Best Stucco is a material made up of a binder, aggregates and water that hardens into an extremely dense solid when applied wet. Stucco is an ideal low-cost material for the exterior of your home. This material is durable, hard and requires minimal maintenance.
Stucco functions as a decorative coating for interior and exterior ceilings and walls. It may be used to cover construction materials that are better kept out of sight such as concrete, metal, clay brick, cinder brick and adobe. Rest assured, the professionals at Best Boca Raton Handyman can take care of this job for you!
What is Stucco
The contemporary type of stucco is made from sand, materials of cement and water. When these materials are mixed a plaster material is formed. The traditional type of stucco on the other hand uses lime in the place of Portland cement and is applied in various layers as soon as mixed.
While stucco is low in cost, it comes in a wide range of textures and colors making in highly customizable. Pigments and color aggregates may be added to white Portland cement to alter the color of the material.
Stucco can be used in different sizes to form different textures. When applied with texture, stucco can mimic the look of stone, brick or wood.
Various color pigments can be mixed with the plaster to make stucco look exactly as you want it to look.
Stucco comes with a durable and strong finish. It is a versatile material that can be used in any climate. It can also be applied over concrete masonry, concrete, wood or steel frames and brick.
Common Stucco Issues
Stucco is a durable wall surface. When properly installed stucco can last for a very long time. Its rigid nature however makes it prone to developing holes, cracks and blisters. Once holes, cracks or blisters start to develop, it should immediately be sealed to avoid further damage. When left unrepaired, these damages may cause stucco to decay early and diminish its endurance.
Water Damage. This is the most common issue of stucco. Water damage is often cause by the incorrect installation of the flashing. Flashing is a metal installed to prevent water from getting into the joints of the structure of your home. It is commonly used to waterproof roofs, around windows and doors. When incorrectly installed, water seeps in causing structural water damage and cracks.
Cracks. The stucco siding can develop cracks. These cracks are often small and contained within doors and windows. Cracks develop due to your homes seismic movements or water damage.
Errors in installation can also cause web-type cracks to appear in the siding.
Staining. Rainwater causes contaminants from your home’s windows and roofs and flows to the stucco walls. These often leave stains on the stucco walls.
Holes. Birds such as woodpeckers can create holes on your stucco walls. This however does not cause any structural damage.
Big or small stucco damage is bound to happen at one point in time. Even well-maintained stucco exteriors and sidings will sooner or later develop some issues. There will always come a time when stucco repair is necessary.