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While taking out some plaster on metal lath ceiling in my basement, I am finding a loose layer of sand sitting on top in places. Why is it there and how did it get there? The room above is the kitchen but I think it had hardwood floors and not tile so this isn't from a mud bed. Is this part of the plastering process? It looks like it could be the same sand that was used to mix the rough plaster coat.

The sand is up to an inch deep in places and all pretty clean and consistent. It looks like it would be the same stuff that would be used to mix the rough plaster coat.

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    If what's above is hardwood floors, dust does tend to sift down through the cracks between them. If someone's been tracking in sand over the years, some accumulation would not be surprising. How thick a layer are you talking about?
    – keshlam
    Commented Feb 21, 2023 at 2:47
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    Unless you can dig up a builder involved, it's impossible to know - but it might have been done as soundproofing or as an improvised fallout shelter.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Feb 21, 2023 at 3:24
  • @keshlam It might be as high as an inch thick in places but it's not evenly distributed. It's all the same kind of sand and it's pretty clean. I don't see this getting being stuff off people's shoes.
    – aquaticapetheory
    Commented Feb 21, 2023 at 3:35
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    An inch almost has to be deliberate, but I have no clue. I've heard of sand being used as a soundproofing material in studio walls, but...
    – keshlam
    Commented Feb 21, 2023 at 4:26
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    A huge shot in the dark, but builders have been known to dispose of their ‘trash’ in all kinds of creative ways.
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Commented Feb 21, 2023 at 16:40

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