Stucco over cedar siding

   I live in a cedar home in a rural area with many trees.  Over the years woodpeckers have done a job on some of the walls and I have been thinking of replacing several of the walls with stucco.  I noticed several homes in nearby neighborhoods that have been "stuccoed" right over the existing wood siding.  The owners are content but I am uncomfortable with this.  Should I be?

I have had quite a few readers write about putting stucco on their
house with siding. Over wood siding such as cedar or T-111 the
metal lath can be put right on the wood without any problem.
The wood can provide addition support for the wall like sheathing.

The qustion is here, do you have adequate space around your windows?
Adding 3/4" of material can bury your windows, and worse, the sills,
allowing water infiltration. If not, tear off the siding. Also, if your
cedar or T-111 shows extensive rot, it isn't a bad idea to tear it off.

Vinyl or aluminum siding should always be torn off. It is impossible
do have a good nailing surface otherwise. Siding can be torn off easily.
The trick is to start from the top.