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 Mobile ViewEXTERIORS of buildings ADHESIVES, EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION AGE of a BUILDING - how to determine ALGAE, FUNGUS, LICHENS, MOSS ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING COMPONENT ID ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE BARK SIDE DOWN on DECKS, TRIM, STEPS BASEMENT WATERPROOFING BEST CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES GUIDE BRICK VENEER WALL Loose, Bulged BRICK WALL DRAINAGE WEEP HOLES BOOKSTORE - EXTERIORS CAULK GUN TYPES, CHOICES CAULKS & SEALANTS, EXTERIOR CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR DECK & PORCH CONSTRUCTION DECK COLLAPSE Case Study DECK FINISHES COATINGS PRESERVATIVES DECK FLASHING LEAKS, ROT Case Study DEFINITIONS of ENGINEERED WOOD OSB LVL etc EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED FOUNDATIONS ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings ENGINEERED WOOD Flooring ENGINEERED WOOD Products EXTERIOR WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES FIBERGLASS INSULATION FIBERGLASS HAZARDS FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD FLASHING, ASPHALT SHINGLE VALLEYS FLASHING, CLAY TILE ROOFS FLASHING MEMBRANES PEEL & STICK FLASHING for METAL ROOFS FLASHING ROOF WALL DETAILS FLASHING ROOF-WALL SNAFU FLASHING SIDING DETAILS FLASHING WALL DETAILS FLASHING WOOD ROOF DETAILS FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FOOTING & FOUNDATION DRAINS FOUNDATION CRACKS & DAMAGE GUIDE FOUNDATION WATERPROOFING FRENCH DRAINS GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION GLUES ADHESIVES, EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION GRADING & SITE WORK, EXTERIOR GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS HEAT TAPES & CABLES on Roofs for Ice Dams HOUSE PARTS, DEFINITIONS HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION DETAILS HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET ICE DAM PREVENTION INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE LEAD TEST KIT for HOME USE LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION LOG HOME GUIDE LIGHTNING PROTECTION MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOISTURE CALCULATIONS MOISTURE PROBLEMS: CAUSE & CURE MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE PAINT ANALYSIS, DIAGNOSTIC USES PAINT & STAIN GUIDE, EXTERIOR PAINT FALURE, DIAGNOSIS, CURE, PREVENTION PAINT FAILURE CHECKLIST PAINTING MISTAKES PAINT FAILURE DICTIONARY PAINT FAILURE ANALYSIS LAB PHOTOS Paint Failure Case Photographs-SITE Paint Failure Case Photographs-LAB PAINT LAB SAMPLE PREPARATION PAINT SURFACE PREPARATION PORCHES & Sunrooms PORCH CONSTRUCTION & SCREENING RAILINGS, DECK & PORCH RAILINGS, STAIRWAY RETAINING WALL DESIGNS, TYPES, DAMAGE RETAINING WALL GUARD RAILINGS ROOF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES - PHOTO GUIDE ROOF CLEANING RECOMMENDATIONS ROOF COLOR RECOMMENDATIONS ROOF DORMER TYPES - PHOTO GUIDE ROOFING DIAGNOSIS INSPECTION & REPAIR ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES ROT, TIMBER FRAME SEARS KIT HOUSES SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY SHEATHING, FIBERBOARD SHEATHING, Gypsum board SHEATHING Homasote & Other Board SHEATHING, OSB SHEATHING, Plywood SHEATHING, FOIL FACED - VENTS SIDING, Sheathing Identification - Photo Guide SIDING, ALUMINUM SIDING, ASBESTOS FIBER CEMENT SIDING ASPHALT ROOF SHINGLES on WALLS SIDING ASPHALT SHINGLE or SHEET SIDING DAMAGE by SPLASHBACK SIDING EIFS & STUCCO STUCCO EIFS DRAINAGE SYSTEMS SIDING EIFS WALL LEAK POINTS STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION STUCCO WAll FAILURES DUE TO WEATHER STUCCO WALL METHODS & INSTALLATION STUCCO RECIPES & APPLICATION STUCCO THIN COAT APPLICATION SIDING EIFS STUCCO FAILURES DUE TO WEATHER SIDING EIFS STUCCO PAINT FAILURES SIDING, FIBER CEMENT SIDING HARDBOARD SIDING STEEL SIDING VINYL SIDING, WOOD PRODUCT CHOICES SIDING, WOOD INSTALLATION SIDING WOOD, FAILURES OVER FOAM BOARD SIDING WOOD, FLASHING DETAILS SIDING WOOD SHINGLE INSTALLATION SINKHOLES, WARNING SIGNS SOUND CONTROL in buildings STAINS on buildings - QUICK GUIDE STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS STAINS & FINISHES, INTERIOR STAINS on INDOOR SURFACES: PHOTO GUIDE STAINS & Thermal Tracking STAIN DIAGNOSIS on ROOFS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on STONE STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS STONE CLEANING METHODS STRESS SKIN INSULATED PANELS STUCCO WAll FAILURES DUE TO WEATHER STUCCO WALL METHODS & INSTALLATION STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION STUCCO PAINT FAILURES STONE CLEANING METHODS STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION TERMITES, ROT THERMAL EXPANSION of MATERIALS THERMAL MASS in buildings TRIM, EXTERIOR CHOICES, INSTALLATION TRIM, INTERIOR INSTALLATION TRUSS UPLIFT, ROOF TRUSSES, Floor & Roof VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VENTILATION in buildings VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in buildings VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES WALL FINISHES INTERIOR WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR BUILDING WATER ENTRY in buildings WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS WIND TURBINES & LIGHTNING WINDOWS & DOORS WINTERIZE A BUILDING WOOD Burning Heaters Fireplaces Stoves More Information |
