Paint Tip Tuesday-The Stress of Stucco

Plaster, adobe, & brick all used to be commonplace materials. However over the years building materials have shifted. Different areas require different materials due to external factors, building codes and safety are of high importance as well. One of the more common materials used in almost every state across the country currently is stucco. Entire buildings can be made of stucco and it can last for years if taken care of. Today we talk about the different type of issues that are commonplace and how you can take care of them.

Hairline cracks are small cracks in your stucco 1/16th of an inch or less. They are not much to worry about when it comes to terms of foundational problems however the more cracks you have the more susceptible you are to moisture trapping itself within the cracks. Many paint companies carry patching compounds that tell you the maximum size that is allowed for that specific product. Most come in a texture or non-textured so you can try and match your stucco as best possible.

Spider cracking is when stucco looks like a spider web. Stucco is like Goldilocks with the porridge, it has to be just right. Improper mixing; too much water, too little water, too cold or too hot will cause spider cracking. To take care of this, it is the same process as taking care of hairline cracks, albeit a little more work but this will ensure your stucco lasts for a long time to come.

Sometimes you will see stucco cracks near a window or a door. Most times these cracks come from the expansion and contraction of the secondary material. We know wood expands and contracts on a daily basis. Weather contributes to this significantly and next to a material that has little to no expansion capability will eventually cause it to shift, but since there is no expansion capability it will crack instead.

Uniformed patterns in stucco like this picture usually mean there's an issue with the stucco lath. Underneath the stucco is a base that consists of water resistant paper, foam, wires, etc.etc... This gives the stucco something to adhere to. When there is a fairly uniformed pattern the lath has not been laid properly. In order to fix this you have to remove the stucco and either fix the lath if it is repairable or replace it. See below picture.

For larger stucco repairs such as lath repair contact a licensed contractor as something that seems so simple might not be. If you have small repairs you can take care of yourself make sure to go for a flex-patch material that way your if that crack does contract and expand your patching compound will contract as well. Lastly in order to make your patch job blend as best as possible use a full coat of primer on the cracks (follow manufacturer instructions for recoat time frame) & two coats of paint. Make sure to "feather out" to try and ensure a seamless blend into your current color. Remember take care of problems as they arise and you won't have one larger issue that will cost so, so much more.