How to Paint Stucco

If you want your home to be the envy of the neighborhood, few exterior finishes stand out quite like painted stucco. The unique texture of stucco combined with the uniform finish of your paint is sure to raise some eyebrows. Unfortunately, stucco tends to absorb and hold on to moisture, and it needs time to breathe and dry out after heavy rains. This means that you’re probably better off leaving your stucco unpainted if you live in an area with a lot of precipitation, since paint can make it even harder for stucco to dry out. Just keep that in mind before you start breaking out the painting supplies!

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Can you paint stucco?

1. Yes, but make sure you don’t have moisture problems first. The biggest problem with stucco is that it doesn’t breathe very well, so it tends to break down over time as it absorbs more and more water. Before you go ahead with painting, wait for it to rain. Then, 24-48 hours after it rains, inspect your stucco. If you see any darker patches, that’s water in your wall that still hasn’t dried out yet. It’s not a good idea to paint stucco if it’s already struggling to release moisture.^[1]
   
   • A lot of professional contractors believe that painting stucco will make moisture-related problems worse over time, since another layer of material on top of the stucco can lock water in for longer.^[2]
   • Painting your stucco is more likely to be a good idea if you live in a hot, dry area. If you live in a more temperate climate with frequent rain, this is not a recommended route.

[Edit]How do I repair cracks before painting?

1. Use masonry caulk to fill in cracks smaller than . For really minor cracks and gaps, buy a tube of masonry caulk. Insert it into your caulk gun and clip the tip off with a pair of scissors. Apply a bead of the masonry caulk over the crack, and smooth it over with a gloved finger (you don’t need to press hard). Wait at least 24 hours before doing anything else.^[3]
   
   • It’s natural for a crack or two to develop over time, but if you’ve got dozens of cracks to fill, it may be time to replace your stucco and you probably shouldn’t paint it.^[4]
2. Fill larger cracks with a patching compound and wait for it to dry. If you have some smaller chunks missing, chip away any loose material around the area with a putty knife. Then, rinse the area with water and use a wire brush to clean away any dust. Use a putty knife to mix a stucco patching compound with water until it’s a thick paste. Scoop a chunk of compound up in your putty knife and rub it into the gap you’re repairing. Drag your putty knife back and forth over the compound in random directions to replicate the texture of stucco. Keep adding and spreading more compound to the area until it matches the wall around it. Wait for the compound to fully cure.^[5]
   
   • This is strictly for small damaged areas that were hit with an object, or bumped against one too many times. If you have big sections of stucco just falling out on their own though, it’s time to hire a stucco specialist to redo your exterior.

[Edit]Should I clean stucco before painting?

1. Yes, start by pressure washing the stucco if it’s especially dirty. If your wall is exceptionally dirty, power wash it first. Set your pressure washer to the lowest pressure setting and use a wide-spray tip. Spray down each section of the stucco to remove any dust, dirt, and debris. Keep the wand moving to avoid putting too much pressure in any one location. Wait for the stucco to dry out completely^[6]
   
   • If you use a higher pressure setting or a thinner nozzle, you may damage the stucco. You may also damage the stucco if just hold the wand in one spot for too long.
   • If you see any chalky, white dust on the stucco, that’s efflorescence. Scrub all of that stuff off with a wire brush or mix a masonry soap into your pressure washer’s tank before using it. If you paint over efflorescence, it’s going to reappear over time.^[7]
2. Finish with a stiff brush or broom to clean the wall thoroughly. Grab a large, stiff brush or broom. Working in sections, brush the surface of the stucco to remove any dust or dirt that’s built up in the texture of the wall. Cover each section in a combination of vertical, horizontal, and diagonal strokes to ensure you brush the wall from every angle. If your wall extends up to a second floor, use a ladder to get up there and enlist help to hold it steady from the ground while you work.
   

[Edit]Do I need to prime stucco before painting?

1. Yes, use a high-quality acrylic masonry primer to help you paint. Do not skimp out by buying the cheap stuff. Stucco’s texture makes it hard to fully cover with paint, so take your time priming. Use a synthetic brush to coat the trim in a thick layer of primer. Then, use a large-napped roller to coat the wall by working in vertical strokes. Cover each layer multiple times and drag the roller slowly to ensure that you fully cover every bit of the stucco.
   
