Logs, laths, mud, whitewash

This is an example of early American pioneer construction methods. This is a photo looking up of the ceiling of a log cabin.  In the background, you can see the logs making up the roof structure. The ceiling is hung on some rough sawn rafters. Across the rafters are lathe strips. A mixture of mud and straw or grass is smeared across the laths or strips of wood. If it was available, the builder could have used plaster. After the mud dries, it is covered with a thin coat of whitewash, a solution of lime, water, and whiting. he whiting powder is a very fine white powder slightly abrasive composed mostly of calcium carbonate.