How To Remove Stucco From Interior Walls
Stucco is a plastering material made from lime, sand, and other additives. It’s used on the exterior of buildings because it’s moisture-resistant and provides excellent insulation. Stucco is a great material for those who live in humid climates or areas prone to rain or snow—it helps seal the outside walls of your home so moisture doesn’t seep in.
But when it’s time to sell your home or renovate, stucco isn’t always the greatest look. It can also be a bit challenging to work with if you are planning to redecorate the inside walls as well as the exterior walls. However, if you know how to remove stucco from interior walls, removing it won’t be a problem at all!
Why You Might Want to Remove Stucco
Stucco as an exterior wall covering is absolutely fine. In fact, it’s an excellent choice for a number of reasons, including its ease of installation and its ability to withstand lots of different types of weather. But when you’re planning on doing some interior renovations, stucco may not be the best choice.
Stucco is difficult to remove since the material hardens as it dries and adheres to the walls. It’s also a bit of a pain to paint over stucco, which is another reason why some homeowners decide to simply remove it. There are a few reasons why you might want to remove stucco from interior walls. If you’re planning on doing some renovations in the walls and ceilings, you’ll need to remove the stucco before you can start. It’s also a good idea if you’re planning to paint the walls and stucco is covering them.
How to Detect if Stucco Needs to Be Removed
If you’re not sure whether the stucco on the walls needs to be removed, there are a few ways to find out. The first thing you’ll want to do is take a look at the ceiling. If the ceiling is covered in stucco as well, you’ll need to remove it, especially if you plan on painting the walls. To see if the stucco needs to be removed, place a level on the ceiling.
If the level falls off to one side or the other, there’s a high probability that the stucco will need to be removed. If you need to remove the stucco from the ceiling, first use a hammer to break off the stucco from the edges. Then, you can use a chisel to remove the stucco from the middle.
DIY Steps for Removing Stucco from Interior Walls
If you’ve determined that the stucco needs to be removed, there are a few different ways to go about it. A hammer, chisel, and pry bar will be your best bet, but you can also rent a power saw to make the process go much quicker. Once you’ve chosen the tool you want to use to remove the stucco, here are the steps you’ll need to follow:
Disassemble the wall – You’ll want to make sure that you’re not removing any pieces of the wall that you plan on putting back up. You can remove the baseboard and any other framing pieces that you won’t need after the stucco has been removed.
Cut away the stucco – Once the framing has been removed, you can use the hammer and chisel to cut away the stucco. Make sure you’re wearing safety goggles and gloves—it’s a messy job!
Pry away any remaining pieces – Once you’ve cut away the stucco, you’ll want to pry off any remaining pieces. Be careful not to break any of the wall pieces, but be sure to get all the stucco off the wall.
Clean up the mess – Once all the stucco is removed, you’ll want to make sure you clean up the mess. You’ll likely have pieces of stucco and remnants of the joint compound (the putty-like substance that was used to fill the gaps between the wall pieces) all over the place. Be sure to clean it all up and make sure there’s no extra joint compound that’s left.
Conclusion
Stucco is a great material for the exterior walls of your home. It’s moisture-resistant and provides excellent insulation. However, it’s a bit of a problem when it comes to renovating the inside of a home. Stucco is difficult to remove since the material hardens as it dries and adheres to the walls. It’s also a bit of a pain to paint over stucco, which is another reason why some homeowners decide to simply remove it. If you’ve determined that the stucco needs to be removed, there are a few different ways to go about it. Once you’ve completed the process and removed the stucco, you can start renovating the interior walls.
