How to Do Stucco on Beadboard

Strip the finish from the beadboard. You may do this chemically with a solvent, such as paint thinner or mineral spirits, or you may remove it using medium-grade sandpaper. Either method works; use the one with which you are most comfortable.

Wash the stripped beadboard thoroughly with a solution of hot water and trisodium phosphate. Mix about 1/4 cup of TSP into 1 gallon of water. Scrub the beadboard with the solution, then rinse it with fresh water and a clean rag.

Install a stucco lath. This is a type of stiff netting that gives the plaster something to cling to. Secure the lath to the wall with finishing nails.

Mix the dry plaster powder with enough water so it reaches a peanut-butterlike consistency. Scoop some of the plaster onto a trowel, then hold the trowel at a 45-degree angle. If the plaster stays, it is the right consistency. Otherwise, add more powder until the plaster is thick enough to stay on the trowel.

Spread the plaster over the beadboard with the trowel. Pay particular attention to the grooves in the beadboard; firmly press the plaster into them. Smooth the plaster over the wall until it is about 3/8 inch thick.

Mark the wall with a plaster rake. Pull the rake over the wall from one end to the other to make horizontal, parallel lines. Allow the plaster to dry.

Spread a second, 1/4-inch-thick layer of plaster over the beadboard. Use a finishing trowel to give the plaster a perfectly smooth surface or create texture by moving the trowel in different patterns. Allow the plaster to dry completely.