Julie reached out with a challenging situation involving inconsistent stucco colors and a tight timeline. She’s looking for a reliable greige color and guidance on how to move forward.
Question from Julie:
Hi Ryan, I am reaching out because you seem to be the only person online that knows a lot about stucco (more than the stucco companies themselves). We ordered a 12"x12" sample of the color Silverado from La Habra and loved the color. Our contractor still advised us to do a sample on the house.
Thankfully we did because it was entirely a different color. I reached out to the company and it turns out the June batch was a bad batch and they pulled out the color from the suppliers; however, we got a hold of another Silverado colorant and tried that as well and that was also a different color.
So now we have three different colors. lol La Habra has been giving us the runaround for a month on trying to make a new batch on the color. My family and I need to move back home on November 1st because our rental lease is up and we have nowhere to go, but we can't move in until the stucco has been completed and dry. I desperately need your help, please.
I am now looking into Omega stucco because I no longer have trust in La Habra. I was looking at the color birch (seems to be close to Silverado). I am looking for a greige color. Any recommendations?
Also, could it be the contractor was adding too much water? (These are all dry). There seems to be water floating above the stucco after being mixed in the bucket. I also attached a photo of a house on your website that I like the color of but can't find what color it is. Thank you for taking your time looking at this. Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Answer:
Hi Julie, thanks for reaching out, and I’m sorry you’ve had such a frustrating experience with the stucco color process. Let’s break this down and see how I can help.
La Habra’s Silverado Issues
It’s unfortunate that you’ve encountered this inconsistency with Silverado. I’ve seen this happen before when batches of colorants aren’t properly calibrated, but it is very rare. It’s good that you tested the color on your home because that’s the most accurate way to see how it looks in real-world conditions and you didn't just have the color applied to all of the walls without approval. Given the issues with La Habra’s Silverado and your strict timeline, I understand your hesitation to continue with them.
How Was the Sample Made?
Julie, one important factor to consider is how the samples were mixed and is an important piece of information that would need to be known. Was an entire bag of stucco mixed with a full color pack as specified by LaHabra? This is the proper way to achieve the intended color and eliminates any possible color errors.
If the sample was made by measuring out smaller portions of the stucco and colorant separately, it could lead to errors in color consistency, which could result in a darker or lighter final color, depending on how much color was used.
Base Coat Materials
For cement-based finishes like La Habra’s Silverado, the type of base coat material used can significantly impact the final color. Silverado specifies a dark base (Base 200) to achieve its Silverado color.
If a lighter base coat, such as Base 100, was used instead, the final color would appear lighter than expected, so I don't think this was the issue, just something I wanted to point out.
From your images, the two samples applied to the wall look darker than your sample, which aligns with using the correct base coat, but the colors are still noticeably off, leading me to believe that your assumptions about the powdered color pigment is not correct for the color.
The Contractor’s Water Ratio...
From what you’ve described (water floating above the stucco mix), it’s important to note that it is normal for water to float on the surface of cement-based finishes and happens with every batch and color. This rarely affects the color, but when it does, it usually results in streaking rather than an entirely different color.
It’s still possible that too much water was added during mixing, which can dilute the pigments and exacerbate inconsistencies, but this would usually be in the form of lighter colors popping up. Water tends to lighten stucco colors and I really don't think this is the problem either.
Omega Stucco and Greige Colors
Switching to Omega Stucco sounds like a good idea and their color Birch is an excellent option for a greige (grey and beige) tone and is relatively consistent. Another color worth considering is Omega’s Taupe or Sandstone, both of which lean towards the greige spectrum and have a slightly warmer undertone.
With the current timeline crunch and the need for color testing and approval, it may be challenging to finalize a color and have it applied in such a short timeframe. It’s still a good idea to do a test patch to ensure you like the result, as lighting and surrounding elements can affect how the color appears because the stucco will be on the walls for many decades and the added expense of recoloring the walls in the future can still be avoided at this point.
Moving Forward with Your Timeline...
Since you’re on a tight schedule, here’s what I suggest:
- Finalize your color choice with Omega Stucco as soon as possible. Their Birch or Sandstone would be my top recommendations for greige and have all of the colors you like applied to the wall, the same day, all options! There may be an additional charge from your contractor for this due to the added material cost and labor cost involved.
- Give the colors a day or two to mellow out and then make a final decision, if your happy with how it looks.
- Have your contractor order the material and see if their schedule still allows for the finish to be applied to the walls.
I know this has been a stressful process, but with these steps, you should be able to get the project completed on time. Let me know if you need any additional help, Julie!
