When it comes to colors and stucco finishes, acrylic stucco stands out for its wide range of options. The vast amount of shades and hues available allows homeowners and designers to achieve virtually any look or match any color they want.
Navigating through the sea of color options isn't without its challenges, though. Everything from understanding manufacturer's color charts to choosing a more custom color, requires a blend of creativity and knowledge about the materials themselves, so you're prepared.
What Acrylic Stucco Colors Are Available?
The color possibilities with acrylic stucco are nearly limitless and most manufacturers typically offer a color chart of some sort, showcasing the range of shades they can produce. These charts serve as a starting point, presenting an assortment of colors designed to cater to diverse aesthetic preferences and a lot of times these are the most popular colors too.
Acrylic Stucco Color Charts
Available Colors: Manufacturers' color charts for acrylic stucco products are basically just a snapshot of the colors that are more readily produced and have the shortest lead times, in general. These charts are indicative of the manufacturer's standard palette, with colors that have been pre-formulated and can be quickly made or are already premade (in color bottle form), ensuring minimal to no downtime.
The Reality of Color Charts:
Since there are literally thousands of color options available for acrylic finishes, manufacturers have to choose specific colors to show on their charts and the selection is usually only a sample of around 40 to 70 colors.
There are custom color options that are available, allowing for an exact match to any color sample provided, but these take much more time to match, make the sample and then have that sample approved before making the color for you.
Larger Color Charts: Some manufacturers have a large color chart which show the many different color options that can be achieved and reflects the manufacturer's capacity to offer variety, but that doesn't mean that these colors are readily available. A good example of this can be found in Dryvit's color charts.
Selection vs Availability: A larger selection often means that while many options are indeed available, not all may be immediately in stock, leading to longer lead times for specific hues, so you will have to communicate with your contractor or your material supplier to see if the color or colors you like are readily available or. These colors are also available from other manufacturers, you would just have to have that color matched by the manufacturer.
Custom Acrylic Stucco Color Options:
Custom colors are also available from most manufacturers and much like custom paint color, acrylic stucco can be formulated to match any color you want, even from paint samples.
This process will result in much longer lead times though and additional costs, so be prepared for those two caveats if you are planning on going with a custom color. The custom color matching process can take several weeks from color matching to having the custom matched color in your hands.
Understanding Color Charts and the Importance of Wall Samples
When exploring all of the different acrylic stucco colors, manufacturers’ will have color charts available, which offer insight to what colors are available, giving you a glimpse into some of the possibilities. These charts have what's called "color chips", which are basically representations of the colors. These are a good starting point but should not be used for your final color selection, here’s why:
Limitations of Color Chips: Color chips are a close representation of the colors that can be produced, but are limited in their ability to convey how a color will look when it is applied over a large exterior surface. Factors such as texture, lighting, and surrounding colors can all influence the final appearance of the stucco color on your home.
The material of the chip itself can also differ from the stucco finish that is going to be applied on your project, which could lead to slight variations in color perception. Some textures like a sand or dash finish have more dark spots, which are the low spots that give off a shadowing effect, which can make the color seem darker.
The Value of Wall Samples: Before committing to a color based on a chart or chip, applying a sample directly to the wall is a step that must be taken if you want a true view of how it will really look, in the texture or finish you want.
This step allows you to see the color under the specific lighting conditions and environmental factors unique to your project and location. By observing how the color interacts with these elements throughout different times of the day, you can make a much better decision that will meet your expectations without any guessing involved.
How to Test Wall Samples:
- Choose a Few Favorites: Start with a selection of potential colors that you like on the color chart and have those samples made up by your contractor or make them yourself.
- Apply to the Wall: Use a small section of your wall to apply samples of your chosen colors. Ensure everything will be applied the same way when the finish is applied to all of the walls, to get the most accurate result.
- Observe at Different Times: Let the samples dry for a day or two and then view the samples under various lighting conditions—at midday, late afternoon, and in the morning, in order to gauge the color's true appearance.
- Consider the Surroundings: Assess how the color complements the architectural style of your home, the landscape, and even neighboring buildings, if that is something that also affects your color choice.
Incorporating this crucial step into your acrylic stucco color selection process eliminates any potential surprises and ensures that your chosen color meets your vision for your home’s exterior.
