Stucco siding has been a popular fixture on Spanish and Mediterranean style homes for centuries, and is now a popular form of siding for homes across the country. Stucco has unique benefits that make it an excellent choice for any style home in various climates, including resilience to the elements. At Titan Stucco, our team of stucco contractors in Phoenix is breaking down this popular form of siding: what it is, the advantages to having stucco siding and how to care for your stucco home.
What Is Stucco?
Stucco is a mixture of cement, lime, sand, and water that develops into a cement-like texture and is applied in a thin finish-coat on the outermost layer of residential homes or commercial buildings. Stucco is very durable, with modern advances in polymers providing stucco with increased flexibility that improves durability. There are three types of stucco systems to choose from when deciding to side your home with stucco:1-Coat System
The 1-Coat system uses a blend of Portland cement, sand, fibers, chemicals, and water to create a durable coating that will only need to be applied to a building one time. The stucco is coated onto the rigid foam board and lath during the building process to provide a durable exterior siding.2-Coat System
The 2-Coat system uses the same traditional stucco mix detailed for the 1-coat system, but the 2-coat system is typically used for brick, block, and concrete walls. Unlike the 1-coat system where a metal lathe will be used, the 2-coat system will use a bonding adhesive on the walls before applying 2 coats of stucco and forming the hard stucco siding.3-Coat System
The 3-coat system has a different stucco mixture than the previous systems, using a mixture of cement, sand, fiberglass, acrylic additives, and water. There are three different layers in this method: the first layer involves laying down an asphalt infused paper, the second layer will be furred chicken wire and then a base layer of stucco is applied on top. A finishing layer will be used to complete the process and allow the builders to add texture and color to the stucco.Advantages of Stucco
Stucco is a very popular choice of siding due to its unique look and style, but there are major benefits of having stucco siding, including:- Versatility: Stucco provides a flexibility for styling your home unlike any other type of siding. Stucco has options when it comes to texture: it can be smooth, coarse, or formed into shapes and swirls to add a unique architectural element to your home. Stucco also provides unlimited color options, as you will be able to pick the color you want your stucco to be painted. The color can also be changed over time by repainting the stucco.
- Long-lasting: Stucco is one of the longest lasting types of siding, and with the proper care stucco can look great for well over 50 years. Stucco siding has the ability to expand and contract with the weather and is very resistant to mold, rot, and mildew.
- Low maintenance: Stucco is a relatively low maintenance form of siding. Pressure washing your home once a year is typically enough to prevent dirt buildup in the siding. If small cracks form in the stucco siding, they can easily be mended with sealants and are typically low cost fixes.
- Fire- and pest-resistant: The cement mixture of stucco is more resistant to fires than other types of siding, such as wood or synthetic materials. Stucco can be applied over materials like wood and brick, and once the one inch layer of stucco is applied, it will provide about a one hour firewall rating, meaning it will take at least an hour for any sort of fire to burn through stucco and reach the interior side of the wall where more flammable materials are contained. This makes stucco a great form of siding for homes in arid climates where droughts and months of extremely dry heat may lead to wildfires and other disasters.
- Natural insulation: Due to the natural layering process for stucco, the outer layer of the home will provide natural insulation and will help keep your home cool without needing to use more energy with air conditioning and other home cooling technologies.
- Reduce sound transmission: Similar to the concrete layer providing a layer of insulation against temperature, stucco also provides a natural barrier to sound transmission and can help keep sounds of the street or neighbors around you out of the home.
Disadvantages of Stucco
While there are many benefits of stucco finishing on your home, it is also worth noting some of the disadvantages, especially for homeowners who live in certain climates where stucco may not be the best option. Some disadvantages of stucco siding include:- Not suitable for all climates: While stucco works well in arid, dry climates and climates with mild rainy seasons, if a building is in an area that deals with lots of precipitation throughout the year, it may not be the best option. The stucco can soak up excessive rain and may become waterlogged over time.
- Stucco repair can be costly: If there is a large crack or large damaged area in stucco siding, it can be difficult and costly to fix. Other types of siding can be replaced piecemeal, but in order to match the texture and color of stucco siding and fix properly and cohesively, it will need to be reapplied with the same method used in the initial stucco application.
- Requires professional installation: Stucco can be difficult to apply, and will likely require professionals to apply properly and make sure it will last. This also means that applying stucco can be costly, since you will need to pay a professional for installation.
- Possible chips: Stucco can be a brittle material, and as such it is possible for stucco to easily chip, especially if the stucco is on a building in areas where the ground shifts easily. As such, stucco may not be the best option for those living in earthquake-prone areas.
Stucco Application Process
The application process for stucco typically depends on the home’s structure, the type of stucco system being used and the stucco finish desired by the homeowners, but the typical process will look something like this:- Coat the exterior of the home with a vapor barrier.
- Prepare the exterior surface of the home by thoroughly removing any debris and patching any cracks.
- Attach heavy wire mesh, or lath, to the exterior of the home.
- Apply the number of stucco layers that are desired based on the specified system.
- Allow the stucco time to cure.
- Smooth or texture the finishing coat of stucco.
