I have all the issues of Fine Homebuilding and the useful (?) articles on stucco you can count on less than one hand…and they are 10 years old. Most discussion covered the substructure moisture fiasco about 10 years ago. As one of the most widely used exterior (and interior) finishes you’d think there’d be more info on stucco: prepping, Tyvek, lathing, expansion joints, wood vs. masonry substucture, mixtures, synthetic vs. portland cement, application techniques, textures and finishes, etc. etc. There’s not even a “how to” book about it except technical brochure Portland Cement Assc. sells.
I wrote an email to FHB with this concern and they said they’d like an article done but don’t have anyone to write it. Comments?
Replies
This is a subject that I am curious about too. I have did searches on one and two coat stucco systems on the net and have found some information, but sounds like the same info you are talking about. I have watched a local stucco crew due a few houses around mine and it seems possible to do although very labor intensive. I do believe that the stucco companies really do not want that much information out there, so that they can limit DIY's from trying to apply it. Anyone can get the stucco products, so I think it would make since to get the information out there so that if DIY's tried, maybe they would get better results.
Dan
"Life is what happens when you are making other plans." - John Lennon
Sept 2003 issue of Journal of Light Cons't had a good article. You might start there. In fact, they generally have one article about some form of masonry in each issue.
ShelleyinNM
I learned how to do it from a mason and was amazed at the work involved.. once I tried to do it myself, my first attempts were absolute disasters... Never did have a surface that I was proud of, except at night, in the dark, on a moonless night, from 1000 yards, with my back turned from it, and my eyes closed..
then it seemed almost acceptable... ;-)