STUCCO NEWS.NET

January 2015-Washington, DC

Typical of residential and some commercial construction before 1930 was wood lath and a lime and sand basecoat for interior plaster.

This is NOT gypsum plaster but lime and sand, which is weak and crumbly. The mortar was usually reinforced with hair.

Exterior stucco was about the same history. Most exterior stucco had the same lime and sand basecoat, and cement stucco wasn't widely used until the 1930's.

I am trying to disspell a few myths here, and to provide some insight on the history of stucco, and the history of interior plaster.

Most stucco done through the 1920's was not cement at all, but lime and sand. From the early 1930's on nearly all stucco had changed to cement mortar. I have only seen 5 houses built before 1930 that had cement stucco. it is rare to see a building built after 1930 that had a lime and sand basecoat.

Lime is made mainly out of limestone, but was made from oyster shells in Eastern Virginia. Oyster shell lime was used in Williamsburg, Alexandria, and practically anywhere near the water.

More about lime plaster....