Contrary to popular belief, a stucco home CAN be painted on directly using a very special kind of solution called elastomeric paint.
Elastomeric paint was made to protect masonry homes with its high-build coating and comes with a couple of incredibly unique, beneficial properties that make it suitable for many kinds of stucco paint jobs.
Benefits of painted stucco
Some of these benefits include:
- Thick color: Just like a paint primer, this kind of coating does an amazing job of covering up the underlayer of paint to reduce the number of coatings needed to complete the paint job
- Keeps moisture out: This coating has water-resistant properties that can help your home keep moisture out of cracks and holes present on the surface
- High-velocity water resistance: For hurricane or wind-prone areas, this quality can help protect your home from rain and strong winds that would otherwise damage your standard paints.
- Hides stucco cracks: Over time the ground moves and shifts different parts of your home and consequently may crack your stucco. Elastomeric paint fills subtle cracks and holes along with protecting them over time to avoid revealing the damage again.
Having a proper stucco paint job is crucial to the longevity of the stucco siding of your home to preserve the integrity of the system holding it together. A licensed professional could accurately recommend the best solution for your stucco siding depending on the damage and work necessary. If done improperly, elastomeric paint may not protect your stucco to the best of its abilities.
Just as well, elastomeric paint is not always the suitable choice for every homeowner.
When the use of paint is not necessary
1. If your home is painted already, and the coating is in sound condition, then it may not be necessary to use elastomeric paint. Typical exterior house paints will cover more square feet per gallon, resulting in less paint needed to complete the job.
2. If you are not concerned with waterproofing your stucco, a masonry primer and 2 coats of quality exterior paint will produce fantastic results at a much lower cost. Keep in mind, for elastomeric paints to completely live up to its waterproofing specifications they need to be applied by spray methods and VERY thick coats applied.
3. If there are multiple coats of paint on your stucco it may not be a good idea to paint again with an elastomeric paint. Elastomeric paints are high-build coatings that weigh more than a typical paint. If the coating under the elastomeric is not tight to the substrate, it could be pulled away from the stucco by the weight of an elastomeric paint.
For a free, no-obligation quote on your stucco home please contact zoltan@zdstuccorepair.com
