Disagreeing with the push for all-stucco exteriors in the Northeast Heights

I was at the contractor's desk at Builders Surplus on Montgomery last Tuesday and heard two people saying you should only use stucco for a true Albuquerque look. I've lived here 30 years and think that's too limiting. My own place in the North Valley uses a mix of stucco and reclaimed wood siding, and it fits the area perfectly while needing less upkeep. Has anyone else used different materials that still feel right for our city?

2 comments

2 Comments

brian_murray1mo agoMost Upvoted

My neighbor in the Volterra area used a fiber cement board that looks like weathered wood. It holds up to the sun and wind way better than real wood ever did. That strict stucco rule ignores how many older homes here actually used a mix of materials.

vera_dixon891mo ago

You know, it reminds me of the old Martinez place off of Rio Grande. They had this beautiful river rock foundation with stucco above it, and the whole thing was topped with a rusted tin roof. It looked like it grew right out of the ground. That mix of textures is what I've always loved about the older homes here, not some uniform wall.