Here's How: Is Plaster or Drywall Better for New Room?

James Dulley on May 21, 2026

Is Plaster or Drywall Better for New Room?

Dear James: My parents' older house had plaster walls, but most builders now use drywall. I'm making a room addition. Which interior wall material is best to use? -- Melanie N.

Dear Melanie: From the standpoint of function and appearance, plaster is clearly the better interior wall surface material. Lucky for you, real plaster walls are making a strong, and even better looking, comeback in recent years.

Other than if you are under budgetary restraints, plaster is the best way to go long-term. Plaster usually costs somewhat more than drywall because it is more labor intensive and requires more skill to apply, but it is well worth the money. New plastering systems, such as plaster veneers, make plaster walls a little more affordable.

The mixing of plaster is similar to the mixing of cement. When you mix plaster with water, a chemical reaction causes it to set and form a hard surface. Drywall is made of relatively soft gypsum with a paper covering on each side.

The biggest advantage of plaster is its superior hardness and strength. Drywall walls nick much more easily than plaster walls do. If you have children, this should be a large detractor from drywall. Plaster can also be washed thoroughly without any possibility of water damage. Once the plaster has cured, it is resistant to short-term water exposure.

Besides durability, plaster offers a nicer appearance than drywall does. You will find plaster walls take paint more uniformly. This is an important consideration if you decide to use a semigloss paint, which tends to accentuate surface imperfections.

Plaster also makes more sense if you ever plan to install wallpaper in your additional room and perhaps change it in the future. It is easy to strip old wallpaper off plaster without damaging the wall surface. Plaster's durability allows you to use a stronger enzyme solution and scrape more vigorously to remove the old wallpaper adhesive.

Installation may be the only reason to not choose plaster walls. To install drywall, you nail or screw it in place and finish the joints so they are hidden.

Even with the newer veneer systems, plaster is not a typically do-it-yourself project as drywalling is. An average do-it-yourselfer can perform some of the installation job, but an experienced plasterer will have to actually apply the plaster. Even most experienced builders will not do the plastering themselves.

If you are using a plaster veneer, it is basically a one-step process, unlike older wall plastering methods that required wood lath. Large gypsum-based lath panels are nailed to the wall studs to create a plaster base. Next, a thin layer of plaster is applied over the panels to make a smooth, hard, finished surface.

The panels for plaster walls have a water-resistant paper coating that has a bluish color. If the boards don't have this coating, any moisture that penetrates the inner gypsum core would cause damage to the wall.

If your children do damage plaster walls with any nicks or cracks, don't worry about the repair job. Today there are several types of new plaster compounds available that have quick set times. A premixed vinyl drywall joint compound will not adhere to the plaster wall as well as the new plaster compounds will.

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Send your questions to Here's How, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45244 or visit www.dulley.com. To find out more about James Dulley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.