Be aware that newer stucco walls might have foam insulation over the studs, so you may need to drill a few inches deep. Studs are usually 16 or 24 inches apart, measured from their centerlines.

A finished stucco wall is only as good as the substrate. You did well replacing the old siding with plywood. From a structural standpoint you gave shear protection to the structure.

When Joe Faust made stucco repairs to this home on Ropemakers Lane, he carefully added bluestone bits to try to match the stucco's original hue. But age and other factors give it a varied patina ...

So a brick wall had replaced the original adobe wall. Then, decades later, someone covered the brick with stucco. The Rev. Tom Elewaut said they believed that stucco wall had been built in the 1940s.

When Joe Faust made stucco repairs to this home on Ropemakers Lane, he carefully added bluestone bits to try to match the stucco's original hue. But age and other factors give it a varied patina ...