Timber Laths
Sawn oak – The longest lasting and strongest of sawn laths, but not as strong or as long lasting as riven oak – a good compromise.
Sawn larch (durable softwood) – Untreated naturally durable softwood with a very low knot content. Good value for money.
Riven Chestnut Lath – These laths are had riven and are sourced from local sweet chestnut.
Supplied in bundles of 50 which are 4ft long – each bundle covers roughly 2m² (sawn) or 2.4m² (riven)
Timber Laths are used for the repair or creation of lath and plaster walls and ceilings, supplied as machine sawn or hand riven.
Timber Laths are still used today in building construction to form a base or groundwork for plaster, but modern lath and plaster applications are mostly limited to conservation projects.
A lath or slat is a thin, narrow strip of straight wood used on lath and plaster walls and ceilings to hold plaster. Lath has expanded to mean any type of backing material for plaster. This includes metal wire mesh or expanded metal that is applied to a timber framework which plaster is applied. For use with lime mortars we only recommend using timber laths.
One of the key elements of lath, whether wooden slats or wire mesh, are the openings or gaps that allow plaster to ooze behind and form a mechanical bond to the lath.