Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a coating for walls and ceilings and for decoration. Stucco may be used to cover less visually appealing construction materials such as concrete, cinder block, or clay brick and adobe.
While the service life of stucco can’t be quantified as a specific number of years, properly applied and maintained portland cement plaster, or stucco, is as durable as any commonly used cladding material. Its hard surface resists abrasion and can take a lot of physical abuse. It stands up to all sorts of climates, from cold to hot and wet to dry. Many older homes built in the early 1900s have had very little maintenance and remain in good shape today.
Yes. Researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory concluded that EIFS is 84% more energy efficient then any other wall system. This means you'll save a little money and reduce your carbon footprint.
Yes. You can paint the stucco if you dislike the color or want to go for something new but if you are considering new stucco then there are a wide range of colored stucco options for you to choose from.
Moulding is a strip of material with various cross sections used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration.
Your choice. It can be painted or stuccoed but paint is prefered since it is easier to apply on the edges and corner of mouldings because of the detail. A darker or lighter tone then that used for the stucco is usually applied to give a nicer look.
Yes, they are quite durable but quality depends on the manufacturer.
Parge coat (concrete) is a thin coat of a cementitious or polymeric mortar applied to concrete for refinement of the surface. The typical parge coat is 1/32"-1/16" in thickness; this may be less than the minimum thickness allowed by many mortars types. The intent is to create a contiguous surface by filling surface air voids and bugholes (eliminating bughole-induced outgassing) and to level concrete with extreme rugosity to a level suitable for topcoating with a high-performance protective coating.
