# For Builders/Renovators - Stucco Construction Techniques?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-builders-renovators-stucco-construction-techniques/456952>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 18, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-builders-renovators-stucco-construction-techniques/456952 "2008-07-18T14:02:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-builders-renovators-stucco-construction-techniques/456952/1 "2008-07-18T14:02:37Z")

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I’ve tried a few google searches but haven’t gotten very far.

I’m trying to find out how exterior stucco walls would have been laid back in the post-WWII era. I’m familiar with modern techniques using foam backing, etc., but I’m pretty fuzzy on older methods. Would they have laid it directly on lathe similar to interior plaster, or maybe used mesh on backing board?

I’m in the process of buying a house built in 1949 that has exterior stucco walls. It’s been very well preserved, so this question is mostly out of curiosity but it could be useful info if any repair work is required in the future.

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-builders-renovators-stucco-construction-techniques/456952/2 "2008-07-18T15:10:38Z")

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Most stucco I’ve run into is done by tacking building paper and chicken wire onto the sheathing, then building out the scratch coat and so on. I’ve never seen foam board and newer stucco-like materials such as Dryvit used in residential construction, but I’m sure people have used that technique here and there.

The chimney on my 20 year old house is a stucco shell surrounding a steel flue pipe, and it’s just building paper and chicken wire stretched across some studs to define the corners. The rest of the house is the traditional paper and wire over sheathing.

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**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-builders-renovators-stucco-construction-techniques/456952/3 "2008-07-18T17:32:36Z")

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[Three coat stucco.](http://www.cement.org/Stucco/faq_paper.asp)