How to Make a Home Exterior Look Like Stucco

Scrub the area you intend to plaster with trisodium phosphate, hot water and a stiff-bristled scrub brush. If you are plastering a very large area, consider using a pressure washer to clean the surface. Concrete, brick and most wood can all be pressure washed safely.

Install a metal or plastic lath if you are working on a wood or drywall surface. A lath is a type of netting used for plastering smooth surfaces, such as drywall and wood. Pull the lath tight over the surface, and secure it with finishing nails.

Mix your plaster. You can buy pre-mixed plaster or mix 2 parts sand with 1 part Portland cement and 1 part masonry cement. Add water while mixing constantly until the plaster has the consistency of peanut butter.

Test the plaster by scooping some up with a trowel, then holding the trowel at a 45-degree angle. If the plaster slips off, it is too thin and you need to add more dry ingredients.

Spray the surface with a garden hose equipped with a misting nozzle. Moistening a wall before plastering prevents the wall from leeching water from the plaster, which can cause the plaster to dry too quickly and crack. The wall should be wet but not dripping.

Spread plaster over the surface with a trowel. Alternatively, you can wear heavy rubber gloves and press the plaster into the wall by hand, though you will need to smooth the plaster with a trowel before allowing it to dry.

Push the plaster into any cracks, grooves or other imperfections before spreading the plaster over the entire surface. Smooth the plaster until it has a thickness of about 3/8 inch.

Drag a scarifier, or plaster rake, over the plaster in a horizontal or crisscross pattern. Allow the plaster to dry. Test the plaster by pressing into it with your thumb -- the plaster should resist denting but be easily scratched with your fingernail.

Spray the first layer of plaster with your misting hose. Spread a 1/4-inch layer of plaster over the surface using the same technique you used earlier. Once you have completely coated an area with plaster, you can leave it smooth or add texture by moving a finishing trowel over it in various patterns such as circles, crescents and waves.