What Are the Benefits of Stucco?

The layered application of stucco siding creates a textured surface, giving a home with stucco siding a modern and versatile feel. Homeowners with different aesthetic tastes and visions can use stucco siding to meet their desires for the look and feel of their home. Stucco texture options can include a coarse texture, a pebbled texture, a raked texture in a variety of directions and sizes, a smooth texture, or a swirled texture. Homeowners have the ability to choose between concentrated textures, a rougher texture, or a sweeping and smooth texture. Stucco is able to be applied so easily to the home due to its layered technique that fits within many shapes and previous siding materials, and it provides an accent to other architectural pieces already on the home. This ease and variety of textures make stucco a dynamic and aesthetic siding option that will meet the vision of any and all homeowners looking to increase their curb appeal. Stucco is one siding option that will stand the test of time and is consistently listed as one of the most durable siding options homeowners can choose to protect their home from the elements. Stucco can last for upwards of 50 years when applied properly and cared for with annual cleanings and maintenance. Stucco is so durable because the material expands and contracts with the weather, allowing it to change with the seasons and avoid any cracking or crumbling due to excess moisture or high heat. Stucco offers durable protection from the elements, but it also has breathability that ensures water does not become trapped beneath the siding in between stucco and the interior of your home. The breathability makes stucco fungus resistant, protecting the air quality within the home. Stucco provides a moisture resistant barrier to the home, especially when using EIFS stucco. The EIFS system adds an additional barrier layer to the already fungus-resistant stucco, providing a drainage system that allows drainage to occur. These materials and layers come together to provide a moisture resistant barrier, protecting your home from any excess moisture, mildew, or mold that may become trapped or seep into your house from the outdoors. Stucco siding has a 1 hour fire rating, meaning that flames can burn your stucco siding for 60 minutes before any flames begin to penetrate the materials and home underneath the siding. This 1 hour burn time provides your home with a level of protection that many other, more flammable materials cannot provide: with 1 hour of extra time protecting any exterior flames from penetrating your home, it is much more likely that in the catastrophic event of a fire, you can safely exit the home before flames begin to reach the inside. Once installed and dried, stucco provides a concrete shell around the home. In addition to the curb appeal this siding provides, it can also increase the value of your home and property. Stucco is earthquake resistant, fire resistant, rot resistant, and sound dampening, all things that homeowners will look for in a future home, increasing your value and potential payout should you decide to sell your stucco-sided home. Even if you don’t decide to sell, the protection that stucco adds to your home will reduce your insurance premiums, providing savings in the short and long term. Stucco is made of cement, crushed marble, and sand. These dense materials come together in a multi-layer application system to add heavy duty materials to the exterior of your home, and, as such, they provide an additional layer of noise reduction. Keeping the noise of the street and neighborhood out is just one of the ways these dense, durable materials can add to the peace and comfort of your home. Stucco is extremely versatile, providing homeowners with the option to choose any customizations they wish to make their siding appeal to the look and feel of their home and neighborhood. Much like the many texture options to meet any aesthetic, stucco also comes in a variety of colors and shades. Aside from just aesthetic versatility, the ease of stucco application also provides versatile options for where and how stucco can be applied: it can work on top of current siding, including wood, brick, or even other styles of stucco. Aside from an annual power wash and occasional checks to ensure no holes have formed, stucco is a relatively low maintenance siding option. It can last upwards of 50 years and requires minimal care – it will also continue to look great over time due to its durability. Stucco is consistently listed as one of the most energy efficient siding options due to its high R value, or insulation efficiency. Stucco provides your home with insulation that will keep the outside temperatures out, whether it is keeping your home cool in the summer or warm in the winter. This will help you save money on your energy bills by reducing heat transfer from your home.