Imperial Valley press., 1930-10-20
SOUND WALLS
REQUIRED FOR
DURABLE STUCCO
BY The Architects Small
House Service Bureau of the Uni
ted States, Inc.

Stucco is one of the substantial
ways Of finishing walls. Architects
have known about it and used it
for years but HE other materials
used for wall finish it must be en-
pIoyed wisely. Wood rots. paint
peels shingles curl, bricks settle, and
stucco cracks. These i.re all the con.
sequence Of faulty construction of
one kind or Gnothcr-not at all nec-
css0ry il proper workmen and ma
tCrialS are employ ed.
ASK any good plastere- what makes
Stucco crack and he VIII tell you 70
employ him and ii won't crack. To
Il very large extent he is right but
pin him down to an absolute answer
and he viii tell You that he canno.
guarantee satisfaction unless the
framework OF the wall and the lath
on which he applies his stucco are
correct. He viii tell you also that
the plaster materials themselves have
to be of a sound order. wisely COM
pounded and that they have to be
put on under circumstances which
make the most OF tricks OF the plas-
teror's trade.
Every good plasterer does his level
best TO turn out u piece OF work
that VIII be credit - himself and
his fraternity, but lie must have
something To put his good work on
that VIII bear reasonable relation
ship to the high Quality of his own
effort. He asks first for good foot
ing sound foundation wills. and
securely built SupcrSjructure or up
per wal, Th,n if he wal. Is of wood
he asks that the lath shall be applied
in such "a way as to recognize its
function ot holding the plaster in
place. II metal l.tb l. used 1 should
be OF sclf furrcI typo. no strips en-
pIoyet galvanized or painted, Well
secured to the backing. and set so
that when the plaster is in place it
VIII DE thoroughly embedded.
Now il this good plasterer of ours
Is asked 10 state specifically why
tho other fellows plaster cracks. be
will list a good mau9 items beside
the frame work and lath, such as
poor cement faulty mixtures of the
mortar lie VII how hat Ire poor
plas;cccr often pu.s on stueco in
coats too thin, hurr.es the work too
much, that be docs not keep his
work wet down G3a-1-. the hottest
days OF summe.. Ie may point out
that many "A con ac!eHtous hu. mis-
guided p.as,crcr has gone w.one By
irving to do too well, used too much
portland cement In The mortar mix.
turc- too l.tt,e sand. The proper
mixture for this sort of mortar *
no long 20 be- guessed at by any
p,astcTer.
For the preparation Of the stueeo
isclf methods have been worked out
by scientific analysis. elements Of
guessing or chance have been e!imi-
mated.
There are no more ifs" about sue
cessful exterior S;ucco than there
are about other exterior finishes for
walls. We may anticipate thorough
" satisfactory results from tbs tyne
OF wall finish II the work Is proper
ly done. Locality has nothing to
do with its failure, nor humidity of
the atmosphere. nor temperature.
There IS no old wives formula by
which one may be governed 10 get
successful piastcring. 1t is. as has been
stated. a thoroughly worked ont AMI
standard program of wall finishing
based on scientific analysis and
formulac. Every first class plasterer
has these formulac available. There
are plenty Of good plaStcrcrs. You
may be- sure of success If your plas-
'crcr follows these rulcs-Copyrisht
The Architects Small House
Service Bureau of the United States,
Inc. Home Builders Clinic.