drywall in 1840s home

[cmoore]

hello, I am wondering if I can replace the damaged plaster in my 1840s home with drywall. I have read a lot about how old homes need to breathe and how newer technologies can actually be really damaging to older homes and promote wood rot, etc. If I don't insulate the walls and just replace the plaster with drywall, will this provide the walls with enough breathing or is there another material I should be using?

[Rochev]

My house was built 1790-1840. All lath and plaster were removed and drywalled due to the deterioration they were in. Exposed all the original beams and it looks great. No issues have come up and it was done in 2005.

Removing lath and plaster is quite a task compared to drywall but I would recommend insulation. My house had none and it was virtually an ice box.

[V-Man]

Short answer, yes you can. But why? if you have patches of damaged plaster, I think its easier to repair the plaster than remove completely and replace with drywall. Removing plaster is messy and weighs a lot making it hard to dispose easily. Personally I think the whole breathability thing is much more important when it comes to foundations rather than plaster walls.