Performance of Glass FIber Lath as a Plaster Base with Exterior Cement Plaster (Stucco)

Metal or wire lath has been the primary type of plaster base used with Exterior Cement Plaster (Stucco) for many years. Due in part to recent technology that enables glass fiber to be woven as a three dimensional material, Glass Fiber Lath is available as an alternative material to metal or wire lath. Compared to existing materials, Glass Fiber Lath offers many benefits in terms of application as well as performance. It is available in various configurations and is currently used with traditional Exterior Cement Plaster (Stucco) as well as One Coat Stucco and Masonry Veneer Stone.

The paper will discuss the evolution of Glass Fiber Lath technology including lessons learned during the development process. It will also review key application features as well as performance properties including testing completed to show compliance with the International Building3 and Residential Codes4. Also discussed will be on going ASTM Standards development work as well as a summary of research completed at the University of Florida that compares attributes of Glass Fiber Lath to existing materials used in both Exterior Cement Plaster (Stucco) as well as One Coat Stucco.