I am not an expert but I feel certain that you can mud and tape over your plaster base just fine. Any solid surface can be mudded and taped. I have successfully taped and mudded plywood, cinderblock, 100 year old lathe & plaster walls, and particle board, as well as regular sheet rock. It may take a little more skill and effort, but it can be done. Your late husband certainly thought it could be done. I'd say get some better drywallers and pay them a little extra. If you can't find anyone, then tape and mud it yourself, and then hire them to finish it up and make it look nice and professional looking.

Good luck

My late husband was in the process of finishing our basement himself when he passed away. He was skilled at plastering, so he had planned to plaster the whole thing.

I'm just now getting around to hiring someone to finish the job. He had already purchased all the drywall. I find out now that he purchased the more expensive Plaster Base since he was going to plaster.

The drywallers tell me they CANNOT mud & tape over it. But I have like 90 sheets of it in my basement. I can't afford to just throw it out, but it was purchased several years ago, so I can't return it. Plus, plastering the basement, I was quoted almost $5000 MORE than just mud and tape. I can't afford that.

I feel stuck - isn't there something that can be done? Nobody seems to want to take the plaster base and give me drywall in return either. Surely there is something that can be done so that the Plaster Base I have can be mud & taped just like standard drywall.... even if it is a *little* more expensive, I don't think it will be $5K more!

Help?