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You can usually tell if you have plaster or drywall by touch (plaster is harder, colder, and smoother than drywall) or by tapping on it (drywall sounds hollow, plaster does not). If you still cannot tell, peek under an outlet cover and check the cut edges. The rough edges show the composition of the wall. You will see either drywall (two paper sheets sandwiching gypsum material) or only plaster material (no paper sheets).

Plaster itself has a higher R-value than drywall. However, there are other considerations surrounding plaster and insulation. As a general rule, it's easier to obtain consistency in insulating value and quality when working with drywall rather than plaster. Plaster walls often don't contain any insulation behind the wall covering by design, and careful evaluation is necessary when choosing to add it.

The short answer is yes, a sagging plaster ceiling is dangerous. Sagging plaster on a wall is something you should fix immediately, but it isn’t a major concern. If the same type of sagging occurs on a ceiling, however, you could be in danger of your ceiling falling in large chunks. When plaster sags, it loses its strength and ability to hold itself up. The bonds that hold it together are strong, though, so if a sagging area falls, it will take large pieces down with it.

Although they have similar applications, spackle and joint compound are not the same. Their primary differences lie in their composition, consistency, and ideal use cases.

Spackle is composed of gypsum and binding agents, making it thicker than joint compound. It dries quickly and is easy to sand, which makes it ideal for small wall repair projects like filling nail holes or patching minor damage.

Joint compound, also known as drywall mud, consists of limestone and gypsum. It is primarily used for large-scale projects, such as taping and finishing the seams on newly installed drywall. It tends to shrink more than spackle and can be more difficult to spread.

While both products can be used to fill small depressions and cracks, spackle cannot replace joint compound for taping and mudding new drywall. Conversely, you can often use joint compound for small patching jobs typically done with spackle.