Stucco Repair and Exterior Painting: Making Your Stucco Home Look Great
- If you aren’t knowledgeable about the ins and outs of working with a unique finish, stucco can be an incredibly high-maintenance material to take on as a DIY project.
- Make sure your exterior stucco repair and painting needs are left to the professionals so you can ensure your project will stand the test of time (and look flawless!).
- We take inspiration from the landscapes of the American Southwest where stucco finishes abound for exterior painting colors on stucco.
If you aren’t knowledgeable about the ins and outs of working with a unique finish, stucco can be an incredibly high-maintenance material to take on as a DIY project.
Don’t take chances with exterior stucco repair and painting; leave it to the pros so you’re guaranteed to enjoy a finished product that’s built to last (and looks impeccable).
In terms of colors for stucco exterior painting, we get inspiration from American Southwest landscapes, which are abounding with stucco finishes.
Stucco houses are visually interesting because they have a unique, but equally effective exterior coating. With proper maintenance, the cement-like siding usually made of sand, Portland cement, lime and water can last longer than 50 years, and it is incredibly energy efficient (the reason you see it so often in the American Southwest!). One thing stucco isn’t good at is being the focus of a DIY project.
Stucco siding can be hard to work with, time consuming, and laborious as a homeowner. Do-it-yourself applications are not recommended for initial installations or maintenance jobs along the way. As for painting a stucco house yourself–because of the texture and preparatory work needed to ensure that the paint sticks properly to the surface, it is best to leave your stucco painting or repair project in the hands of a professional unless you are entirely confident in your abilities.
The exterior painting professionals at New Orleans House Painters know exactly how to handle your stucco painting and repair needs. Their work will replace any damaged, bulged, cracked, or browned streaks which may be affecting your curb appeal in addition to impacting the stability and longevity of your home.
Continue reading to learn more about the New Orleans House Painters process for repairing and painting stucco and get some trending exterior painting project color schemes that will have your home looking new again in no time.
Desert & Southwest Color Inspiration
Stucco is ideally suited for homes in a desert climate due to its ability to insulate. In the Southwest region of the U.S., there are extremely hot temperatures and also cold nights in the winter, which is why they seem to be everywhere. Most stucco homes can help keep your home’s temperature well-insulated. Stucco is fire-resistant as well. In dry climates that are prone to fires, stucco finishes provide an extra layer of security.
Aside from providing practicality in hot, dry climates, stucco also provides an aesthetic unique to the area. Southwest homes built with stucco can take advantage of the home’s architectural features like slightly sloped terra-cotta covered roofs and protruding vigas on the exterior walls.
The Southwestern landscape can inspire your home’s exterior color palette. A large number of exterior painting color palettes incorporate the natural colors of the deserts and green valleys surrounding them. For some color inspiration, look to Sherwin-Williams’ Desert & Southwest Style Palette that “highlights the warm, earthy tones of sun-baked adobe homes, terra-cotta roof tiles and desert sands with just enough contrasting hues of green and gray to cool you off.”
Why Are Stucco Repairs Needed?
As the saying goes, there are two types of stucco houses: Ones that are cracked and ones that are going to crack. Any cement-based product is eventually going to crack under the pressures of expansion, wind, moisture, or stress. Cracking can also be caused by the improper fitting of lath or an incorrect mixture of stucco when it was first applied.
A New Orleans House Painters team will evaluate the different kinds of cracks in your stucco to create a customized repair plan for your home’s exterior. Different kinds of cracks will require different kinds of care based on their size and location. The untrained eye cannot identify a spider crack from a hairline crack––and you don’t have to in order to fix them. Getting the right repair from a team of experts will provide you with peace of mind that your home will be left with greater stability.
Sometimes, repair techniques are not enough to fix your stucco problems, giving you the need for what’s known as remediation. A previous owner may have neglected to maintain a stucco exterior. This leaves your home vulnerable to mold growth. Maybe you just bought a new home, which already had stucco walls. The work will identify structural flaws and replace them accordingly so that your stucco receives a clean bill of health after the project.
Making repairs to stucco can be challenging when achieving the desired texture and color to match the original finish. It’s best left to the professionals if you’re not completely comfortable and knowledgeable in the restoration process.
Painting Projects With Stucco
Stucco finishes require much more attention and skill when painting than other types of surfaces. Stucco primer is recommended to cover repairs and leave a smooth finish. Without primer, the stucco can absorb moisture from the coating leaving it vulnerable to cracking.
Our team at New Orleans House Painters will make sure that the cured stucco is sealed with elastomeric/waterproof primer to ensure a uniform surface for applying your chosen color palette. No problem if you have no idea what elastomeric stucco painting is. That’s why they’re there!
The type of stucco texture on your home will also have an effect on the methods and tools needed to properly adhere paint to the existing texture. You can take advantage of the equipment resources that a professional painting team can provide, including pressure washers for proper preparation and paint sprayers for optimal application, to get the job done more efficiently.
You get more than just a facelift when you paint your home’s exterior. Paint is a great way to protect your stucco from rain, pollution, and mold. It also helps preserve the stucco and prevent cracking and crumbling from happening sooner than it should. A professional painter can advise you on the best waterproof paint to use for superior protection. It is best to choose paint that is vapor permeable because the surface must be able to breathe. Using the wrong paint can cause blistering or peeling if too much moisture is introduced to the walls.
If you take good care of your stucco, it will last for years to come. New Orleans House Painters can help you determine which repairs may be needed and how to tackle an exterior painting job with stucco.
A professional painter will gladly lend their expertise to make sure repairs are properly addressed and the paint is applied in such a way that your home will look good and be protected for years to come. Call 1-504-527-8208 or schedule a free estimate online to get started!