How to Stucco a Cement Retaining Wall

Remove dirt and debris from the wall by brushing it down with a wire-bristled brush.

Fill a garden sprayer with a concrete de-greaser and spray it evenly across the wall.

Scrub down the wall with a nylon-bristled brush.

Rinse the wall with a garden hose. Allow the wall to dry completely for 24 hours before resuming work on it.

Brush a concrete bonding liquid onto the wall in a single, even coat. Let it partially dry for 25 minutes, then continue. The bonding liquid should feel tacky.

Mix the stucco powder with water as instructed on the packaging.

Scoop the stucco onto a stucco hawk. A hawk can be held in one hand like a pallet so the other hand is free for application.

Scoop the stucco from the hawk onto the wall with a steel trowel. Work from the base of the retaining wall to the top. Aim for a stucco thickness of 1/2 inch.

Use short sweeps of the trowel in an upward motion to give the stucco texture. Overlap sections of your application to create a cohesive finish. If you want a smoother finish, run a rubber float across the stucco once it has dried for 15 minutes.

Keep the stucco damp for an entire week by misting it daily. When the week is up, allow the stucco to dry completely. It may be necessary to cover the retaining wall with a tarp to prevent rain from ruining the curing process.