Stucco Question
To the Editor:
The article "Stucco Patches," by
Steve Thomas (6/93), was very good.
I've done my share of it, but the idea
of using masking tape for caulking
was a new one to me.
By the way, most stucco jobs in
southern California more than about
20 years old were not done over
sheathing of any kind. The frame was
wrapped with wire and the building
paper was laid over that. More recent
work uses more sophisticated materials,
and many new quality jobs are
over plywood sheathing.
Stucco in California is surprisingly
resistant to seismic activity. In a
strong earthquake, chimneys will fall
but the stucco will frequently show
no significant damage.
What we do see commonly is