Stucco has been used in home construction for ages. It provides an inexpensive method for decorating the exterior of your home without sacrificing quality of materials. Stucco can be applied in many different designs and patterns, and it can be painted. Applying stucco isn't difficult if you follow a few simple steps. The amount of time for application will depend entirely upon the size of the project and the dedication of the homeowner.
Instructions
1. Clean the surface to be stuccoed using a water hose, scrub brush and TSP cleaning solution. Scrub all areas, paying special attention to any soiled areas. Wash off the solution and re-scrub. This step is imperative to the rest of the process. If the stucco fails to bind to the surface, then the entire project will fail. If you are applying stucco to a wooden surface, nail felt paper, then diamond lath, to the wall using roofing nails.
2. Mix the type S mortar to prepare a base coat for the stucco. Add 16 shovels of sand, 2.5 gallons of water, and half a bag of type S mortar to the wheel barrel. Use the hoe to mix the mortar together. You may need to add water, sand, or mortar to get the right consistency---you want pancake-batter consistency that is a little sticky (adding mortar powder will make the mixture more sticky).
3. Wet the surface to be mortared. Using a masons trowel, scoop out and fill the hawk (a board about 16 inches by 16 inches that has a handle on the bottom---you will hold the mud up to the wall with this while you slide the mud onto the wall with the concrete trowel). Place the type S mortar onto the wall in smooth strokes, working from the bottom of the wall to the top. Once the mud has set 15 minutes, go back over it with the concrete trowel to smooth the surface even more. After one hour, use the notched trowel to make notches in the mortar---this will give the stucco something to bond to.
4. Apply the stucco 24 hours after the type S mortar has set. Use the same method as before when you mixed the type S mortar and applied it using the hawk and concrete trowel. Once you have a thick coat on the wall, go back and make swirls in the wall with the concrete trowel if you want patterns. Be creative. Make sure you do this soon after you have applied the stucco---you may need to do it as you apply the mud. For a smooth surface, just allow the stucco to dry and wipe over it with a damp sponge until the surface is smooth. This should be done after about 30 minutes---if the mud is too wet, it will clump up instead of wiping smooth.
5. Allow the stucco to dry for 24 hours and then finish the surface with paint or a clear finish. The choice and colors are yours---you can repaint as much as you like.
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