Traditional stucco is highly appreciated for its overall strength, durability, weather-nesistant wall covering, and therefore the incontrovertible fact that it is less likely to soak up water, which may prevent permanent damage to building. With this, Traditional stucco is usually a bit less expensive than EIFS.Its finish is generally stronger than EIFS as traditional stucco are often more susciptible to small cracks. The comparitive rigidity of the fabric and its smaller amount is flexibile for design.
Then with the introduction and development of heavy timber and lightweight wood framed contruction methods, stucco was adapted for this new use of adding a reinforcement lattice, on lath, attached to and spanning between the structural supports and by increasing the thickness and number of layers of the entire system. the lath added support for the wet plaster and lastingness to the brittle, cured stucco; while the increased thickness and number of layers helped control cracking.
The Traditional application stucco and the lath occurs in three coats-the scratch coat,the brown coat and the finish coat. The two cbase coatsof plaster are either hand-applied or machine sprayed.The finish coatare usually trowelled smooth,hand textured,floated to a sand finish or sprayed.Originally the lath material was strips of woodwhich are installed horizontallyon the wallwith gaps in between that support the wet plaster until its cured.This latha nd plaster technique are now widely used.In Exterior wall application the lath is installed over a weather-resistant asphalt-impregnated felt or paper sheet that protect the framing from the moisture which will under go the porous stucco.