If you’re not from the dry heat and blistering sunshiny states of the Southwest, the word stucco may be foreign to you and you might wonder what is stucco? However, you might want to consider learning about stucco because it is is an excellent choice for the exterior of your house. It is a good price for all its amazing benefits, very sturdy, and aesthetically pleasing. Stucco is one of our specialties and below I will outline the main reasons why stucco is always a popular choice.
What is stucco?
Stucco is a type of fine plaster that is used to coat wall surfaces or mold it into architectural decoration. It is used as an exterior (and sometimes interior) cement plaster and is generally made with a mixture of cement, lime, water, and sometimes synthetic acrylics and fibers. The natural colors can range from beige to a muddy light brown and can even have a rustic copper tone. It’s a very popular look all over the country but it’s seen the most in the West and Southwest.
Why is stucco so great?
Many reasons. Stucco is cost-effective, fungus and rot resistant, and is so durable that it is considered tornado-proof. It is usually applied in three layers over a lath base and can give the exterior of your home look unique. It is also very low-maintenance and fire resistant.
What are stucco’s advantages?
Let me just start by saying, we all can’t stand loud neighbors. And if you are that loud neighbor, you might be noticing people adding stucco on the houses around you. This is because stucco reduces sound transmission. This is also a great bonus if you are in a neighborhood that’s close to a freeway or railroad.
The cement, silica, and lime that stucco consists of basically creates a shell around your home which leads us to our next advantage- stucco housing will keep your house warm and cozy in the winter and chilled in the summer. Therefore, you will save a lot of money on electricity during any climate change.
Stucco is also very quick and easy to install, and even though there are multiple layers it can take as little as one or two days for our excellent team to get it installed. On top of that, it is customizable. It can be applied to both wood and concrete buildings and you can adjust the color to your own taste. If you decide that you want to change the exterior color in the future it’s a simple task. It’s also a great base for those who are artsy and want to create something original for their home like a wall mural.
What are stucco’s disadvantages?
The only true disadvantage of stucco is the price tag it comes with. While it’s not the most pricy of exterior projects, it is more expensive than vinyl siding or cement fiber. But before you change your mind, let me mention that stucco exterior can last a whopping 50 years or more. It is also very low maintenance, so in all reality, stucco ends up paying for itself.
Final thoughts
Now that you found out what is stucco, you can decide if it’s good for your project or not. Stucco might be on the pricier end (even though it isn’t as expensive as other options) but it is on the extremely durable end, so it ends up paying for itself. It is long-lasting, fire and weather resistant, and customizable. There are many excellent reasons to consider installing stucco and making it your next big home improvement.
