General Description of Stucco
Systems
Stucco consists mainly of portland cement,
sand and water and is similar to concrete.
Prehistoric stucco was performed on dwellings
4,000 years ago such as the pyramids of Egypt
and structures in Central and South America.
Stucco loves water and will continue to harden
for 40 years.
Stucco is environmentally safe and clean. Stucco allows for air infiltration,
keeping your home fresh and comfortable. Stucco will outlast the life of your
home. Stucco is a barrier to termites and woodpeckers. Stucco does not burn,
thus giving you increased fire protection. Stucco can be easily repaired. Stucco
provides a solid hard wall that offers security and protects against the weather.
There are two types of stucco systems:
Three Coat Stucco System
Stucco starts with the lath (rhymes with
bath). Lathing begins with a metal weep screed
that is installed around the bottom of your
home. Next, the exterior walls of your home
are wrapped with a weather resistant black
paper similar to roofing paper. The purpose
of the black paper (or similar product) is
to create a back-up weather resistant membrane
just in case any water gets past the stucco.
If any water does get past the stucco, the
water will run down the face of the black
paper and exit through the metal weep screed
at the bottom of your home. Next, a metal
woven wire (looks like chicken wire) is installed
over the black paper. The purpose of the
woven wire is to support the newly applied
wet stucco until it can dry.
After the lath has been completed the stucco
is applied in three layers referred to as
scratch, brown and texture coats. Color can
be added to the texture coat. One advantage
of stucco is that there is a never ending
variety of textures ranging from a smooth,
“egg shell” type texture all the way to a
heavy lace texture.
Stucco is compatible with most paints, coatings
and special finishes. If your stucco has
had color applied to the texture coat, there
is no requirement for any additional finish
such as paints or coatings. Many stucco homes
have a paint, coating or special finish applied
at the time of construction. It is normal
for stucco to take on certain color variations
as time passes, especially in high rainfall
areas. As time passes, some homeowners find
the color variations are acceptable while
others prefer a “new” look, which can be
achieved by applying appropriate paints,
coatings or special finishes.
One Coat Stucco Systems
One popular variation of the Three Coat
Stucco System is referred to as the “One
Coat Stucco System”. The name “one coat”
is misleading. The One Coat Stucco System
substitutes the scratch coat of stucco with
a one-inch thick foam board (or other board
product). The requirements for the brown
and texture coats are the same for both stucco
systems. All finish options are the same
for both stucco systems.
Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS)
EIFS is an exterior wall system that is
sometimes confused with stucco systems. EIFS
is not a member of the concrete or stucco
family. The only similarity between an EIFS
system and a Stucco system is that the two
systems may look the same when completed.
EIFS systems consist mainly of a foam board
covered with a special finish. EIFS is normally
found on large commercial projects like the
Las Vegas Casinos. Your home has a stucco
system installed as discussed above. Your
home does not have an EIFS system installed.
http://www.kenyonweb.com/types_of_stucco.html
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