Stucco and plaster Jobs in progress #140 - updated August, 2015

Veneer Plaster in this historic house
in Rockville, Maryland

Smooth as glass-new plaster walls and ceilings

White coat is troweled so slick you can see the reflection of the window. We're plastering this historic house in Rockville, Maryland.
More details here..

>Veneer plaster starts off with blue board

Veneer plaster starts off with blue board. No, this isn't blue mold resistant sheet rock or green water resistant sheet rock.
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Tape on blue board for veneer plaster

They make a self stick fiberglass tape for this but I quit using it because I am afraid of joint cracking. I worked for companies years ago that only used the staple on kind of tape. The self stick tape doesn't allow mortar to get behind the tape for reinforcement. Here I am using paper tape and durabond 90.
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Veneer plaster basecoat in the Washington, DC area

Veneer plaster basecoat is incredibly hard for as thin as it is. First we scratch in the joints and then coat the whole wall.
More about this project:

The door jambs are set first before the plaster

The door jambs are set first before the board is hung. This allows the plaster to finish flush to the jamb so the trim lays flat. Also the doors have a nice solid thunk when they are closed like a heavy door on an old car.
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Stucco additions and remodeling in Potomac, Maryland

contractor that was kicked off for horrible work

Taking down the scaffold. We took over the job from a contractor that was kicked off for horrible work.
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I just can't force myself to work with flimsy foam

The arches and details are formed and filled with solid mortar. The original house has foam. I just can't force myself to work with flimsy foam.
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This brown coat looked like a bunch of kids did it

This brown coat looked like a bunch of kids did it, no offense to kids. This is my competition for you. This brown coat looked like a bunch of kids did
it, no offense to kids. This is my competition for you.
See how we straightened it out...

sills are formed and filled the same way will solid cement morta

The sills are formed and filled the same way will solid cement mortar. Foam has been proven to absorb and trap water under windows.
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Real cement stucco
in Northeast Washington, DC

beaten up real bad by putting on furring and siding.

Siding is pulled off showing most of the top floor had painted stucco that would have still been in good shape, except it was beaten up real bad by putting on furring and siding.

The old stucco was re-coated in Washington, DC

The old stucco was re-coated. Also, a porch addition and the dormers were lathed and stuccoed.

bonding coat is applied using portland cement mortar and a chemical bonding admixture

You may have seen our chipping and bonding method before. The wall was chipped every 3 inches or so and a bonding coat is applied using portland cement mortar and a chemical bonding admixture.

new flashing is put on

The old stucco was cut off just over the porch line and new flashing is put on. Later the flashing is overlapped with stucco.

we always re-do the chimney

Of course, we always re-do the chimney.

taking down the scaffold

We're taking down the scaffold on another finished project.

The pebble dash kings rock in Leesburg, Virginia

Tarpaper and metal lath are overlapped over the block

This nearly 100 year old house has the stucco replaced on two sides.

Deteriorated metal lath is the culprit of the stucco failing..

Deteriorated metal lath is the culprit of the stucco failing. They didn't have galvanized lath back then. The bottom trim board was still in fairly good shape, even though it was never flashed. We put on new flashing.

splatter suit is made using plastic and tape

A splatter suit is made using plastic and tape. I hope that this stucco will last a lot longer than the original.

The pebble dash kings rock in Leesburg, Virginia

View of our stucco band in Merrifield, Virginia

Another view of our stucco band at Madewell, next door to our band we did at Lululemon. EIFS and synthetic finish isn't supposed to be allowed here in the Mosaic District. The design criteria said no EIFS is allowed here. After we finished the bands, they sneaked EIFS in here and there. Fast and cheap wins again.

Plaster ceilings replaced with lath and plaster in Falls Church, Virginia.

Metal lath and molding plaster and lime allows for same day completion at least most of the time.

Black mold won't grow on metal lath or plaster

The original ceiling was rock lath and had black mold growing. Black mold won't grow on metal lath or plaster.