How to Repair Stucco: Don’t Let Cracks Take Over
If you are a homeowner that has stucco on their house, you may have noticed that there are some cracks or imperfections on your home. Stucco can be a great material to build with, but it does require some stucco repair to keep it looking its best. Understanding how to paint stucco and how to repair stucco go hand in hand and when done correctly, make a home look great.
Why do people choose stucco?
Stucco is a very popular material in the Carolinas. It is made with cement, sand, lime, and water. Not only does stucco provide homes with cosmetic advantages, but it also has other benefits that homeowners enjoy.
- Fire resistant
- Added layer of insulation
- Quiet outdoor noise
- Variety of choices in color and texture
- Durable in intense weather
These benefits are just some of the reasons that homeowners love stucco. There are some things to note about stucco and its ability to age. Over the years, stucco will usually need to be repaired and repainted for it to remain looking great. Some of the common complaints associated with stucco are:
- Cracking as temperature changes
- Cracking as home foundation settles
- Fading
- Chipping
- Moisture entering through cracks
How to Repair Stucco
When cracks occur due to temperature changes or foundations settling, homeowners should be timely in repairing them. When stucco repair is pushed back, it may cause bigger problems like moisture entering other parts of your home. Because of this, stucco repair should be done carefully and properly to ensure no further damage to your home.
How to repair stucco in 3 steps:
Step 1: Take damaged stucco and mesh off
Any stucco that is crumbling, cracked, or not stable should be removed. Remove the damaged stucco so that you can see the metal mesh underneath. If it is also damaged, replace it now. You can simply cut out the old mesh and replace it with a new piece.
Step 2: Mix the stucco
The next step in how to repair stucco is to mix and prepare the stucco. Make sure you are following the directions associated with that brand of stucco. Don’t waste time! Stucco will dry out if you don’t use it quickly enough.
Step 3: Apply your mixed stucco
Stucco should be put on in a few different layers so that it can mold and dry properly. For your first couple of layers, put something over it to make sure it does not get too dry. Repeat until you reach the final layer where you can add texture that matches the rest of your stucco.
How to Paint Stucco
Since your stucco is repaired and cracks are now sealed, it may be a good time to paint the stucco. Stucco tends to fade, so matching your repaired stucco to your fresh paint might be difficult. When this happens, it might be time to paint the entire home. Since stucco can be textured many different ways, painting it can be difficult and requires experience and care.
How to paint stucco can be broken down into these steps:
Step 1: Pick the color
Whether it is the same color or a completely new one, this can be a hard decision to make. You will want something that will complement the rest of your home.
Step 2: Clean the exterior
When you go to paint your stucco, it is important to remove anything that is not stucco. This includes dirt, mildew, and dust that may have built up over time. For strong stucco, power washing can get all of this off. If you have older or more textured stucco, you may want to scrub it away.
Step 3: Apply primer
To make sure that your paint will stay, you should use a primer to coat your exterior. This will help your paint last a bit longer and look better overall. When choosing a primer, be sure to do research on what would be best for your home.
Step 4: Paint the exterior
Now that you have chosen your color, cleaned, and primed your home, you can finally begin to paint. Make sure to check the weather to make sure that it will not rain before your paint is able to dry. When understanding how to paint stucco, you must consider the texture of your home. If a home has a lot of texture it may be best to use a paint sprayer and not a roller.
How to Paint Stucco with RhinoShield:
When you try to repair stucco without professional help, it may be a long and drawn out process. RhinoShield makes sure that all of our homes look great and will last. Our team starts with an inspection for accumulated dirt, mildew and mold. Then we replace damaged areas, caulk as needed, and repair cracks.
Before painting your stucco, we apply a sprayed adhesive primer that seals everything. It forms an elastomeric bond with the substrate. It moves with structural shifting, making it crack-proof and moisture-proof. The second application of ceramic top coating goes on smooth and dries to a beautiful sheen. RhinoShield ceramic coating is eight times thicker than ordinary paint, for better insulation and durability. It contains mildewcides and algaecides to kill anything that might try to make its way to your foundation. Also, our ceramic coating waterproofs, sound proofs, insulates and reflects sunlight and UV rays - saving you money on power bills.
The RhinoShield Guarantee:
We are so confident in our understanding of how to repair stucco and how to paint stucco that all of our RhinoShield customers’ homes come with a 25-year warranty. This warranty will help prevent costly maintenance by eliminating the need to repair. You should not have to worry about repainting every few years. Make the investment in your home to look beautiful for years to come. RhinoShield would be happy to make your property look great.
Don’t Worry About How to Paint Stucco and How to Repair Stucco, Leave that to us!