Historic preservationist Dan Miller and his wife Pat, freed their 1875 Italianate Victorian in Elgin IL, from a century of stucco turning an ugly home to something spectacular.
It’s a scene that repeats itself in older neighborhoods across North America: a graceful wood‑clad Victorian, Craftsman or any style house entombed beneath an inch of cementitious stucco.
What began as a “modernizing” facelift in the early 20th century now hides the very craftsmanship that made these homes special.
Homeowner Dan Miller and his wife, faced exactly that dilemma—and proved that removing stucco by hand is absolutely within reach for determined owners.
Their experience offers a clear roadmap (and a healthy dose of encouragement) for anyone contemplating the same leap of faith.
Dan, a retired teacher, can teach you what to do and how to get your neighborhood organized to restore their homes.
A beautiful house with heart-grown wood is hidden beneath stucco. The black stuff is tar paper. This is not the Miller house. (Photo credit: Patch Blog)
Why So Many Wood Houses Were Stuccoed
- Fashion & Status (1910‑1930s). Smooth, monochromatic stucco read as “Fireproof” and “Continental” at a time when owners craved the latest look.
- Perceived Low Maintenance. Advertisements touted stucco as a cure‑all for peeling paint not unlike aluminum and vinyl siding.
- Energy Myths. Marketers claimed an extra inch of stucco would insulate better than wood (it doesn’t).
Unfortunately, the quick fix often trapped moisture, accelerated decay around windows, and erased architectural detail.
Dan Miller’s Story: One Summer, One Pry Bar, 10,000 Nail Holes (and a great wife)
“I couldn’t live in an Italianate house buried under Prairie‑style porches and stucco.” —Dan Miller
- House: 1875 Italianate, stuccoed c. 1920 by a prosperous businessman.
- Stucco System: ¾”‑long staples every 6″ holding heavy wire lath; ±1″ thick rough‑cast stucco.
- Tools: 5‑ft pry bar (4″ blade), framing hammer, scaffolding, patience.
- Process:
- Crack it open. Sharp hammer blows to start fissures.
- Leverage from the middle of each clapboard. Pry bar stayed tight against wood so clapboards weren’t scarred.
- Peel in sheets. Large sections popped off intact—surprisingly satisfying!
- Results: 99 % of clapboards reused; only one coat of 19th‑century paint to strip. Dan’s wife filled roughly 10,000 nail holes, then hand‑painted the house.
“She heat-plated the whole house, then sanded, primed, and then applied two coats of final paint. She did it herself the first time, doing one side in a summer.on scaffolding. I was working ahead of her to make repairs. I hit the stucco hard with a hammer several times to get the cracking started. The brackets and soffit/facia were not stuccoed, so they had 10 coats of paint on them.”
This is metal mesh used to hold the stucco.
This is the prybar used to pry off the stucco. It’s about 5 feet long and heavy in itself.
This wood is 150 years old and should last another 150 years. It is impossible to get this heartgrown wood today.
If you don’t have a spouse like Dan” You better start looking.
This is the type of staple they used to hold the metal lath on the house to hold the stucco. It’s about 3/4 of an inch long. My wife used vice grips with a putty knife behind it so I didn’t dent the wood to pull out thousands of them.
This is how the clapboards looked after Dan’s wife pulled the staples, heat-plated the paint off, filled the holes, sanded them, and applied a coat of primer and two coats of final paint. She also wore out two Makita Palm Sanders. She painted one side each summer, so it took her four summers to paint the house. I was making repairs, trying to stay ahead of her. This was her dream house, and she was willing to do whatever it took to realize it.
Before – This once beautiful Italianate is seen hidden behind stucco.
Carriage house showing the last piece of stucco. The clapboard beneath looks better than some people’s houses. Most simpletons would take the route of replacing the old wood with ugly hardiboard.
Side view of porch after stucco removal before painting.
Side view of Italianate Victorian porch after painting.
This house is now free of all the wrong done by previous homeowners and can once again shine. Notice the design in the wood shingled roof. This is all the original wood from when the house was originally constructed.
