What is stucco?
Stucco is the term used to refer to an exterior plaster usually composed ofa standard plaster sand, portland cement, and hydrated lime or masonry cement and sand. The same mixtures are also conveniently available as SAKRETE® Type S Mortar Mixes. Application traditionally consists of one, two or three coats – scratch coat (first), brown coat (second) and finish coat (third or final) or brown and finish in a two-coat application.
Traditional stucco is a cement mixture used for siding, usually on Mission or other Spanish style homes. The cement is combined with water and inert materials such as sand and lime. Usually, wooden walls are covered with tar paper and chicken wire or galvanized metal screening. This framework is then covered with the stucco mixture. Sometimes, the cement mix is applied directly to specially prepared masonry surfaces.
Stucco is a type of finishing plaster that is commonly used on the exterior of buildings, and has been used in construction for centuries in various forms. While it can also be used inside, specially designed interior plasters have replaced stucco for interior use in most regions. In ancient times, interior stucco would be made by mixing marble dust, lime, and water to create a smooth plaster which could be molded into elaborate scenes and painted. Spanish, Greek, and Mission style architecture all prominently feature stucco, which helps to reflect heat and keep homes cool. A variety of materials can be used to make stucco. Traditional stucco uses lime, a material made by baking limestone in kilns so that it calcifies, along with with sand and water. These elements are mixed into a paste which can be troweled onto a surface or molded, as used to be common with interior stucco. Stucco made in this fashion is durable, strong, and heavy. Because lime is somewhat soluble, cracks in the stu
Part Three of Three: Hybrid Stucco In this final article, we will discuss how U.S. Inspect classifies Hybrid stucco. U.S. Inspect defines Hybrid stucco as a system that falls outside the design and components of the following standard systems: Conventional or EIFS Class-PB (barrier EIFS). Though a manufacturer may produce a system that has a set specification (such as EIFS Class-PM, FRP, Direct applied or One-Coat), known data, testing and litigation information is not available for Hybrid Systems. U.S. Inspect groups these non-standard systems in the class of hybrid to limit the amount of confusion that can occur when systems are named. Also, due to the similarities of some systems, they truly cannot be determined without a sample of the product being laboratory-analyzed to determine the proprietary mixture of the base and finish coat. Known Problems with Hybrid Stucco Problems exist with all exterior cladding; brick, any type of siding material (aluminum, wood, composite), stone and
