How to Apply Different kinds of Stucco to a House
Stucco was utilized as a construction material for decades, and the application process for conventional stucco has not changed much in those years. Recent innovations in program methods and materials have created stucco installation faster and cheaper, but occasionally those improvements have come at the expense of structural quality.
Stucco Defined
Traditional stucco, sometimes referred to as “hard-coat” stucco, is an exterior cladding material produced from portland cement, lime, sand and water. It’s the consistency of concrete that is fine and is placed on the exterior surfaces of walls in a manner like plaster. Cured stucco is extremely hard and is ordinarily implemented so that it’s a textured surface. Newer stucco-like cladding materials are created from synthetic components and have a softer surface than conventional stucco.
Three-Coat Stucco
In a three-coat program process, that the stucco installer starts by attaching a metal weep screed to the bottom of the home’s exterior walls; the screed permits any water that penetrates the stucco to drain off. A paper moisture barrier goes next, followed by a metal wire lath that gives a surface to the very first layer of stucco to hold. The first layer of stucco, called the scratch coat, acts as an anchoring base for the subsequent layers. The second layer, called the brown coat, builds up and evens out the surface. The last layer, called the texture or finish coat, provides the last, finished surface. At times the texture coat includes an integral dampening; in case not, the stucco may be painted with any exterior paint.
One-Coat Stucco
A one-coat application process replaces the scratch and brown coats with one thick layer of stucco followed with a slimmer finish coat. The underlying layer of stucco is generally applied over a insulating foam board. Although the application procedures of one-coat and three-coat stucco differ, the composition of this stucco is fundamentally the same, and the finishing process is comparable.
EIFS Systems
The application process for the Exterior Insulating Finish System, sometimes referred to as “synthetic stucco” since it does not contain portland cement, is very similar to that of one-coat stucco, with 2 layers of complete material implemented over foam board insulation. Many EIFS installations, however, do not integrate weep screeds, and the nonporous composition of this artificial cladding material may trap moisture under the cladding, resulting in moisture damage to your wall.