How Would I Repair These Stucco Problems?

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 will last for a couple of years. What do you think? What materials should I use? I’ve never done stucco before, not really worried, just need some tips—what mat is required, which gun, etc.?

Stucco Repair Advice Stephane
Stucco Repair Advice Stephane 2

Answer: If you’re only looking for the repairs to last a couple of years, the easiest and least labor-intensive approach would be:

  1. Caulking the Cracks: Use a high-quality exterior-grade caulk to seal the cracks. This will help reduce further deterioration and seal these from water intrusion.

  2. Scrape Loose Stucco & Patch Areas: Before applying a new finish, scrape away any loose stucco using a putty knife or margin trowel. If the stucco is flaking off or delaminating, patch those areas using a base material of some sort, if needed, or finish material for shallow repairs. This ensures the new texture has a solid base to adhere to and will hide the repair areas better.

  3. Spraying a 16/20 Finish: After caulking, apply a 16/20 finish texture over the repaired areas. A basic hopper gun with a compressor should work fine for this application. The texture is heavy, so you may need to apply 3 coats or more to achieve the same finish on the existing walls.

  4. Painting to Match: Once the texture is dry, paint over the repaired areas to match the rest of the stucco. This helps blend the repair seamlessly.

*** This method is a quick fix and will improve the aesthetics, but it will not stop any underlying water intrusion issues, if they exist. Some of the cracks may be large enough that they indicate deeper problems behind the stucco, so keep in mind this is more of a cosmetic solution rather than a long-term structural repair.

About the author

The Stucco Guy

My name is Ryan and I have been a licensed stucco contractor for many years and I feel that there is a huge "knowledge gap" when it comes to stucco, in particular. I hope you find the information here useful, and if you have a question for me fill out this Q & A form, so I can answer those questions better. Thanks for stopping by!

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