Step‑by‑Step Guide for the Brave Homeowner
| Stage | Key Actions | Tips |
| 1. Research & Approvals | Confirm your local preservation ordinance. Reversing non‑historic stucco usually meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, but some boards require a permit. | Photograph existing conditions for the file. |
| 2. Safety & Set‑Up | Rent OSHA‑rated scaffolding; wear goggles, gloves, respirator (stucco dust = silica and lead dust). | Interior artwork will rattle—take pictures off walls first! |
| 3. Test Patch | Choose a low‑visibility corner, score stucco, pry. | Evaluate clapboard condition before committing. |
| 4. Demolition | Work in 3–4 ft panels from top down. Hammer to crack, pry under lath, let gravity help. | Keep the pry bar flat against wood; avoid crowning boards. |
| 5. Clean‑Up | Pull or grind flush any stubborn staples; sweep debris frequently to keep footing safe. | A roof magnet makes fast work of stray nails. |
| 6. Wood Repair | Replace isolated rot with matching species; fill nail holes with exterior epoxy or vinyl filler; sand smooth. | Dan’s filler is still solid after 30 years. |
| 7. Prime & Paint | High‑quality oil‑based primer, then two coats top‑grade latex paint. | Paint immediately—bare wood weathers quickly. |
Community & Financial Help: “The Great Unveiling”
Dan’s neighborhood organization now hosts an old‑fashioned barn‑raising weekend called The Great Unveiling . Volunteers and a small grant (≈ $5,000) remove aluminum, vinyl, or stucco cladding for qualifying owners; 30 houses have been liberated in the past 30 years.
If your city lacks such a program, consider spearheading one: group buys on scaffolding, tool lending libraries, and skilled neighbors transform a daunting solo job into a community celebration.
They also give a $2,000 painting grant, a $500 chain link fence removal grant, and $2000 for opening a porch. The city has a 50/50 grant program up to $20,000, which the porch opening people could tie into. The city also has a 75/25 paint grant for low-income people.
Most of the funds for these projects come from their Housewalk . They profit between $10,000 and $25,000 each year. Expenses are about $5,000. They also get about $ 7,000 worth of sponsorships. Architectural salvage is another of their projects. They are a preservation group, so if a house is scheduled to be torn down, we oppose it. If they lose, although unfortunate, they will then ask for architectural salvage. They hold a silent auction to see who gets what details. The winning bidder has to take out their own details. There was a mansion a few years ago that the group made a profit of over $10,000. A typical salvage is $1500.
More Resources from Dan
Dan also purchased and restored the house next door to them. They received $20,000 from the city to rebuild the porch, remove aluminum siding, and paint their investment property. Dan’s biggest expense has been buying, rehabbing, and reselling problem properties. In their 45 years, they have brought five properties back to life. All this work does not always come with a profit. This work is not done for greed or money for Dan and his wife typically lose about $10,000 on a sale. This work is truly for the love and beautification of their neighborhood.
- Dan has a website OldHousePorches.com where he shows his carpentry work and how-to information on historic porch restoration. Make sure you check out all the great work he did.
- Fine Homebuilding magazine did an article on Dan and Pat’s work titled “Porch From the Past” You can only view a limited number of articles for free in this magazine.
- Old House Journal also had an article on Porch Design showing Dan and Pat’s work.
- Gifford Park Association – The group that organizes The Great Unveiling.
- How-to Restoration Articles on the Gifford Park Association’s website.
Frequently Asked Fears—And Why You Shouldn’t Let Them Stop You
| Fear | Reality |
| “I’ll destroy the clapboards.” | With a wide pry bar kept flat, damage is minimal. Dan lost only 1 % of his boards. |
| “It will cost a fortune.” | Sweat equity dramatically cuts costs; grants or historic‑tax incentives may offset materials. |
| “What if the stucco is historically significant?” | Alterations gain significance after 50 years only if they represent high‑quality design or historical events. Most 1920s stucco overlays fail that test—your commission can guide you. |
| “The paint prep will be endless.” | You’ll have fewer layers to deal with than a typical 19th‑century façade. Dan’s brackets had 10 coats, but the clapboards only one. |
Parting Advice from Dan
“I’d do nothing differently. The summer of hard work was worth every blister. Once the siding emerged, the house looked truly itself again.”
Ready to Start Your Own Unveiling?
- Walk your house: tap on walls; stucco sounds hollow over wood.
- Budget for scaffolding and quality paint—not shortcuts.
- Rally friends, neighbors, or a preservation group. Many hands make light work. Feed them!
- Most important: don’t be afraid. Your house survived 100 years under stucco; it deserves to breathe again.
If Dan Miller could reclaim his 1875 Italianate with a hammer, a pry bar, and unstoppable determination, so can you. Send me your photos of your restoration. You can email Dan any questions through his website. Remember, he is a teacher!
Here is another homeowner who removed stucco from their house.
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