Sheetrock and plaster are two very different types of material used to coat the walls in homes and other types of buildings. Which one you have will affect what type of objects you can hang on your wall --- particularly, how heavy these objects are. If you're trying to figure out if you have Sheetrock --- which is a brand name for a type of drywall panels --- or plaster walls, you can do so by looking for a few specific characteristics.
Instructions
1. Find an area on your wall that is hidden or inconspicuous. Take the pointed end of a clothes pin or safety pin and attempt to push it directly into your wall. If the head of the pin goes into the wall with no trouble, you have a Sheetrock wall. If the pin doesn't go into the wall easily or bends and won't go in at all, you have a plaster wall.
2. Use your closed fist to knock on different sections of your wall, the same way you would knock on a door. Try this in a few different places all along the length of the wall in question. If you hear a hollow sound during your knocking, you have a Sheetrock-constructed wall. Otherwise, you have a wall constructed of plaster.
3. Examine the inside of your wall (if possible) in search for a layer of paper. Go into your attic and look below your insulation, or use a screwdriver to open a light fixture or power outlet and take a look inside. Sheetrock has a thin layer of paper behind the wall, while plaster doesn't. If this layer is present, you have a Sheetrock wall. If this layer is not present, you have a plaster wall.
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