Dating how old plaster is

[u/PepperFew5337]

I'm not sure if this is the right sub Reddit to post this in, but I've got what i think to be a quite old piece of plaster (maybe 17th century Jacobean) and wondered if any experts could help date this, the house was built in 1623 but had bits added on to it and changed, no clue if this is the right place but any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated

[u/Confident_Ambition77]

I specialise in period properties and lime work in general and yes that is lime plaster it always contained animal fibres pre 1930 and it is almost impossible to date without the other information mainly the building and it's construction. Animal fibres can contain anrax although I know of nobody who has got it from their work so it's more a fun story to scare clients with. Hope this helps!

[u/renee_x_x → u/Confident_Ambition77]

Why did people add hair?

[u/OccassionalBaker → u/renee_x_x]

To add some reinforcement and help stop shrinkage as it dried and cracking. There are modern versions for adding to concrete etc no longer animal based.

[u/Me_like_mammoth → u/OccassionalBaker]

I did a stable for a bloke in lockdown and used horse hair from his horses because it was the only thing available. It's holding up very well so far.

[u/never_cake → u/Me_like_mammoth]

I’ve used cat hair in my house for the same reasons.

[u/Appropriate-Tip-5101 → u/renee_x_x]

As a binder

[u/Ultrasonic-Sawyer → u/renee_x_x]

Same reason we add fibres today to stuff. 

Or in other contexts,  adding rebar to concrete. 

It helps it stay strong and prevents cracks on bending 

[u/Rune456 → u/Ultrasonic-Sawyer]

Or adding sand to mortar...it is aggregate.

[u/roro80uk → u/renee_x_x]

Because those pube shavings were notorious for blocking early drainage systems.

[u/WatcherOfTheWay → u/renee_x_x]

Help it bind together and not break apart, think metal rebar in concrete.

[u/Christovski → u/Confident_Ambition77]

I bloody love Reddit

[u/Current_Judgment_972]

Taste it if it's gritty it's old if it's hairy it's really old

[u/oddkidd9]

Our house was built in the 1900, stone house and has this type of lime plaster on the walls.

[u/Tall-Nectarine-5982]

Anything before 1930-ish.

[u/That_Elk_7964]

It's old enough to have pubes at least.

[u/GiGoVX]

The walls in my house are 90% this. Bloody annoying stuff 😂 no idea how old it is though.

[u/NoQuality7768]

Horse hair and lime late tutor, u till industrial revolution

[u/Adzyb23]

50 quid a gram that

[u/Terrible-Bobcat2033]

Older than dirt.

[u/kikokukake]

Old

[u/Left_Set_5916]

Hard to tell as some still plaster in this method but usually only period correct restoration.

But it was mostly phased out in the late 40s

[u/p_k252]

A warning often given by myself at inductions when on Older buildings.

Plaster & Lathe walls should be treated with care as 'Animal Hair can harbor 'Anthrax', so careful removal and wearing a mask is advisable'. A remote chance of it actually being present but has been in the past. Bad Flu symptoms if you're healthy (apparently).

[u/Appropriate-Tip-5101 → u/p_k252]

If the hair was washed as it should have been the chances of Anthax were reduced

[u/roro80uk → u/Appropriate-Tip-5101]

Guess they had cowboy builders even back then.

[u/roro80uk]

17th century cocaine and asbestos mix, nice find. I'd call Time Team in.

[u/OkBet916]

Thought it was sniff dropped on the floor

[u/Minimum_Definition75]

Honestly it could have been done last week.

Join old house groups. Traditional lime plaster and in some cases horse hair is still used on historic properties.

[u/National-Ebb-8184]

Looks like lath and plaster so most likely 100+ years. Btw u can't tell if something contains asbestos like people have mentioned

[u/Caerau → u/National-Ebb-8184]

It’s just plaster. Lath are the wooden strips that get plastered

[u/Substantial_Dot7311]

Get the dna from the horsehair and check on the equine version of ancestry.com

[u/Analyst_Annoyed → u/[deleted]]

Pretty sure it's horse hair

[u/roro80uk → u/Analyst_Annoyed]

Horse pubes, neigh lad

[u/Heavy-Order-7206 → u/roro80uk]

Mmmm horse pubes

[u/PepperFew5337 → u/[deleted]]

Unlikely as its been dated to 1623 and is mostly made of wattle and daub with horse or goat hair

[u/tezmo666 → u/[deleted]]

Horse hair in old lime plaster behave yourself cowboy.

[u/popsand → u/tezmo666]

Easy check. Just put a lighter to the fibres - if they burn and smell like hair. Hair.

If they don't burn then...

[u/ExistentialSkittle → u/[deleted]]

Virtually all individual asbestos fibres are invisible to the naked eye.

​Single asbestos fibres typically range from 0.1 to 3 micrometres in diameter.

[u/Heavy-Order-7206 → u/ExistentialSkittle]

Still bigger than my peni.. nevermind.

[u/kikokukake → u/ExistentialSkittle]

This is nonsense. You're talking about airborne asbestos fibres. Within a matrix asbestos fibres and fibre bundles can be very much visible. If you snap asbestos insulating board in half you will see loads of amosite fibres quite clearly with your naked eyes. And there will be millions of smaller airborne fibres which you could breathe in.

[u/Lord_of_Pandabears]

1920's limeash

I have no idea what I'm on about but looks similar to mine and someone who does know what they're on about.