A Craftsman bungalow — built with a stucco exterior — is in the process of being clad in vinyl siding. In a presumed effort to facilitate the installation, all of the original stucco is being removed. Amazingly, the stucco had never been painted and featured a pebble dash finish.
I found the diagonal installation of exterior lath to be captivating, and took a photo to document it before it is covered with vinyl.
Lath placed on the diagonal creates an interesting visual effect and was no doubt intended to strengthen the stucco’s bond.
That is interesting. And a cool photograph. Yes, I guess it must have been to strengthen it. Do you know if that was common practice? I am so used to seeing the lath under plaster, and not usually in any cool pattern, unless it is a short/tight space or something. Thanks!
This practice was commonplace for a short while in the late 19th and early 20th century when stucco was used on frame construction. Prior to that, most stucco was done over masonry. After that time, most stucco was applied to expanded metal lath, not wood lath. I’ll try to add a photo of the finished, vinyl-clad, house for comparison purposes later on… it will definitely change the character of the house!