permaculture

["John Schinnerer" <john@eco-living.net>]

Aloha,

> My thinking is that you substitute the fiber for the bulk of the mesh,
> save  lots of time over arranging all that wire.

Thing is, the mesh (of whatever kind) is what you put the plaster on. 
I've read of materials other than metal being used, such as plastics and
bamboo lattices and so on.  Regardless, there's got to be something to
smear the plaster onto...

> I don't think the lath is coated,  the stuff I have seen looked like one
>  solid type of metal, either stainless steal or aluminum.

The lath I used was 'the usual' for cement/stucco plastering...it was
galvanized metal of some kind.  Definitely not
$tainle$$ $teel and not aluminum either.

> The lath has
> also  been a lot more solid than the chicken wire.

It's easier to plaster onto one layer of lath than even multiple layers of
chicken wire - I found that out by direct experience... :-)

However, FC strength is all about the composite matrix.  One layer of lath
(or mesh, or whatever) in plaster will not be as strong as several layers.
 Thicker plaster without more mesh layers doesn't do much good - the
plaster has very poor tensile strength, needs the tensile strength matrix
material (lath, mesh, combo, whatever) distributed throughout it.


John Schinnerer, MA
-------------------------
- Eco-Living -
Cultural & Ecological Designing
People - Place - Learning - Integration
john@eco-living.net
http://eco-living.net