Accordion laths are thin, sawn boards that are partially split with a hatchet or axe. Because they are split with the grain, riven lath is stronger than later forms of lath production. Individual laths were riven and nailed in place. Riven lath was traditionally split with the grain from chestnut, oak, and similar hardwoods, or from softwoods like eastern white pine. Historically there were three ways of making wood lath for plaster: riven lath, accordion lath, and circular sawn lath. In Cape Cod, laths were used in the early 1880s for building wooden lobster traps. Laths were also used to fix reeds to a timber structure before plastering. Ī lathhouse is an open structure roofed with laths in order to grow plants which need shelter from the sun.

The other form of lath is called 'hook' lath, which has small hooks attached that allows workers to hook the stems of tobacco plants onto the lath, often between two lengths of twine attached to the lath and twisted mechanically. A worker then mounts a spear on top and 'spears' the tobacco onto the lath. A 'spear' lath is a regular lath that is held in an upright position. This is achieved by using one of two methods: hooking or spearing. Lath is also used on many tobacco farms in the Connecticut Valley as a means to carry and hang the plant in barns. Such strips of wood are also employed to form lattice-work, or are used as the bars of Venetian blinds, and window shutters. Tiles, slates, and other coverings on roofs and walls are often fastened to laths, sometimes also called battens or slats. Wooden-slat 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. Riven lath, each piece has been split from a log Wooden The related German word Laden ( Middle High German: lade) denotes a board, plank, sash, shutter, counter and hence also a shop. The root has also found its way into Romance languages, cf. This in turn would seem to stem from a Proto-Germanic word * laþþo, from which have sprung words in many Germanic languages, e.g. The word lath is recorded from the late 13th century and is likely derived from the Old English word * læððe, a variant of lætt. This is not necessary for gypsum lath, which relies on a chemical bond. One of the key elements of lath, whether wooden slats or wire mesh, are the openings or gaps that allow plaster or stucco to ooze behind and form a mechanical bond to the lath. Historically, reed mat was also used as a lath material. This includes metal wire mesh or expanded metal that is applied to a wood or metal framework as matrix over which stucco or plaster is applied, as well as wallboard products called gypsum or rock lath. Lath has expanded to mean any type of backing material for plaster. Roof laths span across between the rafters and support the wood shingles.Ī lath or slat is a thin, narrow strip of straight- grained wood used under roof shingles or tiles, on lath and plaster walls and ceilings to hold plaster, and in lattice and trellis work.

Define lattice work