Plaster and Stucco

Rehabilitated plaster ceiling in the Main Hall of the Sir John A Macdonald Building in Ottawa, ON. Source: Doublespace

	Recommended
1	Understanding air and moisture movement through plaster and stucco materials prior to modifying a building envelope and avoiding modification to assembly behaviour when undertaking interventions.
2	Rehabilitating plaster and stucco finishes by in-kind patching and localized replacement.
3	Monitoring plaster and stucco finishes on an on-going basis to limit organic growth and associated deterioration.

Sustainability challenges for plaster and stucco include:

Toxicity of plasters and stucco that may contain toxic substances embedded in their chemical composition or in their finishes;
Limited remaining trade skills to apply lime-based plaster and stucco, limiting rehabilitation opportunities.