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removing stucco from ceilings and walls from victorian home

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removing stucco from ceilings and walls from victorian home caledon 06-15-2005
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Posted by caledon on June 15, 2005, 9:50 am
Hi, I have just recently purchased a 105 year old house that has been
stucco'd to death. Both inside and out. I don't really have a problem
with the stucco outside, however, I would like to remove the stucco
from the inside. All of the walls in the house are plaster over lathe.
Nary a drywall board in sight.

On the lower level, there is stucco over top the plaster walls and
ceilings. The stucco all over the kitchen ceiling is relatively thick
with moderate "peaks". The stucco in the hallway ceiling is very thick
and gloppy. The stucco on the walls is not very thick at all...with
minimal "peaks".

I have had differing opinions on how to get rid of the stucco look -
from, adding more plaster and smoothing it (won't that make it very
heavy?, chipping it off entirely down to the lathe and plaster and
drywalling, to sanding it down and adding drywall, to just putting
drywall over it.

I wondered if anyone in this group has had experience doing this kind
of job and what they suggest. I am on my own, on a limited budget and
would like to believe that I can do it myself.

Thanks!
Stuck in "stucco"


Electric Radiant Heat 468x60
Posted by on June 15, 2005, 10:50 am
> Hi, I have just recently purchased a 105 year old house that has been
> stucco'd to death. Both inside and out. I don't really have a problem
> with the stucco outside, however, I would like to remove the stucco
> from the inside. All of the walls in the house are plaster over lathe.
> Nary a drywall board in sight.

Huh. I'd call that lucky...

> On the lower level, there is stucco over top the plaster walls and
> ceilings. The stucco all over the kitchen ceiling is relatively thick
> with moderate "peaks". The stucco in the hallway ceiling is very thick
> and gloppy. The stucco on the walls is not very thick at all...with
> minimal "peaks".

Hmm, OK, it's not the dryway that you're looking for per se, but to get
rid of the "texture", yes?

> I have had differing opinions on how to get rid of the stucco look -
> from, adding more plaster and smoothing it (won't that make it very
> heavy?, chipping it off entirely down to the lathe and plaster and
> drywalling, to sanding it down and adding drywall, to just putting
> drywall over it.

> I wondered if anyone in this group has had experience doing this kind
> of job and what they suggest. I am on my own, on a limited budget and
> would like to believe that I can do it myself.

I'd pick an off room to work in, and practice plastering the walls. It'll
make it somewhat heavier, but not in an important way: walls are already
very heavy. The next most practical thing would be to gut the room to the
studs and put up drywall, but that would be a shame to do to a nice old
house if what's there is in good condition and just not to your fancy. OF
course, if you gut the house to the studs, you can upgrade the elctric and
plumbing much more easilly...

But whatever way you look at it, you're facing an amazing amount of
work... Sure you can't live with it?



John
--
Remove the dead poet to e-mail, tho CC'd posts are unwelcome.
Mean People Suck - It takes two deviations to get cool.
Ask me about joining the NRA.

Posted by caledon on June 16, 2005, 4:29 pm
Hi John,

I like the plaster walls, just not the heavy stucco texture. It is
really quite an aggressive stuccoing job...everywhere and is a bit
overwelming. Luckily, they just did the lower floor. Plastering the
walls would be a good start, since the walls are not that heavily
stucco'd. But it certainly is not a skill I am comfortable with, guess
I will have to get someone in, unless you think it is relatively easy.
The only place to "practice" is the front hall way. I would rather not
gut the walls, I am on a strict budget and doing most of the work
myself, (where I can)

Janet


raven@westnet.poe.com wrote:
> > Hi, I have just recently purchased a 105 year old house that has been
> > stucco'd to death. Both inside and out. I don't really have a problem
> > with the stucco outside, however, I would like to remove the stucco
> > from the inside. All of the walls in the house are plaster over lathe.
> > Nary a drywall board in sight.
>
> Huh. I'd call that lucky...
>
> > On the lower level, there is stucco over top the plaster walls and
> > ceilings. The stucco all over the kitchen ceiling is relatively thick
> > with moderate "peaks". The stucco in the hallway ceiling is very thick
> > and gloppy. The stucco on the walls is not very thick at all...with
> > minimal "peaks".
>
> Hmm, OK, it's not the dryway that you're looking for per se, but to get
> rid of the "texture", yes?
>
> > I have had differing opinions on how to get rid of the stucco look -
> > from, adding more plaster and smoothing it (won't that make it very
> > heavy?, chipping it off entirely down to the lathe and plaster and
> > drywalling, to sanding it down and adding drywall, to just putting
> > drywall over it.
>
> > I wondered if anyone in this group has had experience doing this kind
> > of job and what they suggest. I am on my own, on a limited budget and
> > would like to believe that I can do it myself.
>
> I'd pick an off room to work in, and practice plastering the walls. It'll
> make it somewhat heavier, but not in an important way: walls are already
> very heavy. The next most practical thing would be to gut the room to the
> studs and put up drywall, but that would be a shame to do to a nice old
> house if what's there is in good condition and just not to your fancy. OF
> course, if you gut the house to the studs, you can upgrade the elctric and
> plumbing much more easilly...
>
> But whatever way you look at it, you're facing an amazing amount of
> work... Sure you can't live with it?
>
>
>
> John
> --
> Remove the dead poet to e-mail, tho CC'd posts are unwelcome.
> Mean People Suck - It takes two deviations to get cool.
> Ask me about joining the NRA.


