What the Definition of Stucco Is
If you are considering applying stucco to the exterior of your home, read this post on what you will be getting into, and how this material works.
Stucco is a plaster finish that is commonly used on the exterior of buildings, and it has been used in the construction industry for centuries in various forms. While it can be used inside a home, thanks to modern technology, specially designed interior plasters have replaced it. In ancient times, it was created by mixing marble dust, lime, and water to create a smooth plaster that was then molded into elaborate scenes and painted. Greek, Spanish, and Mission-style architecture all feature this, which helped to reflect heat and keep homes cool.
Various materials can be used to create stucco; as mentioned above, traditionally, lime was used, a substance made by baking limestone in kilns so it calcified, in addition to sand and water. These elements are then mixed into a paste that is troweled onto a surface or molded. When made this way, it is heavy, durable, and very strong. Because lime is soluble, cracks in the plaster will actually fix themselves, as the lime will drip to fill them when moistened. More commonly used today, stucco will use Portland Cement, sand, and water, which creates a less durable form that can crack easily.
This material can be applied to a framework such as wood or chicken wire, or it can be plastered over bricks or masonry, just so long as they have been roughened beforehand. Classically, this plaster is white; examples of it can be seen in Spanish and Greek architecture. It can also be colored by adding pigments, as can be seen on ranch houses in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Once applied, it can either be scraped smooth or textured with a tool.
So now you know, we do hope you enjoyed reading our post. If you are a resident of Aztec, NM and are interested in finding out more about our Quintana Stucco Contractor services, give us a call today at (505) 225-2879.