Stucco Finish
When you think of home siding, you might first picture modern plywood or fiberglass. However, people have relied upon stucco siding for centuries, and it has a classic appearance that never goes out of style. Unlike many other kinds of finishes for a home, you can also choose stucco to cover a masonry or wood-covered building. Find out more about the benefits of stucco siding for your house.
Why Choose Stucco Finishing?
Mixed from Portland cement, lime, sand, and water, stucco refers to a sort of cement mixture. These days, most contractors will buy a pre-mixed stucco mixture that only requires the addition of water. It’s used as the outer layer on a building and can be textured, smoothed, and painted to achieve the desired look. Often, the contractor will tint the stucco mixture before applying it, instead of applying a coat of paint. However, you can also choose to paint it after installation or even years later.
Some benefits of using stucco include its classic appearance, ease of maintenance, and the fact that many home handymen can make minor repairs, if needed. With proper maintenance, you can expect a stucco finish to last for fifty years or more. When compared to many other kinds of siding, you should also find the materials affordable. Perhaps most important, because it’s a kind of cement, stucco will protect homes with a weather-tight seal.
Stucco is Relatively Easy to Maintain
Because you can choose to tint, paint, and/or texture stucco, you can achieve a variety of looks with this one material. Typical maintenance includes simply washing the stucco walls with a garden hose and if needed, a brush. You might want to use dish soap or a diluted bleach solution on some dirty spots. Some companies make special stucco cleaners in bottles that conveniently attach to a garden hose. Periodically, you may also want to use a pressure washer for cleaning the walls.
Why Get Stucco Professionally Installed and Repaired?
While a handy homeowners might repair hairline cracks in the stucco siding without much trouble, you will want to engage a professional for installations or major repairs of older stucco. This way, you will know that the coat of material has been applied correctly over the right base for the materials underneath. Also, the surface of stucco will need to be prepared for painting to ensure proper adherence.
One big advantage is that it’s possible to restore stucco after it’s suffered large cracks, fading, or even water damage, but these are all indicators that it’s generally time to call in a professional. If you’re interested in stucco siding or need repairs done to an improper installation or older building, call upon us today.