Doors and Windows - Removing stucco for new Window

I am replacing some old windows with new larger windows. What is the best way to remove stucco for the new rough opening? I was told before to use a diamond blade on a circular saw, but I noticed a contractor at a neighbor's house using an air chisel for this purpose. I also heard that using a circular saw may not be the best because it is better to have a jagged edge instead of a straight line where the old stucco meets the new stucco (because cracks tend to form along the straight line). Also, I heard that you have to be careful to not destroy the wire in the old stucco because the new wire needs to tie into it. Can you confirm. Thanks for your help.

You are correct on both counts. You can bust out the stucco with a hammer or air chisel. And you want to preserve as much wire as possible.

And even more important than all the above is to preserve the integrity of the building paper. Some contractors use a small 2lb sledge or a roofing hammer to break up the surface of the stucco. The danger in doing that is that you can cut the building paper when you whack a sharp piece of cement back into the paper with your hammer. The guy using the air chisel was probably trying to avoid that by carefully breaking off chunks.

The Journal of Light Construction had an article on this very topic (June 2004) that I found to be very informative. We don't have hardly any stucco in my part of the country (thank God) but it's good to keep up on that sort of thing when you install windows every day. Perhaps you can locate a copy by going to their website. The article was entitled: "Replacing Windows in Stucco Walls" and was written by Don Thorvund.

Excellent! Thanks. I will try to look up the article.