Stucco & Exterior Walls in Venice
Moisture and salt shorten the life of lath and screeds. Fernhill Builders details Venice stucco walls so water leaves fast and metal stays dry.
Moisture trapped in a coastal wall brings salt with it, and salt shortens the life of metal lath, screeds and fasteners. A Venice wall therefore needs two things from its details: water kept out of the layers behind the plaster, and a quick route for any that gets in. We design the wall around those two jobs.
Metal that stays dry
Corrosion-resistant lath and a galvanized or plastic screed hold up better where air carries salt. Fasteners match the lath, so mixed metals do not rust each other. Every pipe, light and hose bib that crosses the wall is sealed with a flanged cover and sealant, and flashing is lapped into the paper at windows and doors. The weep screed is kept clear above soil and paving so its slots can drain. Sealant is checked at the same time, since cracked joints let water behind the plaster. Zinc or plastic accessories are used wherever the wall meets the ground.
Roof edges and caps
Where a roof ends at a parapet or a flat deck, the cap should slope toward the roof, with a drip edge that throws water clear of the face. Scuppers and downspouts must empty away from the plaster. We confirm early whether the coastal zone reaches the lot. If it does, an additional coastal permit may apply on top of the building permit through the city. Flat surfaces that hold standing water get re-sloped before any plaster goes back. Clogged scuppers are cleared so water cannot back up against the wall.
Stucco & Exterior in Venice: common questions
Covering matters first: cement plaster on metal lath is noncombustible, and fiber cement siding is too. Near salt air the metal also needs corrosion protection, so lath and screed are specified to suit. If a fire hazard map covers the lot, the wildfire provisions apply as well, and the scope lists the layers.
Tight cracks and normal readings favor a patch. Moisture that has reached the lath means stripping to the sheathing, because rusting metal keeps spreading behind sound-looking plaster. We probe a few spots before recommending either route.
To open the base, soil is lowered and paving trimmed so the screed clears the ground. Its slots get cleaned, and any rusted length is replaced. Plaster finishes at the screed edge, and planters or wet ground move back so the base can drain.
Stucco & Exterior in other cities
More work we do in Venice
Plan your project in Venice
Tell us about the house and the stucco & exterior work. We reply about a walk-through and a written scope.