Can You Apply Stucco to a Wood Wall With Wire Mesh?

Wall Stability

• The first step to installing stucco over wood walls is to ensure the structural integrity of the wood itself. All of the paneling needs to be firmly fastened down with screws or nails, and any loose sections need to be fixed. In addition, any rotted sections should be replaced so that a solid base layer is provided for the stucco. There should be no voids throughout the entire wall surface.

Tar Paper

• Tar paper needs to be installed between the wire mesh and the wood. The paper acts as a moisture barrier between the mesh and the wood, and provides an additional surface for the stucco to mount to. Plastic sheeting is not an acceptable moisture barrier because the stucco will not adhere to the plastic.

Wire Mesh

• Wire mesh is a vital part of the stucco process. Just as any block wall needs metal rebar installed throughout the wall for structural support, stucco needs the support of wire mesh to keep it from cracking and give it a solid surface for bonding. While the tar paper behind the mesh helps, it is the wire mesh itself that is tacked onto the paper and the wood paneling behind it for the support of the stucco finish.

Stucco Application

• Smoothing stucco directly over a wood surface without wire mesh would result in the stucco cracking off and falling off the wall within months, if not weeks. When you apply the stucco to the wall, force the stucco through the gaps in the wire mesh and also cover it with a layer of mud so that the mesh runs through the center of the stucco layer on top of the wood and tar paper.