/diy/, what the fuck are my walls made of?Just bought a house, doing some initial work on it installing some ethernet outlets, and I discovered that my walls are not made out of drywall, or anything I've ever seen or that my friends have ever seen. This shit is hard as rock, that middle layer looks and feels like concrete, and the rear layer is even harder. Drill bits squeal as I drill into the material it's that hard.House was built in the 1950s. I don't think the walls have been redone since then, though I'm not certain. Additionally, there's zero insulation in the outer walls -- but the house is actually super cozy and comfy, so I'm honestly wondering if this isn't some sort of insulating material. Insulated cementboard is apparently a thing, but the pictures I find online don't look like this. Also, there's definitely no horizontal component here, I've cut out a 1ft section and it's all just exactly like pic related, so I don't think it's any form of lath and plaster.
>>2903737Oh, also, it's 5/8ths thick in total, so I don't think it was two separate installations on top of one another because that would make the first installation incredibly thin. But I can't rule it out, because yes there are two cardboard layers, one after the cement-looking layer and one after the plaster-looking layer.
It is indeed a cement version of drywall. Goes by a few names, durock, hardie board, and even just cement board. Can be hell to hang stuff. It’s supposed to have better water resistance than regular gypsum board.
Warch out, if it's from the 50s it might contain asbestos.
>>2903739Looking at pictures of it, that would just be the middle layer then right? Doesn't seem to be something that is normally layered, it's just a board made of cement. What do you think the front and back layers could be?>>2903741I was concerned about that as well but comparing it to pictures of asbestos I don't see it. There's no fibrous material in it, just hard rock like stuff.Oh, and there's also a cardboard layer on the front, too. So it's six layers:>cardboard>plaster looking stuff>cement looking stuff>cardboard>extremely hard rock looking stuff>cardboard
>>2903737I've got this stuff, I've heard it called plasterboard. Supposedly came in like 3'x5' sheets, had a grey coat just like plaster, then they put a regular white coat over it once they hung it on the studs (like drywall, actually). I also have no insulation, they claimed that in the 50's fuel oil was cheaper than insulation. It's good stuff, though it's a pain to cut and drill, and I'm 99% it's not asbestos. I'm in Southwest Ohio if that helps any.
>>2903744>I'm in Southwest Ohio if that helps any.Actually it does, I'm central Ohio so definitely lines up. Thanks, anon.Could be something like an older version of pic related, maybe? Doesn't quite exactly look like it, but can't find any pictures of multiple layer materials that don't have a layer of insulation. And like I said even though this place doesn't have insulation in the walls it's honestly super comfy, one of the warmer places I've been in even when it was super cold back in January.
>>2903737it's basically a plaster/cement board of some kind, likely reinforced with asbestos. pretty common in 50's and 60's midwest houses. it served the same function as drywall.
>>2903737RockLathe, basically drywall with key holes in it for plastering. My brother's postwar house has it too.
>>2903764>RockLatheThat's exactly it! Thank you, my curiousity is now satisfied.
my house built in 1957 is still majority rocklathe. it was a fucking nightmare installing led wafer lights, trying to cut through from below
>>2903764you can get wood lathe in the uk.
>>2903999>it was a fucking nightmare installing led wafer lights, trying to cut through from belowI had success with a diamond hole saw to get through the plaster, then switching to a bi-metal for the drywall lathe.
