An Altadena Homeowner Asks “What Exactly is Stucco?”
Posted on October 20, 2020
Altadena CA is part of the service area for CertaPro Painters® of Pasadena, during a recent repair and painting job a homeowner asked us “What exactly is stucco?”. That’s a good question considering it’s found on so many houses in the area. Stucco shows up as the exterior cladding of choice in places with warmer and generally drier climates. You won’t find it in the Upper Midwest or New England with anywhere near the frequency you find it in a place like Altadena.
Stucco is actually an ancient finishing material that was originally used both inside and outside a home to create a smooth surface. On the inside of a home, you know it as plaster, or maybe your great grandparents did before sheetrock replaced it as the preferred interior wall finish. On the exterior, it’s a hard textured surface applied in layers over a material that supports its weight. In the past Stucco would have been applied over stone, block, or bricks and then later over thin strips of wood called Lath. In most cases, these have been replaced today by a metal mesh material that is resistant to rusting.
The “recipe” for stucco isn’t all that different from cement. There is a binding material similar to cement, then sand, and coloring. It’s generally troweled on wet over the mesh during construction in several layers (a “scratch” coat, a brown coat, and a colored finish coat) and allowed to dry and harden. The mesh gives it something to bind to and the stucco hardens into a strong but brittle material. It’s not generally painted at that point because it contains its own coloring.
The final texture of a stucco application can be up to you. There are a number of textures trending from rough and rustic to smooth and modern. These textures are formed in the final finish layer of stucco by the person applying it and can be chosen only once at the time of application.
The advantages of using stucco in the right environment are many. Stucco isn’t a food source for insects like wood is, stucco is seamless which prevents seepage of water into your home, it doesn’t rot like wood, and it’s easy to repair. The disadvantages are that repeated or prolonged exposure to water from something like a sprinkler system can damage it. It is also subject to cracking when impacted by something like an errant baseball or falling tree branch. Stucco can also show stains and discoloration over time due to the elements.
If you have cracks in your stucco or a large hole you do need to attend to it quickly, if not you, are inviting insects and water in and you can also experience further cracking. Fortunately, stucco is fairly easy to repair, damaged portions can be removed and cracks can be filled with new stucco, and then it’s simply a matter of matching colors. When CertaPro painters perform a stucco repair they are skilled at color matching so that the repaired area blends seamlessly with your existing stucco.
One of the advantages of stucco is that it can easily be painted, its exterior surface readily bonds with paint with minimal prep work like power washing, compared to the sanding and scraping a wood exterior might require. Painting can also seal very fine cracks and protect the stucco from moisture. With today’s stucco being pre-colored, painting over the existing stucco is the only way to change the color of your house short of a complete and prohibitively expensive stucco replacement.
While most new stucco is finished in shades of white or traditional earth tones, painting over stucco opens up the full range of color options you find with exterior paint palettes. This can give you the best of both worlds by combining the benefits of stucco with a full range of color choices that reflect your personal style. Because of the highly textured surface of stucco paint, it is generally applied as a spray or with heavy rollers. Spraying has the advantage here because it can fill the millions of nooks and crannies that come with a stucco finish.
To sum it all up, stucco is basically a type of cement added over metal mesh in three layers with the last layer containing the finished color and texture. It’s a rugged and long-lasting exterior cladding with an Achilles heel – it’s can be brittle and crack as well as stain and discolor. The good news is it can be cleaned with a power washing, patched and repaired, and completely painted over to change its color.
If you would like to talk with someone about getting your stucco home painted or repaired and you’re in the Altadena area or beyond contact CertaPro Painters® of Pasadena, CA. for a free estimate today! We will gladly answer all your questions and show you all the color possibilities you can choose from on your stucco house.
