Welcome to the FAQ. Feel free to browse through all the questions, or use the quick links bellow to jump to a specific section.
General Questions | Installation | Comparisons | Safety & Packaging
General
What are the main differences between Structalath and other metal plaster bases (laths)?
How does Structalath qualify as a code approved product?
How do Structa Wire products contribute to LEED qualifications?
Installation
What is the difference between the installation of Structa Wire products and the comparative lathing products?
How do Structa Wire products compare in respect to installation time?
Can you install Structalath to steel studs?
Can V Truss Walls & Ceilings (Structa Rib Lath) be installed to 24 inch OC?
How does the fastening of the Structa Wire Products differ from other types of lath?
Does Structalath require the use of furring nails?
Comparisons
How does the strength of Structalath compare with metal lath?
How does V Truss Walls and Ceilings (Structa Rib Lath) compare with 3.4 3/8 metal rib lath?
Can Structalath be used as lath for veneer stone products?
Safety & Packaging
How are Structa products packaged?
What other contributions do Structa Wire products offer?
Q. What are the main differences between Structalath and other metal plaster bases (laths)?
Unlike other stucco reinforcing products, Structa products have been specially engineered to improve the performance of the stucco wall system. Structalath provides higher quality installation with fewer cracks and at a lower overall cost.
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Q. How does Structalath qualify as a code approved product?
Structalath, like all Structa products, is considered an "alternative" to code listed products. This ranking is determined by the code officials' equivalency testing (Acceptance Criteria – AC 191 created by the International Code Council – ICC).
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Q. How do Structa Wire products contribute to LEED qualifications?
Structa products are manufactured from recycled steel and our packaging and transport strategies are all designed to ensure that our products minimize environmental impact.
See our recycled content sheet for further details.
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Q. What is the difference between the installation of Structa Wire products and the comparative lathing products
Structalath, Structalath Twin Trac, and Mega Lath are rolled products, making them significantly easier to install than sheet products.
Structa Wire products can be cut to the appropriate length, eliminating the typical lap joint every eight feet of sheet products.
Each Structa Wire product is "taller" or wider:
Structa Twin Trac is more than eight inches wider than 2.5 lb diamond lath.
Mega Lath is about 3 inches wider than 3.4 small diamond lath.
Structalath is an inch taller than woven wire and 10 inches taller than 2 inch x 2 inch welded sheets.
Another difference is the weight and handling of a roll of Structa Wire products – they are lighter and easier to handle than similar yardage of comparative products.
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Q. How do Structa Wire products compare in respect to installation time?
Although each job is different, Structa Wire products typically increase installation productivity by 20 to 40%.
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Q. Can you install Structalath to steel studs?
Yes, Structalath can be screwed to steel studs. For improved attachment, we recommend Twin Trac, a product that we have designed specifically to simplify attachments to steel studs and wood.
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Q. Can V Truss Walls & Ceilings (Structa Rib Lath) be installed to 24 inch OC?
Yes. V Truss Walls & Ceilings is designed for and can be successfully installed to 24 inch OC on open framing.
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Q. How does the fastening of the Structa Wire products differ from other types of lath?
Structa Wire products are approved to allow fastening almost anywhere on the product; unlike other lathing products, ours are not limited to the furring point. Structalath, Structalath Twin Trac, and Structa Mega Lath can all be fastened in one of three ways:
at the furring points.
at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical wires.
anywhere along the horizontal line wires.
It is important that fasteners are centered at framing members.
Twin Trac and Structa Mega Lath provide double fastening wires at 3/16th of an inch apart which are evenly spaced across the products to make identifying where fasteners should be positioned easy for the installer. Screws or nails should be positioned between the wires and staples should be parallel to and centered within the framing members.
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Q. Does Structalath require the use of furring nails?
No. Structalath products are self-furred and can be attached to both open stud and shear walls without the use of additional furring devices. Our products maintain a minimum embedment (1/4 inch) regardless of where our products are attached so fastening at the furring point is no longer necessary.
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Q. How does the strength of Structalath compare with metal lath?
In independent laboratory testing our products consistently exceed the performance of traditional metal lath:
Structalath Twin Trac is an equivalent to 2.5 pound per square yard metal lath.
Structa Mega Lath is an equivalent to 3.4 pound per square yard metal lath.
Vtruss Lath for Walls and Ceilings an equivalent to 3.4 pound per square yard 3/8 metal rib lath.
Transverse load test results performed at an ICC approved Laboratory and are available on request.
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Q. How does V Truss Walls & Ceilings (Structa Rib Lath) compare with 3.4 3/8 metal rib lath?
Each sheet of V Truss Walls & Ceilings lath is wider and longer than metal rib lath. It also has a barrier paper that is sandwiched between the front and back wires which ensures the proper thickness of the stucco across the sheet. Unlike metal lath, this paper cannot be separated from the lath by heat, wind, or other abuse.
The only spot where the paper does not block the stucco is at the lap joint. Here it allows more stucco to pass through the lapping of the wires, ensuring that lap joints will have a full thickness of stucco and helping to eliminate hairline cracks.
V Truss Walls & Ceilings has full installation instructions printed on every sheet (in both English and Spanish) to assist in proper installation.
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Q. Can Structalath be used as lath for veneer stone products?
Yes. We recommend Structalath Twin Trac or Structa Mega Lath be utilized; both are approved alternatives to either 2.5 pound per square yard or 3.4 pound per square yard metal lath, respectively. It is recommended that the fastening penetrate into the frame members at nominal 6 inch vertical and 16 inch on center.
Structa products should be installed over a weather resistant barrier, followed by a scratch coat, then brown coat or mortar setting bed.
Structa Mega Lath has been approved for use with Eldorado Stone products.
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Q. How are Structa products packaged?
All Structa Wire products are designed to be palletized, shipped, and stored as efficiently as possible. Per square foot, Structa Wire rolled products save approximately 40% or more space in transportation payload and storage than other leading products. Additionally, all of our rolled products utilize only four plastic bands, used both to pachage and identify key information: the manufacturer and country of origin, the product identity including the dimension, and the industry approvals.
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Q. What other contributions do Structa Wire products offer?
Safety
Our products are user friendly:
We've eliminated the razor edges that are created when cutting metal lath.
Our products never weigh more than 60 pounds.
Structa Wire products roll out flat: they never spring back like other lathing products.
Reduced Cracking
Consistently, contractors state that our products reduce cracking by up to 80%.
We've virtually eliminated lap joints by creating a product in which the plaster flows freely behind and around every wire. The blockage and inability to embed that can result from doubling up small diamond metal lath or metal rib lath does not occur with Structa Wire products.
Our product resists the stretching tensions that are experienced both in shrinkage and minor building settlement, making it far more durable.
The furring (28 or more in every square foot of our rolled products) ensures that thickness is created in the scratch coat and that full thickness is experienced evenly across the wall. The furrs also hold the weather barrier flat against the substrate, preventing any puckering or bunching of the paper from developing and ensuring thin areas with a high risk of cracking are not created within the wall.
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