Forms of stuccos have been used for thousands of years and is an attractive and durable exterior finish. plasters, concrete, and stucco techniques have been used since the age of ancient Egyptians. Advances in building materials were made during the Renaissance and was reflected in architecture and art during that period. During the 1800’s due to the invention of portland cement, plaster and stuccos made a resurgence in architecture. Due to the extensive damage of buildings from the war, a period of reconstruction of Europe occurred following World War II. During this time, many advances were made to Stucco processes.
Properties of Stucco
Stucco is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid.
As a building material, stucco is a durable, attractive, and weather-resistant wall covering. It was traditionally used as both an interior and exterior finish applied in one or two thin layers directly over a solid surface. The Finish Coat usually contained an integral color and was typically textured for appearance.
Application of Stucco
The traditional application of Stucco and lath occurs in three coats — the scratch coat, the brown coat and the finish coat. The two base coats of plaster are either hand-applied or machine sprayed. The finish coat can be troweled smooth, hand-textured, floated to a sand finish or sprayed.
In exterior wall applications, the lath is installed over a weather-resistant black asphalt felt paper that protects the framing from the moisture.
A lightweight and cost effective alternative to traditional Hardcoat Stuccos is EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finish Systems), also called Synthetic Stucco.