Solid base for Stucco?
People often ask us if stucco, or portland cement plaster, will adhere to concrete or concrete masonry. This question probably arises because plaster is often attached to wall surfaces that have metal lath affixed to them. Metal lath is regularly used over stud wall construction with or without sheathing materials. With a substrate of concrete or concrete masonry, is it necessary to use lath? Stucco is made from the same materials as concrete and concrete masonry. As such, they have a great affinity for each other. Portland cement adheres well to lots of materials, especially to other materials made from the same type of ingredients. ASTM Standard C 926, Specification for Application of Portland Cement-Based Plaster, permits direct application of stucco to solid surfaces like concrete and masonry as long as bond is sufficient. Concrete masonry surfaces are both absorbent and textured, two things necessary for bond. If contamination is present on the substrate surface, good bond is inhi
