Believe me, anything bigger than about a 2 foot square, I prefer to go with drywall for replacement. But occasionally I’ll need to replace an elegantly rounded corner on a landing, or something with similar complex curvatures, that really can’t be done in drywall without even more effort than a period treatment.
But among my many ongoing projects I’m taking up the entire attic floor, walls and ceiling and replacing with plywood and drywall. The t&g pine floor’s totally used up, it’s been destructively removed and replaced to put in wiring three separate times, and to clean out a honeybee hive a hundred years ago, and the plaster’s even worse, it’s got 4’ x 8’ holes in it. I’m going to do modern insulation and venting up there now that I’ve finished replacing the entire roof.
Only very slightly related, have you seen the 17th century Lorenzoni repeating flintlock pistols? I read a scientific report on one that supposedly has metal work modern machinists can’t replicate without 3D printing (personally I suspect that a really top notch blacksmith could figure it out). They have multiple internal sculpted channels for supplying powder, shot, and priming powder from the action of a single crank, it’s really amazing work, even by my standards (I’m not a gun guy).
Funny story about inept contractors. I had a partially circular stair installed that had the underside in the corner of my dining room needing a compound curve plastering job. Contractor leaves a kid to do it. I walk in and he’s got chicken wire scalloped under the treads!! Kid didn’t even know what it was supposed to look like, never mind how to do it!! I have to literally show him how to do his job. I ripped strips of 1/4 ply and showed him how to nail them up to create the curve. Boss and more skillful guys return, and proceed to plaster. By mixing plaster way too dry, and then smearing it completely through the wire, rather than leaving a thickness to scratch. Eventually it looked OK but it was painful to watch.
Don’t even get me started about the guys who built the stairs: Genius engineers and installers, drunks in the millwork shop. I get a lot of crap from the wife for wanting to do everything myself.
You can do curved/rounded drywall, but you’ve really got to know what you’re doing.
This was my main project from 2005-2015. The whole building was renovated/reconstructed inside and outside. Wherever possible, the original state as of 1917, when it was finished, was reconstructed; including removing some horrible conversions and modifications done in the 1970ies. And tons of asbestos.
Pics are of the main hall. About 50% of the ceilings are original plaster, the rest is drywall.
Wow, that’s gorgeous! I love the pipe organ. Is that iron in the supporting arches, or is it all decorative plaster? It’s nice work in any case.
When the Grand in Wilmington was restored, they kept some of the iron-framed original seating, which is very pretty, but can be uncomfortable for long-bodied neanderthals like me.
