What is Stucco?
Stucco is a manufactured siding product that we mix right on site. It uses natural compounds to create a unique look. Stucco ingredients are made up of lime, silica sand, and white cement, sometimes referred to as Portland cement.
Stucco has been around since the 1850s in its modern form, but it has been around in early forms since the ancient Greeks. Traditionally, it was used for walls and art in the form of murals. Today, it is most often used as a siding material on the outside of your home. As a siding material, it has many good qualities that are worth considering.
The stucco process includes laying down several coats of a sand and lime mixture wetting them between each coat, and then applying a final color coat to your wall. When we manufacture the stucco on site, it has the consistency of a thick cake icing. It is usually applied to surfaces that are scored or scratched, like concrete or masonry. We add support with a metal lath before stucco is applied. Then, the stucco is given time to cure and dry. Depending on the look you’re going for, we may apply stucco with a trowel to ensure the walls are completely smooth, or we may add additional coats of stucco to create different textures or a worn look. Sometimes we spray on the layers of stucco with special equipment. Moldings can also be applied to enhance the look and feel of the stucco finish on your home.
Stucco siding on average lasts 15 years. However, stucco has been known to last more than 40 years. How long stucco lasts is determined by many factors that we will discuss shortly.
The main advantage of stucco is an aesthetic one. For example, it can be made in the color and texture that best suits your design and style. This offers you, the homeowner, more flexibility, allowing you to design the outside of your home exactly the way you want it.