Stucco
user-4953588
| Posted in General Questions on
i just removed all the stucco from my 1920 built house. The sheeting is 1×8 and 1×6 pine with grooves routed (probably not actually routed but…) in it horizontally about 3/8″ deep every 2″or so to act as lath and catch stucco. There was no building paper, and the sheeting is in perfect condition. Likewise the bathroom I demoed. 4″ poured concrete in joist bays. Joists, albeit sagging have zero signs of rot or moisture damage. Im a bit of a novice and just perplexed.How is that possible?
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Replies
Spencer,
Old houses allowed the heat from their interiors to dry their structures, and often had a so much air-movement through them that it acted as ventilation. The price for that was that they used large amounts of energy, and were uncomfortably draughty. Unfortunately the side effect of insulating and air-sealing houses is that the structure can no longer benefit from this "wasted" energy, and the walls and roofs need to be detailed to dry while staying cold - or brought into the conditioned space by using exterior insulation.