Basically acrylic stucco is a high quality paint-like product that has aggregate mixed into it, that acts as a finishing texture. It usually comes in 5 gallon buckets and is white when in it’s raw form.
Color bottles are used to color the material and usually need to be mixed to the bucket, in order to achieve the desired color that is shown on manufacturer’s color charts. Different manufactures have different acrylic stucco brands, but all of them share similar properties and features.
An Overview of the Options
Each manufacturer has their own line of products that are basically the same, meaning they are applied the same way and are similar in many ways. They each have different names, depending on the manufacturer and can have specific qualities to them that make them a "premium choice" but these are also very similar in what they do and what makes them "premium".
Acrylic Stucco Brands:
There are a wide range of manufacturers that carry acrylic and synthetic stucco mixtures throughout the United States. Here is a list of some of the more popular ones that are available at most stucco supply yards:
Omega Products:
Omega Products International offers a diverse array of acrylic stucco finishes, each with unique characteristics:
OmegaFlex Finishes: These are the standard acrylic options that are offered and you can find three different aggregate sizes to choose from, which are fine medium and coarse.
AkroFlex Finishes: These are designed to be used on Omega's EIF systems (EIFS) where the OmegaFlex is not. Some of the materials have multiple aggregate options, but others may have a more limited selection. The different products are labeled: AkroFlex Malibu, AkroFlex Desert Series, AkroFlex Semi-Smooth, AkroFlex Delta and AkroFlex CircleTex.
AkroLastic & AkroLastic ProPlus: This is an Elastomeric finish that provides enhanced elasticity, which helps to minimize cracks from forming in the finish coat. The ProPlus version is supposed to have even better qualities.
AkroSil: These finishes are silicone-enhanced which gives you more water repellency and dirt resistance, compared to standard acrylics.
AkroTique: This is a liquid that is used for staining the cures finishes. You can use different application methods to get a mottled look that is popular with Mediterranean styles.
For more information and to see the full list of their products, visit Omega's website.
LaHabra Products:
LaHabra has three main types of acrylic/synthetic finishes that can be broken down into three different categories: standard, advanced and specialty products. The three products have unique characteristics to offer and each one is explained in more detail...
Perma-Flex Stucco Grade Acrylic Finish: This finish is LaHabra's standard acrylic finish material and is the most cost-effective products they offer for these types of finishes. This is what most people will end up using on their homes when choosing from LaHabra's acrylic products. It comes in four different textures: smooth, fine, medium and coarse.
Perma-Finish EIFS & Stucco Acrylic Finish: This product shares the same characteristics that the standard option has but with the added versatility of being suitable for EIFS, as well as standard stucco applications. It is offered as a higher end product that with increased durability over their standard option but at a higher cost, as well. It also comes in four different textures: Smooth, Fine, Swirl, Coarse and Swirl, with the medium option not being available for this product.
Variance Specialty Finishes: These products are designed to give specialty looks to your walls and can simulate stone, granite and other not-so-common finishes. Here is a link to their products page: Lahabra Acrylic Stucco Products Page.
Additives: LaHabra also has a couple of additives that you can add to your material that will alter the characteristics of that material. One is an accelerator that will accelerate the drying time of the material (helpful in cold temps) and a silicon additive that helps with UV resistance and water resistance.
Western Blended Acrylic Products:
Western Blended has three different acrylic products to choose from and the options are very similar to what we see LaHabra has to offer. One is a standard option, another is an upgraded option, also suitable for EIFS and the third option is a decorative finish that simulates three different types of granite, in a way.
Premium Acrylic Plus: This is Western's standard acrylic finish material and is economical and what the majority of people are going to end up using for their projects. There are 5 different aggregate sizes or choices to choose from and these are: super fine, fine, medium, coarse and classic.
Premium Acrylic Finish e2: The e2 finish is basically just an upgraded version of their standard finish material, offering the same five aggregate choices as the standard option. This is more of an Elastomeric product, as it seals the wall more, offers better adhesion and can bridge cracks better too.
Specialty Finishes: Western also offers three different specialty finishes that resemble a granite surface but in three different aggregate options which I would describe as fine, medium and coarse. The three options are named: Nova Stone, Vera Stone and Vera Mist.
Here is a link to their acrylic products page: Western Synthetic Stucco Page
Sto Stucco:
Sto has a few different acrylic finish options but a lot of them are some of the same options that other manufacturers offer, they just offer them separately from each other, which I laid out for you to see how, below. There are compatibility recommendation for the finishes and what systems and application they are good for too.
Sto Essence & Sto Powercryl: These are Sto's standard acrylic finish options and comes in different aggregate choices, like the other manufacturers. The Powercryl offers slightly better mold, algae and mildew protection than Essence but other than that, they were are very similar. The texture choices offered are: Fine, Freeform, Medium and Swirl, with Essence not having the Freeform option.
StoLit & StoLit X: These are Sto's premium finish options that is improved in many ways from the standard version. It seemed to be slightly better in almost every aspect where these types of finishes accel, which you can compare yourself, on STO's website.
The StoLit X seemed to have better fade resistance than the StoLit and both had their own unique textures to choose from, with Freeform being the only shared texture between them.
Stolit HDP & Stolit Lotusan: Both of these finishes are special due to their hydrophobic finish, which offers better resistance to mold, algae, and mildew. The Lotusan is a better version of the HDP, but both share similar properties that make it a special blended finish option.
Sto Powerflex & Sto Powerflex Silco: Powerflex and Powerflex Silco both are an Elastomeric type of option, so this will tend to bridge cracks better and have excellent adhesion properties. The Silco version is similar, but has added silicon for better water resistance.
Sto Powerwall: This was basically the same as both Powerflex versions with slight differences in a couple of areas, when comparing the three different finishes.
MasterWall
MasterWall has three distinct acrylic products they offer, similar to other manufacturers and I would describe these as a standard option, an option that is more water-resistant and an Elastomeric option. They also offer additives, similar to LaHabra. You can view their products here.
Superior Finish: MasterWall offers a standard acrylic option that is cost-effective, similar to other manufacturers' offerings. It comes in four different textures, which are Perfect Swirl, Fine Sand, Medium Sand, and Versatex, providing a variety of finishes to choose from based on project needs.
Superior Finish HP: The Superior Finish HP is designed with hydrophobic properties (HP), enhancing its durability and water resistance, essentially. This not only helps in repelling rainwater to keep buildings cleaner, but also adds an extra layer of water resistance, for applications that might need that.
Superior Elastomeric Plus Finish: They also have their Superior Elastomeric Plus Finish which offers enhanced crack-bridging capabilities, improved adhesion, and a more robust finish coat for extended durability and protection, like we would expect from an Elastomeric product.
Additives: MasterWall's product line also offers three specialized additives:
- Silicone Coat Additive, which improves water resistance and stain resistance
- Excel Mildew Enhancement, which serves as a mildew resistance booster
- Quick Dry, a finish drying accelerator that speeds up the curing process.
Stuc-O-Flex
Stuc-O-Flex seems to offer a single option and it is an Elastomeric version. This is their premium product and you can find out more about their product here.
