John recently had some second-story stucco replaced and reused his existing windows based on his contractor’s advice. Now, he’s questioning whether the flashing details were done correctly and whether they should be redone.Question from John: Recently had some stucco replaced on the second story of my home. I took the contractor’s advice and reused the […]
Terry has a second-floor condo in South Florida where sliding storm doors were installed, leaving a 1 1/2” deep, 12” high, and 13’ wide gap above a built-out section of the interior balcony wall. He wants to know if he can use foam board to fill the space and apply a light decorative stucco skim […]
Robin has color coat stucco on their house and wants to know if it’s possible to re-stucco over the original stucco without removing it. Here’s some advice on how to handle the situation if someone else is doing the work. Question from Robin: Hello, my house has color coat stucco, and I want to re-stucco the same […]
Danny had a stucco patch done around a window about a year ago and recently noticed staining in one of the corners. He’s concerned that if he paints over it, the stain might bleed through over time. He’s also wondering whether the unpainted stucco could be absorbing moisture and causing rust from the metal lath […]
Alex is working on a retail project in Los Angeles and wants to replicate the exterior stucco finish commonly seen on malls from the 1980s. While this style was widely used at the time, finding specifications and procedures for the application has been challenging. He’s looking for guidance on how to achieve this look and […]
William wants to know if he can apply a scratch coat to a cinder block wall after it has been exposed to a full day of rain. Moisture levels in the block can impact bonding, curing, and overall adhesion of the stucco, so it’s important to consider the timing. Question from William: Can you scratch coat after […]
Stephane is looking to do some quick stucco repairs that will last a couple of years. Since he’s never worked with stucco before, he wants to know what materials to use, what type of texture to apply, and what tools are required to get the job done. Question from Stephane: Looking to do some repairs, hopefully, they […]
Joe is looking to update the color of his stucco home while keeping the existing red roof. Since he plans to paint rather than apply a new stucco coat, he wants guidance on choosing a modern, complementary stucco and trim color combination. Question from Joe: Need guidance on choosing a color for a home purchase that is […]
Henry has noticed a crack running along the inside of the metal control joint on his stucco and wants to know the best way to repair it. He’s curious if it’s a serious issue and what steps he should take to address it. Question from Henry:I have a crack all along the inside of the metal […]
Tom is in the final stages of building a pizza oven and is preparing to apply the base coat. However, he’s having trouble finding Sakrete Scratch and Brown Base Coat, which was recommended by the kit manufacturer. He’s wondering if he can use a Portland Cement and sand mix as an alternative. Question from Tom:I am […]
Henry’s stucco exterior was fog-coated years ago with a specific color from Expo Stucco, but since the company seems to be out of business, he’s wondering if it’s possible to color match fog coat the way one can match paint. He’d like to know how to go about it so he can avoid redoing the […]
Cheryl recently came across a great deal on STO Powerflex medium and is planning to repair the stucco on her cinder block house. She’s wondering if she can apply mortar over the cinder blocks as a base before finishing with the STO product. Question from Cheryl:I have a cinder block house needing stucco repair. I recently […]
Barbara is looking to change the color of her traditional stucco on a rammed earth block house from light sage green to charcoal gray. She doesn’t want to paint the stucco, and prefers it to remain more breathable. Barbara’s Question:We have traditional stucco on our rammed earth block house and landscape walls. I want to simply […]
Chris has a question about installing heavy bistro lighting on a stucco ceiling for his outdoor patio. He wants to know if attempting this could damage the stucco and the best way to securely fasten stainless steel hanging hooks for the job. Question from Chris:I have a stucco ceiling on an outdoor patio and want to […]
Mariana has a great question about stucco control joints. She’s concerned about the lack of control joints on walls larger than 144 square feet. There are only a few small cracks after 18 years, and she’s wondering how much of a concern this should be. Question from Mariana:Hi, I’m under contract for a stucco home built […]
Doug is working on a 26-ft tall chimney with visible hairline cracks, as well as larger cracks that seem to follow the cinder block lines. He’s asking if painting the hairline cracks with elastomeric paint and then applying acrylic paint over the entire chimney after repairing the larger cracks would be a good solution. Question from […]
Tim’s house is only a year old, but he’s noticed some stubborn stains on his white stucco walls caused by rainwater channeling down from the flat roof. He’s tried a bleach and dish soap solution without success and wants advice on how to remove the stains.Hi, my house is 1 year old, but I’m getting […]
Elizabeth had a smooth Level 3 finish stucco on her home in BMI’s “Cloud White” color, which was recently removed due to leaks from a guardrail. Elizabeth wants advice on matching this finish, especially since she cannot find BMI’s color charts or confirm if the company still exists. Question from Elizabeth:I am trying to match a […]
Neal and Melissa recently moved to Arizona and are concerned about bugs entering their home through the weep screed holes in their stucco walls. They believe their home has #7 angled weep screed and are seeking information about the size of the weep screed holes and where to purchase vented plugs for these holes. They’ve […]
Susan built her house over 20 years ago and is trying to match the hard coat stucco color for touch-ups. The builder noted the color was “37 Champagne,” but Susan isn’t sure of the brand or exact shade and suspects some green undertones. Despite her efforts, all attempts to match the color so far have […]