It may not look it, but stucco installation isn’t a simple job. You’ll have to work on your stucco wall several days before you’re done: the frame and lath need to be laid down first, then you’ll have to apply your mortar layer by layer, then comes creating your finish and the time you have to wait for the wall to dry. From the scratch coat, to the whitewashing, to dashing, and finishing the complete stucco job, it is the installation of a stucco wall that determines how beautiful and how long the wall will last. There are several considerations that have to be checked to ensure the quality of a stucco installation:

1. Make sure your framing and sheathing are installed correctly. If not, the stucco mixture might sag, or moisture from the wet mortar can seep through the wall, stay there, and cause future damage.

2. Flashing and water-resistant barriers should be compliant to code requirements.

3. Double-check that your lath and accessories are installed properly. Do NOT interchange your wall’s control and expansion joints.

4. The aggregate used should be of substantial quantity and quality.

5. Take care when moist curing so you do it properly. It should be done immediately after the basecoat is applied.

More than creating a beautiful finish for the stucco, the application of the foundations frames and the mortar should also be given considerable attention. Water and moisture is a stucco walls number one enemy. If it gets through cracks in the wall it can wreak havoc: damaging the lath, expanding joints and attachments, and even weaken the stucco mortar itself. This causes long cracks which can run from the bottom of wall straight up in vertical rows.

Aside from the materials and the procedures, the weather should also be considered for starting a stucco job. Stucco dries quickly in very hot days, preventing a careful application. However, in the cold, the mortar may set when not completely dry, which makes the final product weaker than it otherwise might be.

Installing a stucco wall is not just a physical task, it is also a science that requires precision and technique. If you need more help for your perfect stucco installation, visit Skystucco.com.