How to Remodel a Ranch Home With Stucco

Remove the shutters from the exterior walls of the house.

Clean the walls with a power washer, and allow them to dry.

Lightly spray the walls with water to get them damp. This water prevents the bricks in the walls from pulling moisture from the stucco while it dries, which can cause it to crack.

Prepare a batch of brown stucco, following the manufacturer's instructions. This will be used for the base coat.

Place some of the brown stucco onto a hawk. This is a metal tray with a handle that extends from the bottom in the center.

Spread the brown stucco onto the wall with a trowel, holding the trowel at a 45-degree angle and reducing it to about 30 degrees as you spread the stucco on the wall. Begin in the bottom corner of the wall, and apply the stucco in a 3/8-inch layer. Allow the stucco to begin to harden.

Wipe a sponge trowel over the brown stucco with a swirling motion. This acts to prevent the base coat from developing cracks while it cures.

Scratch the surface of the base coat with a scarifier. If you don't want to purchase one, you can create your own by driving nails through a 12-inch-long two-by-two board.

Prepare the top coat of stucco, following the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Add pigment to the stucco to color it if you want. Record how much pigment you use in each batch of stucco so you can create a uniform color over the entire house.

Spread the top coat of stucco onto the walls, following the same method you used for the base coat. Apply the top coat in a layer 1/8-inch thick. Create texture or designs in the stucco with a brush or sponge, if you want, or leave the stucco smooth.

Apply water to the stucco with a light mist every few days for six to eight weeks as the stucco cures.