How to Remove Plaster From Walls to Convert to Drywall

Removing plaster from walls is not a difficult job but is time consuming and messy. Behind the plaster walls are narrow strips of wood called lath. The lath, nailed directly to the wall studs, supports the plaster wall coat. After you have removed the plaster, you can leave the lath in place if you wish. The lath provides a solid, stable foundation for the drywall boards. If you intend on snaking electrical wiring, pipes or insulation between the wall cavities, however, remove the lath for easier access to the cavities.

Remove the Plaster

  1. Strike the top center of one of the walls with the hammer or crowbar, punching a hole through the plaster coating until you see the lath beneath. Insert the claw end of the crowbar into the hole and drag the claw through the plaster in a downward motion. Create a vertical gash from the ceiling to the floor into which you will insert your spade.

  2. Position the large trash can beneath the gash in the wall. The can will catch a large portion of the plaster as you remove it, reducing the amount of plaster pieces falling to the floor and greatly reducing the amount of dust spewed into the air.

  3. Insert the spade into the gash at the top of the wall so that the tool is in a horizontal position. Sharply chop the plaster horizontally, using the spade blade to loosen the plaster from the lath and directing the plaster into the can. This technique shaves the plaster from the lath in large, more manageable sheets. Move the can along the floor to catch the plaster sheets as you move in a horizontal direction across the wall.

  4. Continue chopping with the spade and making more gashes with the crowbar until the plaster is completely removed from the lath.

  5. Shovel the smaller sections of plaster from the floor and dump the contents into the 5-gallon buckets for disposal. For best results, clean up as much of the plaster debris as possible before you remove the lath.

Remove the Lath

  1. Locate an end section of lath strips where the end of boards have been nailed to a wall stud. Most lath was installed in sections with dozens of strips secured to the same wall stud in the same area. Begin at the end of the strip for easier removal. The lath is very dry and brittle and tends to splinter when pried off in the center of the strip.

  2. Insert the thin, chiseled-end of the crowbar or hammer behind one of the lath strips where it has been nailed. Pry the nailed end of the lathe from the wall stud but do not attempt to pry the entire lath strip from the other studs, as the strip will splinter. Splintered lath is more difficult to remove and dispose of. Loosen all the ends of the lath in the section.

  3. Move to the next nailed area of the lath section. Pry the boards at the nails to loosen them from the stud. Move to the next nailed area of the lath section and loosen these, as well. Generally, once two or more nailed sections have been loosened from the studs, the lath will drop or can be pulled from the studs by hand.

  4. Toss the lath strips into a neat pile, keeping the strips parallel with one another. To prevent injury, do not pile the strips haphazardly into a messy pile. Remove the pile when it becomes large, about 1 foot high.

  5. Continue removing the lath in sections, piling up the strips and removing the pile from the work area.

  6. Prepare the wall studs for drywall boards. Drywall needs a smooth, even surface on the studs. Inspect every wall stud for any protruding nails leftover from the lath removal and pry them out or hammer them into the stud.

  7. Things You Will Need

    • Heavy work gloves

    • Safety goggles

    • Dust mask

    • Ladder

    • Hammer

    • Crowbar

    • Flat-blade spade

    • 33-gallon plastic trash can

    • Shovel

    • 5-gallon buckets

    • Wheelbarrow


    If the plaster overwhelms the room with dust, spritz water into the air with a spray bottle. The water droplets will capture the dust particles and cause the dust to drop to the floor more quickly. Avoid saturating the air, however, or you may create a muddy mess on the floor.

    Plaster and lath are extremely abrasive and may damage the floor as the materials crash to the floor. To prevent damage, cover the floor with large sheets of plywood.

    Be prepared for surprises behind the plaster and lath. You may discover old newspapers or coins, or you may find the old bones of ancient rodents. Keep a supply of plastic grocery bags to contain decayed animals, mouse nests and other unpleasant and smelly objects. Never handle dead animals with ungloved hands.


    Some plaster contains asbestos aggregates and may have been painted with lead paint. These materials are very toxic, known to cause respiratory disease, nervous system damage and other health problems. Contact your local building code department to determine if your plaster walls contains asbestos or lead paint. The officials maintain a list of contractors who can both test for and remove these materials according to local and state regulations.

    The nails of the lath strips may be very rusty and may harbor the Clostridium tetani bacteria that causes tetanus. Be careful to use heavy work gloves as you handle the lath. Get a tetanus booster, if necessary.