Discovering What Was Behind the Walls
"We called it plaster for the first two years," Rachel admitted. "Everyone we talked to called it plaster. It wasn't until we had a contractor in for a quote that he pointed out it was actually stucco."
The distinction matters. Traditional plaster over lath is a multi-layer system with softer lime-based materials that can be patched and repaired relatively easily. Stucco is harder, more rigid, and applied in a single coat over metal lath. It cracks differently and repairs differently.
Their Park Hill bungalow, like many Denver homes from that era, used interior stucco because the materials were locally available and durable in Colorado's dry climate. It was cheaper than imported plaster materials and held up better to the low humidity that causes traditional plaster to crack.
The Problems With Stucco Walls
Interior stucco works fine as long as you don't need to modify it. The Chens discovered the challenges when they tried to hang pictures, add electrical outlets, and repair the inevitable cracks in a 100-year-old home.
Picture hanging was an ordeal. Regular drywall anchors didn't work. The stucco was too hard and brittle. Drilling created cracks that radiated from the hole. Even proper masonry anchors sometimes caused chunks to break free.
Adding an electrical outlet for their home office required cutting through the stucco. The electrician charged extra because of the difficulty. The patch around the new box never matched the surrounding texture.
And the cracks. Denver's temperature swings cause expansion and contraction that stucco can't accommodate. Hairline cracks appeared throughout the house, and patching them proved nearly impossible. The repair compound never bonded properly to the hard stucco surface.
Deciding to Convert
After the third failed attempt to patch a prominent crack in their living room, the Chens started researching conversion options. They got three quotes from Denver contractors experienced with historic homes.
The options ranged from $3,500 to $8,000 for two rooms (living room and home office, about 450 square feet of wall space). The variation came from different approaches:
The cheapest quote involved furring out the existing stucco walls with thin strips and hanging drywall over them. Fast, but it would reduce room dimensions by about an inch on each wall and create issues around existing door and window trim.
The mid-range quote called for removing the stucco and lath entirely, then installing modern drywall on the exposed studs. More work, but a cleaner result.
The most expensive quote included careful documentation of the existing crown molding and trim, removal, drywall installation, and reinstallation of the historic trim. This was the approach for maintaining the home's character.
The Removal Process
The Chens chose the middle option. Their home office had minimal historic trim, and the living room trim was already damaged from previous owners' modifications.
Stucco removal is messy and loud. The contractor used pry bars and reciprocating saws to cut the stucco and lath into manageable sections. The debris filled two construction dumpsters for just two rooms.
Behind the walls, they found the expected century of surprises. Knob-and-tube wiring that needed updating. Inadequate insulation. A few mouse nests. One pocket of moisture damage near a window that had leaked at some point.
"We budgeted an extra $2,000 for surprises," Tom said. "We ended up spending about $3,500 on electrical updates and window reframing. Still within the range we expected."
The New Drywall Installation
With the walls opened up, the contractor added modern insulation, ran new electrical, and installed 1/2" drywall. The finishing process took longer than a standard drywall job because of Denver's conditions.
"They were very careful about the joint compound," Rachel observed. "They'd apply a thin coat, wait a full day, apply another thin coat. Much slower than I expected."
The contractor explained that Denver's dry air and altitude make compound tricky. Rushing leads to cracking and poor adhesion. The thin coats and extended drying time produce better results in Colorado.
The texture matching was done by hand to approximate the slightly irregular surface of the remaining stucco walls in adjacent rooms. It's not a perfect match, but it's close enough that the transition isn't jarring.
Living With the Results
Two years after the conversion, the Chens are satisfied with the results. The drywall rooms are easier to maintain than the original stucco. Hanging pictures is simple. Patching small damage actually works.
The one surprise was humidity. The stucco walls had acted as a moisture buffer, absorbing and releasing humidity slowly. The drywall walls don't do this. Their living room now feels drier in winter than the rest of the house. They've addressed this with a portable humidifier.
Would they do the whole house? "Maybe eventually," Rachel said. "It's expensive, and the bedrooms are fine as-is. But the stucco is definitely more challenging to live with than modern drywall, especially in an old house that's still settling."
Advice for Similar Projects
For other Denver homeowners considering stucco-to-drywall conversion:
Confirm what you have. What looks like plaster in Denver might be stucco. The repair and conversion approaches are different.
Budget for surprises. Old walls hide old problems. Set aside 20-30% above the quoted price for electrical, plumbing, and structural issues.
Consider the whole house. Matching new drywall texture to old stucco in adjacent rooms is difficult. Plan for visual transitions or consider whole-room conversions.
Hire experienced contractors. Denver has plenty of people who can hang drywall. Fewer understand historic construction and how to work with it. Ask for references from similar projects.
Account for Denver conditions. The drywall work itself needs to accommodate altitude and humidity. Make sure your contractor understands these factors.