Patching and Plastering - Tightcoat...Need Stucco Help
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tracee22
07-31-09, 05:56 AM
I'm a newcomer to this forum, and after a long search about stucco... I think you are the go-to man on this subject! If you dont mind can you help us with some decisions about our planned new house exterior? We are in a Chicago suburb and want to do a stucco finish...but it appears there is stucco, and then there is stucco... Many OLD Chicago houses have a beautifully maintained stucco surface...while some of the newer ones are crumbly cracked and stained. What is the most durable stucco-like surface for the variable weather in Chicago. We can range in Temperature from 25 degrees below to 105 above and can have humidities that range from jungle to desert...nice place to live HUH? (I can only say that because both my husband and I are born and bred Chicagoans with families rooted here since the 1880's)Beer 4U2 Can you help...thanks SO MUCH Tracee
tightcoat
07-31-09, 04:13 PM
Tracee,
Stucco is not a good doityourself product.
The best place to start is contact the plasterers union there and ask who the best contractors are.
You want to look up the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association.
As an alternative, ask around in some of those houses you don't like the looks of and see if there is a common denominator and stay away from that contractor if he is still in business.
Conventional stucco is a three coat process about 7/8" thick. If it is crumbling it is most likely because it is too sandy but it could be because moisture got behind it.
Google "Bad Stucco" You should find a web site showing poor practices of detailing and flashing before the stucco ever went on the wall
Google "Minnesota Plaster" or maybe it's "Plasterers" There is some good material there on good stucco practices.
The Portland Cement Association has some publications on stucco and application procedures and mixes.
The American Concrete Institute has some publications on stucco.
I would shy away from "synthetic stucco" or Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Not because they are inherently inferior but because they are technically more complicated and there is more that can go wrong with them.
I grew up in a climate even more harsh than where you live. Colder winters and summers as hot with swings of 75 degrees in 36 hours being common in the winter. I've seen conventional three coat stucco there that is approaching 100 years old and it is as sound as the day it was applied.
As for the staining, prevention is key. Install good flashings, gutters and downspouts. Prevent water from the eaves splashing up onto the bottom of the walls.
it's hard at this distance to tell you what went wrong with some of the stucco you have seen
Hire a reputable contractor. Get a lot of references and look at some finished work. Firms in the second or third generations are a good bet.
You can find cheaper contractors but you risk getting cheaper work.
Stucco doesn't need a lot of maintenance. A washing once in a while and good maintenance at openings and penetrations is the main thing.
Good luck
Stucco is not a good doityourself product.
The best place to start is contact the plasterers union there and ask who the best contractors are.
You want to look up the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association.
As an alternative, ask around in some of those houses you don't like the looks of and see if there is a common denominator and stay away from that contractor if he is still in business.
Conventional stucco is a three coat process about 7/8" thick. If it is crumbling it is most likely because it is too sandy but it could be because moisture got behind it.
Google "Bad Stucco" You should find a web site showing poor practices of detailing and flashing before the stucco ever went on the wall
Google "Minnesota Plaster" or maybe it's "Plasterers" There is some good material there on good stucco practices.
The Portland Cement Association has some publications on stucco and application procedures and mixes.
The American Concrete Institute has some publications on stucco.
I would shy away from "synthetic stucco" or Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Not because they are inherently inferior but because they are technically more complicated and there is more that can go wrong with them.
I grew up in a climate even more harsh than where you live. Colder winters and summers as hot with swings of 75 degrees in 36 hours being common in the winter. I've seen conventional three coat stucco there that is approaching 100 years old and it is as sound as the day it was applied.
As for the staining, prevention is key. Install good flashings, gutters and downspouts. Prevent water from the eaves splashing up onto the bottom of the walls.
it's hard at this distance to tell you what went wrong with some of the stucco you have seen
Hire a reputable contractor. Get a lot of references and look at some finished work. Firms in the second or third generations are a good bet.
You can find cheaper contractors but you risk getting cheaper work.
Stucco doesn't need a lot of maintenance. A washing once in a while and good maintenance at openings and penetrations is the main thing.
Good luck
tracee22
08-01-09, 08:06 AM
Tightcoat, Thanks so much for your timely reply. I guess I miss-used this forum as we really weren't planning on a DIY application...I ended up on this site looking for something else...and your consistantly knowledgable replies on this forum encouraged me to ask about stucco. I think I will start with the plasterer's union here. I'm thinking that looking for the 2nd or 3rd generation business will point out the firms that are using long-standing tried and true methods? It's that kind of information from seasoned pros like yourself that has helped us make good choices so far. I thank you and all professionals who are so kind as to share their expertise! Tracee