July, 1916 
23 
Three methods of applying 
stucco siding to the timber frame 
are shown in Sketch 3: on 
hollow tile, on metal lath, and 
on wooden lath. The first named 
method is decidedly the best of 
the three; it closely approaches 
perfection. Also, it is the most 
expensive, although there is sur¬ 
prisingly little difference in cost 
between the two methods indi¬ 
cated at A and B. 
Using Stucco 
Stucco siding is not water¬ 
proof, nor can it be made en¬ 
tirely so by any known process 
except thoroughly painting its 
surface with lead and oil. For, 
if it is rich enough in cement to 
render it impermeable, it will 
surely crack. On the other hand, 
if it so lean as to shrink but 
slightly it will absorb water like 
a sponge and become darkened 
after every rain. The formula 
is yet to be discovered that will 
render this thin coat of plaster 
non-absorbing and non-cracking, 
simultaneously; wherefore the 
presence of moisture must ever 
be reckoned with. Moisture will cause 
wooden lath to swell, warp and rot. These 
disastrous results may, by certain means, 
be long deferred—but they are no less in¬ 
evitable where either wooden or metal lath 
is used in conjunction with stucco siding. 
So, 1 repeat, stucco applied upon hollow 
tile, as indicated at “A” in Sketch 3, is 
decidedly a superior form of construction, 
not alone as regards durability, but in other 
ways as well. No other combination pos¬ 
sesses so many advantages. It is inherently 
more fireproof and enduring than wooden 
siding. Also, disparity of settling between 
it and the timber frame is less than that 
of brick siding, because of the fewer com¬ 
pressible mortar joints. Finally, it is more 
weather-tight and offers more insulation 
against heat and cold than either of the 
lath methods can possibly do. 
The tiles should be anchored to the 
sheathing in the same manner as brick sid¬ 
ing—by spikes occurring at the mortar 
joints. And the tiles should be laid on 
their closed edges, not on their open ends. 
Where metal lathing is used it should be 
of open mesh and of the heaviest weight 
procurable for its purpose. It should also 
be heavily galvanized to prolong its life. 
The staples that hold the lath to the ver¬ 
tical cleats should also be gal¬ 
vanized in like manner. 
For the construction shown 
at “C,” in Sketch 3, the 
wooden laths should be not 
over 1" in width, and spaced 
not less than apart so as to 
afford an ample key for the 
plaster. Before applying the 
latter, the laths should be thor¬ 
oughly wetted so as not to rob 
the plaster of its constituent 
and necessary moisture. 
Finally, be it known, there 
does not exist a plastered wall 
of any considerable extent that 
is entirely devoid of hair- 
cracks. No matter what be the 
quality of the material or work¬ 
manship, these cracks must be 
Brick and plaster also com bine well, 
the brick adding a formal dignity to 
the composition 
The prospective house- 
builder should understand 
the construction of his 
walls. Each method has 
its own peculiar merits, 
although each strives to 
apply the same principle. 
Detailed explanations of 
these drawings will be 
found in the text 
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expected. They are caused by 
the inevitable shrinkage of the 
plaster in drying out. However, 
this “crazing,” as it is termed, 
is usually nothing more than 
an annoyance, for it does not 
commonly penetrate deeper 
than the outermost plaster coat. 
As to Appearance 
So much for some of the 
purely practical points about 
these three forms of siding. 
Perhaps it were well to let the 
subject rest here, but I cannot 
refrain from adding a few 
words in reply to a criticism 
often heard of concrete and 
stucco houses—that their ex¬ 
teriors are too flat and mono¬ 
tonous in appearance, and lack¬ 
ing in variety and pleasing char¬ 
acteristics. That there is some¬ 
times more than a modicum of 
truth in these objections cannot, 
unfortunately, be denied; but 
the trouble lies more in the 
builder’s failure to utilize his 
opportunities than in any in¬ 
herent fault in the materials 
with which he is working. 
In concrete and stucco con¬ 
struction we have a molded 
architecture but we too often 
fail to mold it and forget to 
avail ourselves of its plasticity. 
Concrete and stucco lend them¬ 
selves more readily to molding 
possibilities than does any other 
building material. Of course, 
they have a marked character of 
their own which must be duly 
recognized and it would be a 
grave mistake to try to make 
either one assume the appear¬ 
ance of some other material 
whose physical properties are 
wholly different; but there is no 
reason why both cannot be 
given an agreeable treatment 
without impairing their proper 
individualitv. 
