Building a stucco wall. For centuries,
stucco has proven to be one of the most enduring, versatile
and weather-resistant exterior wall finishes available...and with its variety of
colors and textures,
stucco continues to be one of the most popular wall systems.
Stucco can be applied over standard, wood frame walls
in a three-coat process and over masonry and poured concrete walls
in a two-coat application. Before starting your project,
check local building codes for wall assembly and moisture barrier
requirements
in your area. Weather-resistant stucco walls require the use of two layers of
grade D waterproof building paper over the wall sheeting
including plywood, OSB, exterior gypsum board
and concrete board, before the application of the base coat stucco.
When attaching the waterproof building paper,
vertical seams should be overlapped by 6 inches or more
and horizontal seams should be overlapped by 4 inches,
in shingle fashion. The building paper should also extend 16 inches
around all corners. Once the water resistant building paper is in place,
all trim accessories should be installed.
Trim accessories can be cut to size using metal snips.
Cut edges are often very sharp, so always wear gloves when working with these
materials.
a weep screed is a typical excess will be required by code.
Weep screeds are installed along the bottom edges to allow any water that
has entered the wall to escape.
Casing beads should be installed to neatly terminate stucco at the end of the wall.
Casing beads also act as a guide to help maintain a consistent stucco thickness.
casing beads, for a three coats system, should be three quarters of an inch
thick.
Casing beads for use in a two-coat system over masonry or concrete
should be 1/2 inch thick. Then,
galvanized expanded metal lath or 1 inch woven wire stucco netting
is installed over the entire surface, overlapping by one inch on the
horizontal seams
and two inches on the vertical seams. Galvanized nails or staples should be
used every six inches,
both vertically and horizontally. Make sure that the nails or staples
penetrate the studs a minimum of one inch. The lath or stucco netting should also
extend 16 inches
around all corners. If the base coat stucco is applied to a clean
unpainted concrete or masonry surface, waterproof building paper and metal lath
are not required. Then,
control joints should be placed to create wall panels no larger than 144 square
feet,
keeping the panels as square as possible. Stucco will shrink as it hardens and cures.
Control joints help reduce the potential for shrinkage cracking.
Expansion joints are required anywhere there are existing wall expansion joints
and at inside corners and changes in substrate.
Expansion joints are designed to allow for the expansion and contraction of the
stucco wall panels
with changes in temperature. Corner trim should be used on all
outside edges, to protect the exposed stucco and to provide clean
finished lines. Now that the substrate is properly prepared,
it is ready for the base coat stucco application. QUIKRETE Base Coat Stucco
and QUIKRETE Base Coat Stucco with Water-Stop are recommended for use
in a traditional three coats system over wood sheeting and
as the base for a two coat application over masonry or concrete.
These pre-blended stuccos are extremely workable for hand applied
stucco applications
and have the high bond strength required for a successful project.
Mix the base coat stucco to a workable consistency.
The proper consistency is achieved when the stucco will hang on a trowel
held at a 90 degree angle. Stucco that is mixed too wet will sag.
Stucco that is mixed too dry will not adhere properly to the metal lath.
One bag of 80 pound base coat stucco will cover about twenty seven square
feet
at three-eighths of an inch thick. Using a square trowel,
held at a 45 degree angle, apply the base coat stucco using
firm trowel pressure to force the stucco into the lath.
Work from the bottom of the wall up and apply at a thickness of
about three-eighths of an inch over the entire area. Then,
using a straight edge or darby, screed the stucco to a uniform
depth of 3/8 of an inch thick.
Once the stucco has become thumb print hard, scratch horizontal grooves, 1/8 of an inch
deep,
into the base coat, across the entire area with a raking tool.
This is why this step is commonly referred to as the scratch coat.
Allow the scratch coat to cure for 24 to 48 hours.
Keep the surface of the stucco damp with a fine water mist.
This step will help reduce shrinkage cracking, especially in hot dry
conditions.
Now, mix and apply another 3/8 inch layer
of base coat stucco directly to the scratch coat.
This step is called the brown coat. Using a straight board or darby,
screed the brown coat surface to a true even 3/8 inch thickness.
Fill any surface boards with additional base coat.
The total combined base coat depth should be three-quarters of an inch thick.
As soon as the strucco has lost its sheen, float the surface uniformly.
Then, cure the base coat with a fine water mist for 24 to 48 hours.
For two-coat applications over masonry block walls and poured concrete walls,
the scratch coat step is eliminated from the process.
Simply dampen the wall. Apply the brown coat. Then, screed and float the surface to a
uniform 3/8 inch thickness.
Now that the base coat is complete,
QUIKRETE Finish Coat Stucco can be used to provide numerous decorative color and
texture options for your stucco wall.
Finish Coat Stucco is available in both white and gray formulations
and can be combined with more than 20 standard QUIKRETE Stucco & Mortar colors.
Popular textures, such as heavy lace, light lace,
dash, sand float and smooth finishes are easy to achieve with a little practice.
Working from the bottom of the wall to the top, apply a consistent 1/8
inch thick coating of Finish Coat Stucco.
Then, use a whisk brush to lightly dash finish coat stucco onto the wall.
Then, use a trowel to knock down and flatten the stucco.
If you prefer a heavier texture, first spread the finish coat stucco
in a thin application to achieve good color coverage,
and then, double back with a heavier uneven application.
Once the heavy coat begins to harden knock the finish down with a trowel,
creating a heavy lace finish. If a smooth finish is your preference,
simply use a trowel or sponge float in a circular motion.
It is important to complete the entire wall in one application.
This will help limit any color inconsistencies from batch to batch.
Then, keep the surface damp for several days by applying a fine water mist.