lathing
Definition
Noun (uncountable): - The act, process, or material involved in covering a surface with laths — thin, narrow strips of wood or metal used as a base for plaster, roofing, or other finishes.
Usage Examples
- (The process of installing laths.)
- (The material or structure of laths.)
- (The technique or material used.)
Advanced Usage
- "to do the lathing": to perform the work of attaching laths to a frame.
- We hired a specialist to do the lathing for the new ceiling. (To install laths.)
- "lathing and plastering": a common construction phrase referring to the two-step process of applying laths and then plaster.
- The renovation required both lathing and plastering to restore the walls. (The combined work.)
Variants and Related Words
- Lath (n): a single thin strip of wood or metal used in lathing.
- The worker cut a lath to the correct length. (One strip.)
- Lather (n): a person who installs laths (a tradesperson).
- The lather finished the job in two days. (The worker.)
Synonyms
- Lathwork: the structure or system of laths.
- The lathwork was damaged by moisture. (The assembled laths.)
- Slatting: a similar process using slats (broader strips), sometimes used interchangeably in informal contexts.
Idioms
- "lathing the roof": a specific type of lathing used as a base for roofing materials like tiles or shingles.
- Before laying the tiles, we need to complete the lathing on the roof. (Installing laths for roofing.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Lath up: to cover a surface with laths (less common, but used in construction jargon).
- We need to lath up the entire wall before plastering. (To install laths on a surface.)