Painting Stucco

Stucco is a hard surface building material similar to concrete, the concrete, as it is made of cement, but the lime and sand mixed together. The material is breathable, full of gaps that allow air and water vapor to penetrate. When stucco is not treated, the humidity of the air passes freely through the material.

Painting and Stucco: not a good combination

If you want to use the paint to protect all kinds of materials, stucco is a material that is not well suited to painting. To begin with, because it readily absorbs moisture, stucco sucks all the painting and you need to apply several coats to cover the surface. The problem is worse in humid climates. A major problem occurs when moisture has been absorbed into the stucco trapped beneath the sealing layer of paint: The result is unsightly blisters and peeling paint. As bad as it sounds, you can not see is even worse, trapped moisture can wick into the wood framing of your house causing the wood to rot. The end result is dangerous mold can be eliminated by stripping and reconstruction of disaster areas.

Once a house painted stucco, it can be a nightmare to keep. Because of the relentless peeling on the outside should be scraped, cleaned, painted and initiated a few years.
So what is the alternative?

Stucco is a durable material that can be left unchanged, if the moisture in the air can freely pass through its porous surface, it can not become trapped inside the building. Stucco can be cleaned as needed with a cleaning solution approved and low water pressure. If cracks appear in the surface, they must be repaired.

Stucco is in shades of white, neutral tones and earth. If you are not satisfied with the color of your stucco home can covered with a mixture of Portland cement and water that has been dyed with pigment color of your choice.

However, if you're still insistent on painting your stucco, choose latex paint acrylic or elastomeric product formulated to resist blistering and peeling. These paintings offer the greatest levels of resistance to moisture. Elastomeric paints, in particular, have large elastic properties that allow them to evenly coat the nooks and crannies found in the stucco. Other good alternatives include penetration of masonry stains or clear finishes, they have the ability to penetrate and fill gaps in a rough stucco.

Before selecting and implementing a product, talk to professionals at your home improvement or paint store for recommendations on products that are well adapted to our climate and finishes precedents that may exist on the stucco . The most important thing to keep in mind is that any type of paint compromising the permeability of stucco and locking of atmospheric moisture.