Last Updated: Jul 1, 2021
Dozens of different building components go into a home. However, your exterior cladding is often the most visible aspect of the house and the element that garners the most attention from people passing by. The cladding option you choose for your home offers aesthetic appeal and plays a significant role in protecting your home from the elements. Stucco siding has been in use for thousands of years. Even the ancient Romans made stucco siding with a mixture of lime, sand, gypsum, and marble dust. Some examples of this type of siding continue to adorn the walls of ancient buildings. They are a testament to the extreme durability of this exterior cladding option. This short article offers a complete rundown on the benefits and challenges that come with choosing stucco siding for your home.
Stucco siding is a general term that refers to an exterior surface coating for homes. This siding option is made by mixing Portland cement, sand, lime, and water. Unlike other types of external cladding options, stucco siding needs to be applied to an adequate base. Unless your home is made from cinder blocks, straw bales, or some other type of solid material, you will most likely have to create a lath base to apply the stucco plaster. Stucco siding, then, is the final, visible coating of your external cladding.
In most cases, the builder will apply stucco siding in several coats. Professional plasterers might make their stucco mixes, including natural clay pigments and other custom touches. However, it is also possible to purchase pre-mixed stucco finish at most hardware or home improvement stores. When applied correctly, stucco siding offers a stable, durable, and seamless home exterior. It is naturally fire-resistant, relatively low-maintenance, and durable if protected.
Stucco siding offers a beautiful, natural, and colonial-style look to your home. Because pigments can be added directly to the stucco mix, there is virtually no limitation to color options. Also, stucco siding allows homeowners to add custom textures and surfaces to their home exterior.
As with most building products or elements, there are both environmental advantages and drawbacks to using stucco siding. On the plus side, stucco siding is mainly made from natural materials, incorporating very few (if any) chemical or synthetic products. On the downside, most commercially available stucco siding products contain large amounts of Portland cement. Due to the calcination process of limestone, fuel combustion in the kiln, and the energy-intensive manufacturing process, the cement industry contributes to about 5 percent of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. Many green building strategies focus on reducing cement in our homes to reduce our carbon footprint.
Fortunately, there are more planet-friendly stucco siding alternatives. One way to make stucco siding "greener" is to cut out the Portland cement and add more lime. Using just slaked lime, water, and sand in a stucco mix will cut the greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional stucco. Also, through what is known as "the lime cycle," the limestone used in this type of stucco can reabsorb some of the CO2 released during production. Check out this Rise article for a more detailed discussion on how lime mortars and plasters can help reduce your home's carbon dioxide emissions.
Eco Stucco is one pioneering company that is producing ready-to-use, lime-based stucco siding. Eco Stucco has a product line with limestone, sand, and water-based product line that includes over 200 different color tones. They also offer four different exterior textures to help create a custom look for your sustainable stucco siding.
There are also a few modern stucco siding alternatives that can increase your home's energy efficiency and thermal performance. Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS) is a type of insulation board coated with an acrylic finish. These boards offer continuous insulation increasing the R-value and overall energy efficiency of your home, and can be used as a high-performance lath base for a final layer of stucco siding.
Stucco siding is generally considered to be one of the healthier exterior cladding options. Traditional stucco does not include any chemical or synthetic adhesives that could off-gas into the area around your home. For this reason, one leading website on limiting chemicals in your home considers stucco siding to be among the top options for non-toxic siding for homeowners who are severely sensitive to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, it is worth mentioning that some modern stucco siding products incorporate a type of acrylic blend to provide a small amount of flexibility. Though this can lower the possibility of cracking in the stucco, consider avoiding these options if you are looking for a completely zero-VOC choice for your home siding.
Some of the benefits of this popular siding option include:
Some of the drawbacks of this popular siding option include:
Commercially available bags of stucco are also relatively inexpensive. For example, Home Depot offers a 50-pound bag of fast-set stucco siding for just over $16. If you are hiring a professional to stucco your entire home exterior, however, labor costs can quickly add up. HomeGuide estimates that the average cost to stucco a house exterior is $7 to $9 per square foot or around $8,000 to $12,000 for materials and labor.
In dry climates, stucco siding usually does not require any sealant. However, suppose driving rain or moisture accumulation is an issue in your region. In that case, it is usually a good idea to regularly seal your stucco siding. You can use a clear, concrete, or masonry sealer for sealing stucco siding. This product can penetrate the porous structure of the stucco and thus avoid moisture entrance. You'll find both silicone and polyurethane-based sealants for stucco siding. Depending on the level of exposure to the elements, homeowners should expect to reseal their stucco siding every 5-10 years.
Stucco siding, when properly applied and maintained, can easily last 50 years. The primary consideration affecting its durability is a proper and quick repair. If cracks and other damage are not repaired well, moisture can accumulate under the stucco and compromise its structural stability.
Suppose you are looking for a challenging, DIY project that will add value to your home while also transforming your home's exterior. In that case, stucco siding is undoubtedly a project that is "user-friendly." Before starting, you will need to ensure that you have a proper lath-base for your stucco coating. If you want to put stucco over another type of existing cladding, you should consult with a professional plasterer before starting. Adding metal mesh or some other material might be necessary to ensure the mixture adheres to the base.
If you are willing to do the work yourself, stucco siding is one of the cheapest siding options on the market. All you need to do is:
The following ratios should be observed:
Once you have your plaster ready, check out this YouTube tutorial on properly applying and smoothing out the exterior plaster for your home.
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.