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Stucco Siding For a Durable and Attractive Finish
by Jane Smallman
Jane.Smallman@homeimprovementideas.net
Home Improvement Ideas Columnist
If you want to add siding to your home, or change the siding you already have, stucco siding should be on your short list. Stucco siding provides an excellent exterior protective layer but is versatile enough to enable you to make your house look good too.
What is Stucco Siding?
- Stucco siding is made from plaster mixed with a cement base.
- Different kinds of cement are used for different climates.
- It is colored using pigments added to the mix or is painted after application.
What are the Advantages of Using Stucco Siding?
- Stucco siding is hardwearing and weather-resistant.
- Even in very severe weather conditions it will keep your home in mint condition for many years.
- It is a versatile material that can be used to create a variety of different textures e.g. smooth, swirled, raked, pebbled.
- Stucco can be painted in any color you like so it can be used as a decorative feature.
How is Stucco Siding Applied?
- Stucco siding is applied in two or three thin coats onto a solid backing, usually a wire mesh, building paper, plywood sheathing or wooden-slat spacers.
- It may be sprayed on or troweled on by hand.
- A minimum of one or two days must be left between coats to enable the previous layer to dry out.
- The final coat of stucco should be kept moist for a few days to enable it to cure.
Typical Problems with Stucco Siding
- Cracks and holes are the main problems, usually resulting from siding that has been badly applied in the first place or from poor quality mortar.
- Small cracks can be patched with cement but larger areas of damage must be chipped away and then built up again with several layers of new stucco and matched for color and composition.
About the author
Jane Smallman runs a mountain guiding business with her husband. Her early training was in hotel management and she has worked in the hotel industry in France, Holland, the US and the UK. Following this she worked in an administrative capacity for a number of not-for-profit organizations in the UK, including the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the Refugee Legal Centre. While doing this she earned a degree in Social Sciences through distance learning with the Open University. After graduation she progressed to the University of Sussex as a full-time student where she was awarded a Masters Degree in Social and Political Thought.
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