Las Vegas Handyman Tells How To Cut Through Stucco
Take it from a Las Vegas handyman. If you need to cut through a stucco wall, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Tools make all the difference.
Reasons you may need to cut through a stucco wall might be for the installation of a dog door, or installing a swamp cooler, or maybe even for various plumbing repairs.
You might be inclined to grab the nearest reciprocating saw and go at it. This will certainly cut through the stucco, but it will also leave a very ragged cut. The cleaner the cut, the more attractive the installation of the dog door or swamp cooler will be. It also leaves less work to do for trimming out the opening.
Rather than using a reciprocating saw, use an angle grinder with a masonry wheel in it. This is a small cutting wheel that will cut very precisely through the stucco surface. Not only will it cut through the stucco, but it will also cut through any wire netting behind it.
Start the wheel spinning and let it work up to full speed. Then gently sink it into the surface of the stucco. Go slowly and evenly. The sound of the blade spinning will tell you if you are going too fast, as you will hear it bog down and the blade may throw some debris around. Incidentally, you should definitely wear eye, ear, and breathing protection for this.