   • If the stucco surrounds any windows, doors, gutters, or porches, tape off any areas you want to keep dry and lay down a drop cloth before you get to work.
   • It may help to get an extension rod for your roller if part of your stucco extends up to a second floor.

[Edit]What kind of paint do you use on stucco?

1. Go for high-quality, 100% exterior acrylic paint. Look at your paint here as investment, not an expense. High quality paint is extremely important for stucco. Regardless of how you plan on applying it, purchase a high-end exterior acrylic paint in the color of your choice.^[8]
   
   • Use flat acrylic if you want the stucco’s texture to stand out, or satin acrylic to give the surface a bit of shine.^[9]
   • You don’t need any special kind of “stucco” paint if you’re curious. Regular exterior acrylic should be fine. Just don’t go cheap!
   • If you have stucco indoors, you can use interior acrylic. Unless you installed the stucco yourself though, it’s extremely unlikely that indoor textured wall is actually stucco. The odds are much higher that it’s drywall compound.^[10]

[Edit]Is it better to spray or roll paint on stucco?

1. A roller is probably easier for smaller surfaces. If you’re just painting a single wall or your home is only one story, it’s probably easier to just roll the paint on. Use a synthetic brush to paint the trim, and a thick-nap roller to cover the wider sections. It may take 2 coats to fully cover the surface and achieve a uniform look. Wait at least 24 hours between coats if you necessary.^[11]
   
   • You really don’t want to use a brush for the entire job. It’s just going to take forever and it will be really hard to cover the wall entirely.
2. Use a sprayer for larger walls and “backroll” it. For larger walls, buy or rent a paint sprayer. Use a wide nozzle setting and cover each wall using long, vertical strokes. Once you’ve covered a roughly section with your sprayer, set it down and grab a thick-nap roller. Roll over the section you’ve just painted to smooth the paint out and spread it around. Keep working like this until you’ve covered the entire wall in paint.^[12]
   
   • You can cut the trim with a synthetic brush if you’d like, or lay down a drop cloth on the floor and hold flat lengths of cardboard against edges you want to keep dry while you paint.
   • Cover each area you’ve painted with a second coat of random strokes after you backroll it. This sounds weird, but stucco has a bunch of different little angles in the texture, so pick the sprayer back up and just sort of randomly spray around the wall in a bunch of different directions. This will fill in any minor spots you missed.^[13]

[Edit]How long does painted stucco last?

1. It really depends on the weather and the quality of your paint. The paint is very unlikely to fade or chip, so the main thing you want to look out for is water damage. If it ever rains and you spot a leak, or moisture starts sweating through your drywall, the paint is locking in too much moisture. If this happens, you need to hire a contractor to remove the stucco, repair the problem, and reapply it. If this happens, you’ll need to paint the stucco again.^[14]
   
   • This is the main reason most people don’t paint stucco outside of hot and dry areas. It can be extremely expensive to repair this kind of issue, and the repaired stucco may not match the rest of your home all that well.

[Edit]Tips

• If you know the brand of stucco that was used on your home, contact the manufacturer to see if there is an ideal type of paint to use based on how they design their product.^[15]

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-10-16-9810160092-story.html
2. ↑ https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-10-16-9810160092-story.html
3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vDcSBDcBW4
4. ↑ http://www.stuccomfgassoc.com/industry/papers/PlasterCouncil_tech4_crack.pdf
5. ↑ https://youtu.be/mybdAtNMhQA?t=63
6. ↑ https://www.silive.com/homegarden/2018/04/ask_the_expert_how_can_i_clean.html
7. ↑ https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-10-16-9810160092-story.html
8. ↑ https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-10-16-9810160092-story.html
9. ↑ https://youtu.be/_vDcSBDcBW4?t=130
10. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/wall-texture-types/
11. ↑ https://www.onthehouse.com/painting-stucco-the-correct-way/
12. ↑ https://www.onthehouse.com/painting-stucco-the-correct-way/
13. ↑ https://youtu.be/_vDcSBDcBW4?t=167
14. ↑ https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-10-16-9810160092-story.html
15. ↑ https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-10-16-9810160092-story.html