Give Your Stucco Home a Modern Refresh
Stucco is a long-lasting, durable siding material popular on homes in many parts of the U.S., particularly in the West and Southwest. It’s the perfect exterior siding choice in Arizona because it does not do well with excessive moisture or precipitation. If your home is starting to look dated or boring, there are easy fixes to make your home stand out among every other stucco house.
Make repairs
Stucco is relatively low-maintenance and if it does crack, it’s easy to fix. Stucco can crack for many reasons including the house and foundation settling, improper installation or just old age. You can get textured masonry caulk at any hardware store, so just keep these things in mind when repairing your own stucco:
- Caulk in the morning before the sun heats the stucco, as this can cause the cracks to shrink.
- Use your hand covered with a soapy rubber glove to push in the caulk, buffing it in with a circular motion.
- Allow the caulk to dry fully and apply more if necessary, as it tends to shrink during the drying process.
If the crack is larger than ¼”, you’ll need to call a professional because the job will require mixing fresh stucco. Arizona Painting Company offers stucco repair services. A professional will come and asses the wall to determine the cause of the crack to prevent it from happening again, then will use the same color and type of stucco to blend the new stucco seamlessly on your existing wall.
Change the texture
If your home was built in the 1970s to the early 2000s, you most likely have a rough, textured stucco siding. The new, modern style is a smoothed stucco look. Besides just aesthetics, a homeowner may want to smooth their stucco to prevent dust from collecting in the textured indents, creating a dingy appearance and attracting bugs. A professional will need to be in charge of smoothing the stucco on your home. This process includes power washing the home, adding a new stucco base coat to smooth out the original texture and then applying a color or finishing coat to seal the job. You can learn more about the process that Arizona Painting Company follows when changing the stucco texture of your home before you even get a quote!
Paint it
One of the most popular choices to give your stucco home a refresh is to paint it. Painting stucco can instantly give your home a brand-new look and last up to 20 years. It also has other advantages that make painting stucco a popular option.
- Seals out moisture – Stucco is known for absorbing moisture, so the right paint can ensure your home stays waterproof and sealed. Plus, the color will remain consistent, wet or dry.
- Covers stains – As your stucco ages, you’ll start to see water and rust stains, especially under window frames. Painting the stucco can cover these stains for years to come.
- Fills hairline cracks – Stucco commonly cracks, and the small hairline cracks will become a much bigger problem the longer it’s left untreated. Painting your home with high-quality thick paint can fill these hairline cracks naturally with the paint film.
- Resists UV rays – If you live in a sunny climate like Arizona, ultraviolet rays can reduce the durability of your exterior stucco, leading to structural damage and cracks in masonry. Paint acts are a stucco sunscreen, protecting your walls by deflecting the UV rays.
Painting the exterior of your home can be a daunting process. With Arizona Painting Company, you can use our color consulting tools to do the fun part of picking out a color and leave the rest to the professionals.
Whatever you decide to do to give your stucco home a refreshed look, Arizona Painting Company is here to help. Contact us today to get a free estimate and find out how we can transform your stucco into the exterior of your dreams.