Thanks for the comment. I agree about not desecrating brick or stone with paint or other stuff, but these young people today…. What can you do?

I like the metal lathe method you described. I have done some concrete block stucco but haven’t ever used lathe. If it is okay I want to add this tip to my next blog credited to you.

About 28 years ago I was working on an estate under renovation. They hired a fellow from England to come do the plaster (no horsehair, only had one horse in the neighborhood) over the original wood lath. He kept to himself and chain smoked some horrendous smelling cigarettes he rolled himself. Hope that wasn’ t your Dad.

David

An alternative to acid washing and sandblasting — both horrendously messy undertakings indoors — is to fasten wire lath to the brick and stucco or plaster over that. The lath, properly fastened into the mortar joints with special screws (and sometimes washers) will provide a secure base for the stucco/plaster.

If the homeowner thinks they may someday want to remove the new finish to expose the brick, a layer of paper or house wrap applied before the lath will prevent the stucco/plaster from contacting and sticking to the brick.

By the way, my father was a plasterer and mason who learned his trade back in the days when wood lath and horsehair plaster were state of the art. He often said there was a special place in hell reserved for people who paint brick or stone.

Oliver