Hi all,
When installing metal lath for stucco is it important to install the lath vertically or horizontally? Another builder I know mentioned it had to be installed with the diamonds aligned horizontally. Seems a bit odd to me. The lath provides a surface for the stucco to key into either direction.
Thank you for your thoughts in advance,
Tom
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Replies
Run your hand across it, you'll feel the drag in one direction more than the other..make it so the draggy part is holding up the stucco mix/scratch coat.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Horizontally. If you run your hand up across the diamonds and feel the drag less than if you run it the other way, you have it right.
When you scratch coat you run your trowel up with just enough mud to cover the wire, and if the diamonds are running wrong side up, then it will cut the mud off and not key right on the back side causing it to drop off wasting time and mix. This is especially true on vertical surfaces.