Stucco & Exterior Walls in West Hills
Stucco and exterior wall work in West Hills, including what happens to shrubs, vines and fixtures along the wall while plaster is repaired or rebuilt.
What happens to the shrubs and vines along the wall while the work goes on? Crews need bare access to the whole surface and roots dislike disturbance, so the answer is a plan made before the first day on a West Hills wall: plants cut back or protected, fixtures taken down and sprinkler heads capped.
Planning around the plants
Vines that cling to plaster are cut away carefully and may leave stains that need cleaning before any finish goes on. Shrubs are tied back or covered, and a few may need trimming to open a working gap. Soil against the base is pulled down so the screed can be seen and the plaster can be cut cleanly. Drip lines near the wall are noted and capped. Afterward the beds go back with a clear strip along the base, so mulch and wet soil stay off the finish.
Fixtures and the rest
Lights, house numbers, hose bibs, mailboxes and satellite mounts come off the wall and go back on after the finish cures, each sealed to the plaster with flashing or sealant. Window screens and shutters are labeled and set aside. Downspouts are disconnected, and drains are covered to keep debris out. A walk around the property with the owner before work starts settles which items are staying, which are moving and where each one lands afterward. Anything delicate that cannot be moved gets padding and tape before the work starts.
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Stucco & Exterior in West Hills: questions
Cement plaster is the usual choice for a stucco house, with fiber cement boards or panels as the alternative. Both are noncombustible. The decision turns on the look of the house, the upkeep wanted and how the wall meets the beds, patio and trim. A sample held against the wall makes it concrete.
Often. Hairline cracking confined to the finish coat is routed, filled and recoated, and color is blended into the wall around it. Cracks that line up with a window corner, or plaster that sounds hollow, call for opening the area. West Hills walls with plants against them get checked for moisture from the beds as well.
Behind the finish are sheathing, a water-resistive paper, flashing at the openings and metal lath fastened into the framing. The plaster is built in coats on top. A screed at the bottom lets the wall drain. Leaving that screed uncovered is the reason soil and plants are cleared from the base of every wall.
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