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 Q:
How do you create ornamental shapes on plaster surfaces?
A: Stucco finishes are popular across North America.
They lend themselves to nearly every type of architectural style.
Certain styles can be enhanced with built-out shapes, such as cornices,
quoins, or decorative tiles. Achieving these details on plaster
finishes has evolved over time to today’s simple techniques.
Creating Shapes
 Shapes
are sometimes referred to as “plant-ons” because that’s
how they are attached to stucco surfaces. An expanded polystyrene
foam section is bonded to the basecoat with a material made specifically
for that purpose. Some people use an EIFS basecoat material as the
glue. This is attached to a portland cement plaster base, typically
the brown and scratch coats, before final finishing. The shape is
then finished like EIFS: covered with a basecoat and mesh, then
a finish coat.
What to Consider
 The
shapes must be securely attached to the wall. The basecoat material
acts like a glue to hold the backside, then also embeds the mesh
that goes over the top of the shape. As the foam itself has no structural
strength, the mesh and basecoat together provide an impact-resistant
surface to the shape, protecting it in service.
Resources
The Stucco Resource
Guide from the Northwest Wall and Ceiling Bureau is one
source of design and installation information for ornamental plaster
shapes. It provides sample details of walls sections for creating
architectural details on stucco walls.
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