Lath

[5] Tiles, slates, and other coverings on roofs and walls are often fastened to laths, sometimes also called battens or slats.

Such strips of wood are also employed to form lattice-work, or are used as the bars of Venetian blinds, and window shutters.

Lath is also used on many tobacco farms in the Connecticut Valley as a means to carry and hang the plant in barns.

[clarification needed] In Cape Cod, laths were used in the early 1880s for building wooden lobster traps.

Riven lath was traditionally split with the grain from chestnut, oak, and similar hardwoods, or from softwoods like eastern white pine.

Accordion laths are thin, sawn boards that are partially split with a hatchet or axe.

After the circular saw came into use in the early 19th century, lath for plastering was sawn in sawmills and delivered to the building site.

[9] Metal lath dates from the late 19th century and is used extensively today with plaster and stucco in home and commercial construction.

In addition to providing a matrix to which the stucco can adhere, metal lath adds strength and rigidity.

Metal lath can be stapled directly to studs, and is capable of bending to easily form corners and curves.

[citation needed] It is commonly used in place of wood lath since it is noncombustible, easy to use, and can give better results.

[citation needed] Gypsum board can be purchased in sheets of various sizes and screwed or nailed directly onto a building's studs.

Over time, the keys can deteriorate and crack, weakening their ability to hold the plaster onto the lath.

Problems can also occur in the keys if they were not properly formed to begin with, which can happen when laths are set too close together for plaster to travel though.

[14] Key failure often manifests as looseness and sagging in walls or ceilings, and in worst cases can lead to plaster breakage and collapse.

[5] Lath and plaster walls have several benefits, including fire and mold resistance, soundproofing, and heat insulation.