The quality that makes stucco such an excellent exterior building material is the same quality that can make it extremely difficult to work with when remodeling. Stucco is a mixture of sand, lime and water making for one tough, long-lasting hard exterior.
San Diego is practically “ground zero” for homes finished with stucco. It’s something of a signature motif for this southern California city. That’s why an analysis of search engine data finds voluminous incidents of the “Stucco Exterior San Diego CA” search command. Thousands of people want to know the best way of working with this material when remodeling.
But there are some “remodeling hacks” that can make working with stucco a lot easier.
The simplest approach for remodeling stucco is painting. This avoids the need to drill into it. Drilling stucco readily creates cracks and chips. But your painting project will get a better result if you do some preparation first. Make sure you wash stucco before painting. As you’re doing this you’ll likely find chips, pits other minor points of damage which you should fill. This will make the painting smooth and consistent.
Be sure to use a thicker paint. A hardware store professional will be able to recommend the best paints for stucco.
Another option when dealing with stucco is to cover it up with siding. The choices of material are many. Vinyl is perhaps the most popular choice. The only drawback is that if you’re thinking of taking a DIY approach, you better know what you’re doing. Covering stucco with any kind of siding tends to be best handled by professionals.
Finally, those who search on Stucco Exterior San Diego CA will discover numerous recommendations for “veneers”. These are coverings which may resemble stone or brick, for example. They’re lighter, cheaper and more friendly for “do-it-yourselfers” to handle, but perhaps best handled by a pro.