![]() ![]() Unfortunately, many older and historic buildings are not always accorded this kind of care. Regular maintenance is required to keep it in good condition. Downing alluded to stuccoed houses in Pennsylvania that had survived for over a century in relatively good condition, historic stucco is inherently not a particularly permanent or long-lasting building material. Wetting these materials helps to prevent them from pulling moisture out of the stucco too rapidly, which results in cracking, loss of bond, and generally poor-quality stuccowork.Īlthough A.J. Both masonry and wood lath must be kept wet or damp to ensure a good bond with the stucco. As already noted, after the 1820s, natural cement was also a common ingredient in stucco, until it was replaced by Portland cement. ![]() The third, or finishing coat, consisted primarily of a very fine mesh-grade of lime and sand, and sometimes pigment. Straw or animal hair was usually added to the first coat as a binder. Up until the late 19th century, the first and the second coats were of much the same composition, generally consisting of lime or natural cement, sand, perhaps clay, and one or more of the additives previously mentioned. Whether applied directly to a masonry substrate or onto wood or metal lath, this consists of a first “scratch” or “pricking-up” coat, followed by a second scratch coat, sometimes referred to as a “floating” or “brown” coat, followed finally by the “finishing” coat. Like interior wall plaster, stucco has traditionally been applied as a multiple-layer process, sometimes consisting of two coats, but more commonly as three. This helped provide the necessary bond for the stucco to remain attached to the masonry, much like the key provided by wood or metal lath on frame buildings. When stuccoing over a stone or brick substrate, it was customary to cut back or rake out the mortar joints, if they were not already recessed, by natural weathering or erosion, and sometimes the bricks themselves were gouged to provide a key for the stucco. Wood lath was gradually superseded by expanded metal lath introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The stucco finish on Arlington House, Arlington, Virginia, was marbleized in the 1Revival Styles Promote the Use of Stucco All of these are regional variations on traditional mixtures of mud, clay, lime, chalk, cement, gravel or straw. Other historic treatments and coatings related to stucco, in that they consist (at least in part) of a similarly plastic or malleable material, include: parging and pargeting, wattle and daub, “cob” or chalk mud, pise de terre, rammed earth, briquete entre poteaux or bousillage, half-timbering, and adobe. “Render” and “rendering” are also terms used to describe stucco, especially in Great Britain. By the 19th century “stucco,” although originally denoting fine interior ornamental plasterwork, had gained wide acceptance in the United States to describe exterior plastering. Historically, the term “plaster” has often been interchangeable with “stucco” the term is still favored by many, particularly when referring to the traditional lime-based coating. Up until the late 1800s, stucco, like mortar, was primarily lime-based, but the popularization of Portland cement changed the composition of stucco, as well as mortar, to a harder material. Still widely used throughout the world, it is one of the most common of traditional building materials. Stucco has been used since ancient times. Each project is unique, with its own set of problems that require individual solutions. Although several stucco mixes are representative of different periods, they are provided here for reference. Successful stucco repair requires the skill and experience of a professional plasterer. Stucco is a material of deceptive simplicity in most cases, its repair should not be undertaken by a property owner unfamiliar with the art of plastering. Like most historic building materials, stucco is at the mercy of the elements, and even though it is a protective coating, it is particularly susceptible to water damage. Age and lack of maintenance hasten the deterioration of many historic stucco buildings. Historic stucco is also sometimes incorrectly viewed as a sacrificial coating, and consequently removed to reveal stone, brick or logs that historically were never intended to be exposed. It is so common, in fact, that it frequently goes unnoticed, and is often disguised or used to imitate another material. ![]() Stucco is found in many forms on historic structures throughout the United States. The term “stucco” is used to describe a type of exterior plaster applied as a two- or three-part coating directly onto masonry, or applied over wood or metal lath to a log or wood frame structure. The Preservation and Repair of Historic Stucco ![]()
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