert to drywall
Plaster that has failed extensively, deep remodels that open the walls for electrical or plumbing anyway, projects with strict budgets, and rooms where the difference in feel does not justify the cost. For most renovations, hybrid (preserve good plaster, replace failed areas with drywall) is the best value.
Our experience in Jonesboro
We handle plaster repair and plaster-to-drywall conversion regularly. For most homeowners, the hybrid approach delivers the best balance of cost, schedule, and character preservation. Call (870) 555-0100 for a free walk-through and honest recommendation.