In hot areas such as Colorado Springs, the decision to paint stucco is quite heated. The exterior material is prominent throughout the western United States. Homeowners choose it because of its durability, sustainability, and overall pleasing aesthetic. When it comes to maintenance, though, there are many avenues to go down. In this article, we’ll be discussing the pros and cons of painting your stucco exterior. Our painting professionals have helped thousands of homeowners paint and maintain their stucco material and are ready to provide you with our knowledge. Let’s get started!

Is Painting Stucco a Good Idea?

Let’s first discuss the benefits of painting your stucco exterior. Because stucco is such a unique material, we always recommend working with the professionals to get your stucco painted. Here are the top three reasons why painting stucco is a good idea:

Waterproofing

Stucco is great at absorbing moisture and protecting your home from the outside elements. However, this often results in dampening and damage occurring over time. With the right paints applied to your stucco, you can increase the waterproof element of your stucco and even prevent moisture from slipping through any cracks present in the walls. 

Increase Durability

Along these same lines, painting your stucco increases the overall durability of the material. Direct sunlight, dust, and pollution can all deteriorate stucco at a fairly rapid rate. This typically results in hairline fractures breaking out across your wall. Paint provides an answer to this problem by closing up these cracks and making the stucco last longer. 

Appearance

With these cracks being covered by paint, you can also depend on a finer finishing touch. There are also plenty of different paint colors for stucco homes that can make your house personalized. Painting stucco can also help retain the original color of the walls as well as the gloss of the exterior. In short, your home exterior is going to look fantastic!

Is Painting Stucco a Bad Idea?

There are obviously some great benefits of painting your stucco exterior. However, there are also some downsides to adding some color to those walls. Here are the top three reasons that painting stucco might be a bad idea: 

Peeling

Just like any painting project, the paint you apply to your stucco exterior is likely to chip and peel. A normal process of stucco is settling and producing hairline fractures. For stucco, this isn’t a big deal. For paint, this will result in the beginning of a chipped home. 

Lasting Effect

Once you paint your stucco exterior it is hard to go back. In other words, you can’t put stucco over paint. Stucco does not bond to the paint. Instead, it will crack and fall away. This means that if any repairs are needed to your base stucco, a professional team will have to power sand the paint off, fix the stucco, and then repaint. 

Cost

With that being said, this can be a costly process. Painting your stucco may end up costing you more money than repairing the material. After all, stucco on its own requires fairly little maintenance and cost. 

Hire CertaPro Painters

Whether you are looking to paint your stucco exterior or do some maintenance, CertaPro Painters is here to help. We know all of the best ways to make your home look as good as new and can get started on your project within a week! To get started, fill out our free, no-obligation form or call us at 719-465-3118.