Stucco Repair
Welcome to the AA Brite 24/7 Stucco Repair and Patching page. After reading through these pages you will know what type of stucco you have and most importantly you'll have an idea of what it will look like after the cracks are filled and the problem areas are patched. By knowing what will happen and what "look" to expect after the work is complete you will be more satisfied with the choices you and the contractor, be it us or somebody else, make together.
Please be aware the information presented here is from an "after the fact" view point. I'm a licensed remodeling contractor in Tucson Arizona and our company specialty is painting and coating, so my experience is from a stucco patch and paint point of view and not that of a builder or new stucco application guy. I deal with patching and painting stucco which has typically aged at least five years in the desert sun, and not with the whys of how a particular structure was built or why a particular type or texture was used.
Six Types of Exterior Stucco
AA Brite 24/7 is located in Tucson Arizona, and we put local exterior stucco into one of six categories:
The six types are briefly described below. If you click on the name or the picture you will go to the page with more information on that particular type of stucco.
Smooth
Advantages: Considered the most elegant looking by many people
Disadvantages: The walls can end up wavy if no skilled labor was used to build them. Cracks are difficult to repair and highly visible.
Sanded
Advantages: Considered elegant looking and gives the home a soft feel.
Disadvantages: If there are air voids or the texture came out sharp it is difficult to patch.
Sprayed Cement
Advantages: Applies fast. Can be used to blend in new and old construction.
Disadvantages: Sharp texture. Texture varies in height and density over the building. Some patches are easy and some are difficult depending on the texture. Frequently has a lot of air bubbles. Being pure cement it also seems to crack quite a bit easier than stucco which was formulated for the purpose of covering a wall.
Spanish Lace
Advantages: Cracks less than all other kinds. Is the best for hiding defects. Seems to be stronger than other types. A popular stucco for new construction.
Disadvantages: Not many other than it is not considered to be as elegant looking as sanded or smooth.
Tex Coating
Advantages: Applies fast. Can be sprayed on over wood and pipes.
Disadvantages: To my knowledge it hasn't been used in the past 20 years. It flakes off in large chunks. New patches could eventually fall off since the material its applied to was not intended to be stuccoed.
Synthetic Sprayed
Advantages: Looks great and goes on fast. Is newer method.
Disadvantages: The very few that I've seen have lots of air bubbles when looked at closely, and when patched have to be painted twice. This is a close up view. From a distance it looks great and non-contractors wouldn't normally notice the bubbles.
Variations Within the Categories
Within each of these categories there will be quite a bit of variation in workmanship, which affects the look and also the likelihood that patches can be applied without looking like patches. As another contractor I know says "Great original stucco workmanship is easy to patch and paint, poor workmanship is a pain forever more."
Link to Next Page - The Most Important Concept "Shadowing"
