Written by Stucco Champions — Southern California’s Authority on Exterior Plastering.

Retrofitting Weep Screed on Older Homes: A Surgical Guide

If your home was built before the mid-1970s, it likely has "buried stucco." The exterior plaster runs straight down past the foundation and into the soil. While this was common practice decades ago, we now know it acts like a wick, pulling ground moisture up into your wood framing (capillary action).

Retrofitting a weep screed is the only permanent solution to stop this rot. However, this is not a simple DIY project; it is invasive surgery on your home's waterproofing system. This guide outlines the professional protocol for cutting your home open and putting it back together correctly.

1. The Investigative Cut: Locating the Plate

We cannot guess where the foundation ends and the wood begins. We must find the Sill Plate (the bottom piece of wood framing).

The Process:
We start at a corner. Using a rotary hammer or diamond blade, we carefully remove a small vertical section of stucco. We are looking for the exact line where the concrete footing meets the wood framing. This line dictates where the new weep screed will sit.

2. Surgical Demolition & Prep

Once the line is established, we snap a chalk line around the perimeter—typically about 4 to 6 inches above the foundation line.

• The Cut: We cut through the existing stucco using a diamond blade with a depth guard (to avoid slicing the wood studs).
• Removal: The bottom strip of old stucco is chipped away, exposing the building paper and wire lath.
• Nail Pulling: This is tedious but vital. We must remove all old nails and staples from the bottom 3 inches of the exposed wall. Why? Because the new metal flange needs to slide behind the existing paper.

3. Installing the Screed & Counter-Flashing

This is the step where most non-specialists fail.

The Hardware: We install a #7 Foundation Weep Screed (usually with a 7/8" ground) directly to the stud or shear panel. It should hang about 1 inch below the sill plate to ensure water drips clear of the foundation.

4. Lathing and Structural Integration

With the waterproofing secure, we install new galvanized wire lath.

• The Tie-In: The new wire mesh must overlap the existing wire mesh by at least 2 inches.
• Fastening: We fur-nail the mesh into the studs, creating a tight net that will hold the new cement.

5. The Three-Coat Patch

Because we removed a full-depth section of wall, we must rebuild it in layers to match the thickness.

1. Scratch Coat: The first layer embeds the wire. We score it horizontally to create a "key" for the next coat.
2. Brown Coat: The leveling layer. We bring this flush with the existing wall (minus 1/8"). We dampen this layer and let it cure (typically 48-72 hours) to shrink before finishing.
3. Finish Coat: The texture layer. Whether it's a smooth Santa Barbara or a heavy Lace, we feather the edges to blend the new patch into the old wall.

6. The Reality of "Color Matching"

Homeowners should have realistic expectations. We can match the texture perfectly, but matching the color of 30-year-old sun-faded stucco with new materials is nearly impossible.

The Solution: After the retrofit is cured (pH neutral), the wall typically needs to be painted or Fog Coated to make the 6-inch band at the bottom disappear visually.

Conclusion: A Vital Upgrade

Retrofitting a weep screed is dusty, loud, and labor-intensive. However, it is cheaper than replacing a rotted rim joist or underpinning a foundation damaged by moisture. It brings an older home up to modern code standards and stops the wicking cycle permanently.