What Is A Lath Art in Woodworking?
What Is A Lath Art in Woodworking?
Lath Art is a folk art form that utilizes strips of lath, typically from lath and plaster walls, to create rustic, wooden images. While lath is the traditional material used, some artists may also use old lobster traps or lattice and lumber stickers.
The artform utilizes different shaped wood and relies on the positioning and orientation of the lath strips to create detail and depth.
The strips are cut and then colored before being reassembled to form the final image. Lath Art is known for its primitive, folk art aesthetic and is often seen with nautical or rural themes.
Uses Of Lath Art
Lath art, which involves using powder form plaster to create sheet form and attach it to a basic ceiling using fasteners, is commonly used in modern times for false ceiling designs that incorporate various combinations of lights and colors.
It is also used in the construction of houses, where finer layers of plaster are added to create a smooth, polished texture for painting. Fresco painting, as seen in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling, involves painting on a wet plaster layer called intonaco, resulting in excellent durability.
Lath art is easier to use for creating reliefs than stone or wood and has been used in historical times in Egypt, the Near East, Rome, and Europe for architectural decoration. However, it requires proper maintenance to survive in buildings over time.
Technique Used In Lath Art
Lath art is a woodworking hobby that involves creating pictures using sections of wood. It is similar to marquetry and intarsia which also use wood to create designs but lath art uses the direction of the lath stick and the colors of stains as design elements.
In order to adhere the plaster to the lath keys are formed by plaster that seeps through spaces or gaps in the wooden or metal lath and creates a mechanical bond. Lath can be attached directly to the frame of a building or to a wooden or metal frame called a “furning” that is then attached to the building.
Lath art can also be cast into clay molds to create terra cotta decorations or cast concrete sculptures. Plaster is often used for casting in molds and for adding raised details over an armature. Wooden laths are narrow strips of wood that come in different lengths and thicknesses depending on the intended use.
They can be made by hand or machine and must be nailed in a specific way to ensure a good bond with the plaster. Metal lath is also used particularly for its fireproof and durable qualities. Lathing nails are usually made of iron and can be galvanized to prevent rusting.
Material Use In Lath Art
Lath is a thin strip of wood or wire mesh that is used as a backing material for plaster, stucco, or gypsum in construction. It is typically applied to a wooden or metal framework and has gaps or openings that allow the plaster to form a mechanical bond to the lath.
Lath and plaster walls offer several benefits, including fire and mold resistance, soundproofing, and heat insulation.
Metal lath covered in plaster creates an environment that is inhospitable to toxic molds and can be twice as resistant to fire than drywall. These walls can achieve fire rating and also the same decibel rating as drywall.”
