Plasterboard is the most common material used nowadays for finishing off internal walls and ceilings. It comes in various sizes and thicknesses and has many edge finishes.
Look up the useful sites and Trade Organizations which include a Federation of Plastering and Drywall Contractors.
There are many different types of plaster, the two main ones being gypsum based and cement based.
The Egyptians used a plaster that made from calcined gypsum, very similar to the plaster of Paris of today. Their method of plastering onto reed very much resembles our lath, plaster, float and set work.
To achieve the best results from your plaster you should add plaster and water in equal measurements this should be done in a clean bucket using clean water and should be mixed until the plaster is a creamy constituency.
The old fashioned plaster on wood needs three coats of plaster and it may not be within the skill of many people to do it, and needs professionals most of the time to do even the repair work.
Plastering is physically demanding, it requires long periods of standing, lifting, bending and overhead reaching.
Mixing skim plaster for the first time is difficult and can cause people problems if they haven't done it before.
One advantage of plastering is that is can be repainted as often as you choose.
Drywall Plastering is often replaced with other forms of traditional plastering because it is labor intensive and expensive as well.