Stucco on split face blocks

Need help... We Have a project where a client wants a stucco finish were there is now a 4" split face cmu veneer over 8" cmu back-up. I am always inclined to remove the veneer and then apply stucco system over the flat surface of the standard cmu wall, doing this takes away all the imperfections of a split face cmu finish. Some of my cohorts want to leave the split face and stucco over. Some of the bumps in the veneer could be as much as a 1/2". Do you have any recommendations ?


Put it on the block ! There is nothing better ! A little 1/2" of mortar is a small amount of work, and adds a lot of strength. A small amount of mortar beats tearing off all those blocks and hauling them away.

We stuccoed a house like this in 1999, only they weren't the split face block, but the old cast concrete brick. Really, the same thing, but brick size.

Here's a link to the house we did in 1999:

I did a test patch to see if mortar bonded without a chemical bonder. I let the mortar set up overnight, and I couldn't knockit off with a hatchet. However, I would add a chemical bonding admixture in the scratch coat. This is insurance the mortar would never fall off.