[jenniealice]

Greetings,
I want to know if anyone out there has successfully removed stucco from wood siding (without destroying the siding). I have an historic 1930s redwood home with shiplap siding. In about the 80s they sprayed a thin 1/16" layer of stucco. I've seen other posts for doing this without preserving the wood--I really want to keep my siding, even if it's a lot more work.
Thanks,
Jennie Alice

 

[Ron6519]

That's an odd way to apply stucco. Was wire lath applied prior to the spraying?
What condition is it in? Peeling? Loose on the wall? Rock solid?
Ron

 

[jenniealice]

Hi Ron. You're right, it is really odd. Where it was exposed to the elements (not many places), I have peeling which I'm thinking a pressure washer could take off (flakes like old paint when I pick at it). The covered stuff is another story. There's no lath, the construction is in creative layers: Original Siding, 1/16 layer of stucco, blanket of foam insulation (about 1/2" - 1" thick), and finally vinyl siding. At each meeting of the redwood shiplap the stucco seems pretty loose, however on the flat surfaces it feels pretty darned solid.

 

[Ron6519]

Hi Ron. You're right, it is really odd. Where it was exposed to the elements (not many places), I have peeling which I'm thinking a pressure washer could take off (flakes like old paint when I pick at it). The covered stuff is another story. There's no lath, the construction is in creative layers: Original Siding, 1/16 layer of stucco, blanket of foam insulation (about 1/2" - 1" thick), and finally vinyl siding. At each meeting of the redwood shiplap the stucco seems pretty loose, however on the flat surfaces it feels pretty darned solid.

Redwood is pretty soft. I doubt you'll get it off without damaging the wood. You could try blasting it off with a very mild abrasive. Something like baking soda or walnut shells. I'd test it on a scrap piece before the house.
Ron

 

[jenniealice]

Thank you, I think we're going to run the gamut on trying different things on a small patch on the back of the house. I'd love to find the guy who did this and knock him over the head "What were you thinking?!" When we get started--my closing date is Apr. 22nd--I'll post the progress.