LaHabra Stucco Chosen for Extreme Home Makeover in Livermore, CA

Home improvement shows have been around for years, mainly on cable TV channels. In many cases multiple show episodes span the entire construction project. Recently the phenomenon of reality television met the remodeling industry, resulting in the fascinating "blitz-build" experience of completing a massive home remodel in less than a week.

For many years LaHabra Stucco has been included as the preferred product when a charity or other worthwhile cause wanted the aesthetics and durability of high quality traditional exterior finish. When the producers of Extreme Makeover – Home Edition were looking for a product that could meet their tight production schedule, they turned to LaHabra Stucco for the "one-stop" solutions that would significantly increase the aesthetics and value of the home.

The exterior design element of traditional stucco was chosen on the Extreme Makeover - Livermore project. When considering three coat stucco for the project, one major concern was that the scratch, brown and finish coat of traditional three coat stucco requires at least seven days. However only six days were allotted to complete the home remodel.

The solution was the LaHabra Wall one coat because the color finish coat can be applied only 24 hours after installation. In comparison to field mixed base, the LaHabra Wall base provides consistent mechanical and chemical attachment of the finish throughout the wall.

LaHabra Wall is fiber-reinforced plaster that can be applied over foam installation board and exterior sheathing for increased fire protection and insulation. As a specialty base coat covered by International Code Conference (ICC) Exception Report and to ensure correct installation, it requires trained LaHabra Wall Applicators. Artistic Plastering in Danville, CA, hired by the production company for the lath and plastering portion of the project, is one of those teams of highly skilled craftsmen.

This exceptional project was anything but ordinary due to the accelerated production schedule. The project did experience some delays because of unexpected structural upgrades and adjustments in the framing. Much of the lathing was done in stages to follow the framing during the early part of the construction week. In order to avoid vibration cracks to the stucco from hammering the drywall to the inside of exterior walls, the 4500 square feet of base coat had to be installed between 6:45 pm Friday night and 11:00 am on Saturday morning.

Since much of the stucco cost in a home is labor, the use of the LaHabra one coat when compared to other wall assemblies kept this portion of the project on schedule. A typical plasterer can only apply a given number of pounds of base coat per hour. By using a product designed for thinner application, (½" versus ¾" inch of three coat systems) the product covers 1/3 more wall for the same labor. This dynamic improvement significantly speeds up the installation process of the base coat without impacting the wall's performance.

LaHabra Stucco has built their reputation for quality products through consistent manufacturing and the highest quality raw materials. Contractors and builders can be confident that projects will be completed on time and without production-slowing problems. This reliability results in outstanding product handling and consistent color day after day, thus schedules are maintained and customer satisfaction guaranteed.

LaHabra's Southern Moss X-696 16/20 stucco was used on the Livermore home. This color provided a very natural green with medium sanded texture as demanded by the designers. LaHabra originated the concept of using color packs with a tint-able stucco base. This allows the contractors to carry unused base from project to project and only add the lower investment color packs to begin the next wall.

The Livermore project was finished on schedule between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm on Sunday, in time for the owners' arrival. The LaHabra cement stucco will provide low maintenance, allowing the owners years of enjoyment and no investment in painting the exterior walls. This increased value of their home provides this family with a secure investment in their futures.