th_birchstone

What are some of the advantages of stucco?Ray2018-04-19T17:30:37-07:00

What are some of the advantages of stucco?

Reasonably priced, easy to maintain and aesthetically pleasing, stucco has been a popular siding choice for hundreds of years. With a variety of colors and textures to choose from, stucco works well with any home’s exterior. Stucco is a more durable finish and it is also more fire resistant than other types of finishes. Stucco requires less maintenance than other exterior finishes. You can expect a quieter home with a stucco exterior and a higher degree of energy efficiency due to its superior insulating qualities. Stucco provides moisture protection while also allowing your home to breathe. Finally, in long term cost analysis, a stucco home provides the highest return on investment for the owner.

Stucco siding has been used for centuries. The ancient Greeks and Romans painted wall frescoes onto fine-grained hard plaster surfaces made of gypsum, marble dust and glue. During the Renaissance, the Italians elaborated stucco techniques, which, in turn, spread throughout Europe. While stucco is not a new building material, the changes made to finishes can make it seem like something a homeowner has never seen before. A wide array of styles and colors to choose from as well as different application techniques make stucco modern, yet timeless.

Why do small cracks appear in stucco finishes?Ray2018-04-19T17:28:06-07:00

Why do small cracks appear in stucco finishes?

Another term for this is check cracking. Check cracking in stucco is normal. As stucco cures the water evaporates. This evaporation process causes the stucco to sleightly shrink. As the stucco shrinks the small cracks may start to appear. Environmental factors can increase the likelyness of check cracking. In hot dry weather a light spray(mist) of clean water is recommended, and may help reduce the apprearance of check cracking.

Can I change the color and texture of my stucco?Ray2018-04-19T17:26:02-07:00

Can I change the color and texture of my stucco?

Yes, new stucco can be applied and textured over an existing stucco finish. This is called recoating and re-stuccoing, and we specialize in this application.

How long does the average re-stucco job take to complete?Ray2018-04-19T17:23:05-07:00

How long does the average re-stucco job take to complete?

From start to finish, a home re-stucco job is normally completed in under 2 weeks. This is due in part to the need for the stucco to cure between the application of the base coat, brown coat, and color coats, as well as the time to set up and take down equipment on the job site.

What is the average cost of a complete home re-stucco with traditional stucco?Ray2018-04-19T17:18:45-07:00

What is the average cost of a complete home re-stucco with traditional stucco?

For a traditional 3-coat stucco over lath without the use of foam insulation, current market rate is about $15.00 per square yard. This is assuming the state of your walls are in average condition. Extra costs can come into play if repairs need to be done to damaged areas before applying the base coat.

The actual cost of your complete home re-stucco is determined by each situation. The price can vary by many factors including; thickness, texture, height of job, size of job, proximity to our warehouse, application and scaffolding required. For a more exact price, please contact us for a free estimate.

Why does my stucco flake off at the bottom of the walls on my house?Ray2018-04-19T17:12:42-07:00

Why does my stucco flake off at the bottom of the walls on my house?

This phenomenon is normally caused from moisture being drawn from the surrounding soil. This is usually caused by the stucco coming in contact with soil and extended exposure to moisture which allows the salts and minerals contained in soil and cement based products to migrate to the surface. This can eventually deteriorate and/or cause delamination of the stucco. The most common causes are: water from Sprinklers continually soaking the wall or improper site drainage (water draining toward the wall). Moisture in the soil or water sitting at the base of the wall is traveling up the wall in a wicking action; due to a lack of Weep Screed at the bottom of stud framed stucco walls prior to early 1970’s construction.

This condition is common in older buildings and for this reason, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) determined the need for “weep screed” a separation device as a remedy in new construction. For an existing structure, a separation of the stucco and the soil with the installation of a weep screed would be the only permanent solution.