Recipes for mixing stucco wall coatings: this article discusses recipes or mixes to prepare traditional stucco and includes details of how stucco is applied to a building surface. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, Daniel Friedman, Steve Bliss, Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Stucco Recipes & Stucco Mixtures
Readers should see STUCCO WALL METHODS & INSTALLATION, and also SIDING EIFS & STUCCO and STUCCO PAINT FAILURES and also may want to review POLYISOCYANURATE FOAM INSULATION. Contact us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution. Our page top photo shows exposed metal lath in the stucco exterior of a poorly-finished home in New York. It looks as if the top coat of stucco may have not been applied at all. Stucco is a mixture of Portland cement, sand, and water, with a little lime or a plasticizer added for workability. A proper mixture has good tensile strength and weather resistance and the ability to bond well to the mesh or substrate. It is also easy to trowel on and resists sagging. In cold climates, it must also have freeze-thaw durability, usually obtained by using air-entrained plaster. The cement base can be masonry cement, plastic cement, or Portland cement, which may have air-entraining additives. Do not add lime or a plasticizer to masonry cement or plastic cement since these already contain plasticizers. While approximate proportions are well established, the right mix for a job depends on the weather exposure of the wall and weather conditions during application (see Table 1-9).
Other than the right proportions, the keys to a good stucco mix are clean, good quality sand and clean potable water. Since sand makes up about 97% of the stucco mixture by volume, it is critical to use good sand. The sand used to prepare stucco should be free of vegetable matter, loam, clay, silt, and soluble salts and should conform to ASTM C897, which designates the distribution of particle sizes (gradation). Impurities in the sand or water can affect the strength of the mix, and poor grading of the sand will hurt its workability. Salts can cause staining on the finished surface from efflorescence. Stucco Wall Application ProcedureStucco can either be hand troweled or blown with a machine. Some stucco contractors use a pump for the base coats but apply the finish coat by hand. Although the mixes are slightly different for the two approaches, both can produce a high-quality finish. In threecoat stucco, the first and second coats are 3/8-inch thick, and the finish coat is 1/8-inch for a total thickness of 7/8 to 1 inch. Applying the Stucco First or Scratch Coat
Applying the Stucco Wall Brown Coat
The second coat fills any cracks in the scratch coat, and the additional sand in the brown coat helps prevent new shrinkage cracks. Whether it is hand troweled or machine-applied, it must be leveled with a straightedge (“rodded”) and floated to produce an even surface for the final coat. A short delay between the first and second coat helps to create a good bond between the two and strengthens the scratch coat by rewetting it for a more complete cure. Any cracks larger than 1 1/16-inch in the brown coat should be patched before the top coat goes on. In the Southwest, where adobe is popular, the brown coat is often steel troweled for an adobe look and serves as the final coat. Applying the Stucco Wall Finish CoatAfter the second coat is allowed to cure for a minimum of 7 days (14 will allow a more complete cure), the top coat is applied to provide the finish color and texture. Many contractors now use premixed color coats, some with acrylic additives to increase water resistance and flexibility. Creating a uniform color and texture requires a skilled applicator, uniform mixing, favorable weather (avoid direct sun), and a uniform substrate without variations in texture or water absorption. Problems in the substrate will tend to show through the thin finish coat. It is best to do an entire side of the building in one batch with no cold joints. A modest amount of color variation is considered part of the character of traditional stucco, but too much is a sign of substandard work. A certain amount of shrinkage cracking is also inevitable in stucco exteriors. Application over wood-frame construction results in more cracking than over concrete block or other more stable substrates. Coarse textures in the finish will tend to hide the cracks better than smooth finishes. Even under the best of conditions, small shrinkage cracks of less than 1/16-inch will occur in the finished stucco and are to be expected. Generally these do not leak or indicate substandard work. -- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction. Expanded Metal Lath Supporting Exterior Stucco: DetailsAt below left we show a cut-cross-section of a steel-lath supported exterior wall on a Minneapolis, MN. home. Our photo at below right shows the marks left by metal lath on felt paper that had been used as a building sheathing wrap on the same home. These details were exposed during construction work for an addition. Details about interior stucco or plaster and additional photos and information about the use of expanded metal lath are at PLASTER TYPE IDENTIFICATION
Also see
Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Resources & SuppliersDryvit Systems www.dryvit.com Parex www.parex.com Senergy www.senergyeifs.com Sto Corp. www.stocorp.com -- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction. Questions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & answers about how to mix wall stucco: recipes & application methods. Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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