Posted by DanG on June 16, 2005, 6:59 am
I am not sure that I understand. The home was probably built with
plaster and wood lath. If the walls are sound and the keys have
not let go, you have one of the finest type walls made. Drywall
is a johnny-come-lately wall surface. I cannot see your walls, but
it would be quite strange for there to be stucco on the walls.
Plaster is made with sand and lime, it is about 3/4" thick keyed
into the wood lath. If you are just objecting to the texture, it
sounds as if someone may have applied some drywall compound or
some other finish to create an effect.

If the woodwork (door jambs, window jambs, base boards, etc) looks
right, be very hesitant to cap what you have with drywall or to
remove down to studs. Plaster dimensions and drywall dimensions
do not mix. If it is a texture problem, try scraping off the high
spots in a limited area and applying a skim coat of compound to
see if you can get to the look you seek. It will be a dusty,
nasty job to do all walls and ceilings. Porter Cable makes a
drywall sander that hooks to a vacuum system that may be worth
looking into, though they are expensive.

Let us know what seems to work.

(top posted for your convenience)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)
dgriff237@7cox.net



> Hi, I have just recently purchased a 105 year old house that has
> been
> stucco'd to death. Both inside and out. I don't really have a
> problem
> with the stucco outside, however, I would like to remove the
> stucco
> from the inside. All of the walls in the house are plaster over
> lathe.
> Nary a drywall board in sight.
>
> On the lower level, there is stucco over top the plaster walls
> and
> ceilings. The stucco all over the kitchen ceiling is relatively
> thick
> with moderate "peaks". The stucco in the hallway ceiling is very
> thick
> and gloppy. The stucco on the walls is not very thick at
> all...with
> minimal "peaks".
>
> I have had differing opinions on how to get rid of the stucco
> look -
> from, adding more plaster and smoothing it (won't that make it
> very
> heavy?, chipping it off entirely down to the lathe and plaster
> and
> drywalling, to sanding it down and adding drywall, to just
> putting
> drywall over it.
>
> I wondered if anyone in this group has had experience doing this
> kind
> of job and what they suggest. I am on my own, on a limited
> budget and
> would like to believe that I can do it myself.
>
> Thanks!
> Stuck in "stucco"
>



Posted by Luke on June 16, 2005, 8:58 am

>Hi, I have just recently purchased a 105 year old house that has been
>stucco'd to death. Both inside and out. I don't really have a problem
>with the stucco outside, however, I would like to remove the stucco
>from the inside. All of the walls in the house are plaster over lathe.
>Nary a drywall board in sight.
>
>On the lower level, there is stucco over top the plaster walls and
>ceilings. The stucco all over the kitchen ceiling is relatively thick
>with moderate "peaks". The stucco in the hallway ceiling is very thick
>and gloppy. The stucco on the walls is not very thick at all...with
>minimal "peaks".
>
>I have had differing opinions on how to get rid of the stucco look -
>from, adding more plaster and smoothing it (won't that make it very
>heavy?, chipping it off entirely down to the lathe and plaster and
>drywalling, to sanding it down and adding drywall, to just putting
>drywall over it.
>
>I wondered if anyone in this group has had experience doing this kind
>of job and what they suggest. I am on my own, on a limited budget and
>would like to believe that I can do it myself.

Consider yourself lucky to have plaster walls.

Is it stucco on the inside walls, or texture paint? I've removed
texture paint it by power sanding (a heck of a mess, dust everywhere)
and wetting and scraping (a heck of a mess, gloop everywhere), both
requiring lots of elbow grease. I've read that steaming works well
(but makes a heck of a mess). I have also skim coated not-too-textured
texture paint with sheetrock joint compound (works well, not too
messy, takes practice to get the wall level).

You can sheetrock over it using 1/4" sheetrock if the points aren't
too high, 1/2" if needed. Problems with sheetrocking are losing room
area, fitting sheetrock to any moldings (which may involve removing
then replacing all moldings), and added weight especially on the
ceiling.

If it were me in your situation I would try to save the plaster and
take my time, doing one room at a time. With a 105 year old house, you
need a subscription to The Old House Journal:
http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/index.shtml

For other ideas on removing texture paint, try a google search:
http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=removing+texture+paint&btnG=Search

--
Luke
___________________________________________________________________
"This Republican Party of Lincoln has become a party of theocracy."
-- Christopher Shays (R-CT), March, 2005

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