I would propose that you contact the gypsum plants directly. United States Gypsum Corp. and National Gypsum Corp. have plants located very close to New Orleans.

Other manufacturers, such as Georgia-Pacific Gypsum, Temple-Inland, American Gypsum and Standard Gypsum are located within surrounding states. ■

With labour costs being what they are you will be money ahead if you pump plaster mud and trowel it rather than mess with sheet rock-besides creating a lot of good will employning people who have lost their jobs, no screws, no tape and the wood lath and chicken wire wire always holds it very well.

Besides the fact that you will spend less time preparing the walls for paint and messing with sheet rock tape and spackling screw holes and can leave a nice rough finish if so desired-a lot less work-sheet rock is nothing but a time waster and a conveneince for the builder especially on low lying floodzone ground with its inherent potential for mold. It does nothing for the home owner as it usually has to be mudded over any way depending on

local weather conditions. the bigger headache is labor where you really only need one person for mudding and several for drywall to move and hold panels etc.

Besides that you can employ the same number of carpenters and helpers to do the job much faster than with sheet rock since you do not have to anchor it with screws or use tape and wait on drying time for spackle-besides the fact that the plastering work will guarantee continous work during the rhabilitation of useable homes.

There is nothing qwrong with making plaster for walls and it will help you win many friends in the south as this is a traditional building method to begin with. sheet rock is not as user friendly as plaster and harder to work with as it takes a lot of preparation time since wall imperfections are a time waster to repair with additional spackle and the plaster covers evenly-it cant be done with old walls out of square with sheet rock!!!!!!!!!!!,

you spackle constantly due to the spackle drying where the palster drys evenly with a heat source.

you can move a lot more plaster mix in pnuematic tankers versus sheet rock on a semi truck trailer.

If you still have good lath to anchor it too its a win win or if need be you can replace the lath quickly if the studs ar not moldy and benefit a lot of southern lumber millers by buying lath at reasonable price too and help the southern lumber economy.

It all depends on if you are desirous of a long term relationship and showing quality work or wanting to make a a lot of money quickly- they will remember you for your work quality before your quantity of work.

Old plastering methods were developed and used long before the age of sheet rock and the desire to make a quick buck with fewer people on the job.

The appretices will also be learning a worthwjile trade and rebiulding the south at the same time

You can let them remember you in a good way or bad way after all is said and done-its entirely up to you. ■