How to Make Stucco Walls on a Brick Home

Clean the brick wall with a power washer to remove all dirt and debris. Inspect it for any loose or weak mortar, spalled brick or other damage. Repair any bad spots with a cement-based mortar. Make sure the wall is straight and plumb. Install metal "weep screed" at the bottom of the wall, a metal flashing that acts as a stop for the stucco but has holes in it to allow any moisture behind the stucco to drain away.

Employ traditional three-coat stucco or a newer one-coat method, which incorporates fibers into the stucco to replace sand. The one-coat still requires a second or finishing coat, and applications are similar. Rent a mortar sprayer for a big job, if you have experience using one; otherwise, use a flat mason's trowel with a flat bottom, one side and one end notched and the other side and end straight.

Dampen the brick wall with a sprayer or garden hose with a misting nozzle. Spread the first layer or "scratch coat" over the wall, using the bottom of the trowel to spread it and the flat side to even it out. Make this layer uniformly 3/8- to 1/2-inch thick, working from top to bottom of the wall; the layer will be thicker in the mortar joints between bricks. Once the wall is covered, scratch horizontal lines in it with a broom or the notched side of the trowel.

Dampen the scratch coat with a sprayer or mister periodically as it sets for 10 to 12 hours. Keep it moist for 48 to 72 hours. Apply a second or "brown" coat with the trowel, much like the first coat. Use extra sand in this coat to provide a rougher texture for a finish coat to adhere to. Spread this coat 1/4- to 3/8-inch thick. After the wall is covered, "screed" it with a long level or metal straightedge, pulling from top to bottom to remove excess mortar and create a flat, even surface. Clean off excess mortar and hydrate this coat like the first.

Apply a finish coat 1/16- to 1/8-inch thick, depending on the texture you want. Dampen the brown coat slightly before starting. Smooth the finish coat with the straight edge of the trowel. Give it a decorative finish by twisting the trowel to create irregular bumps or "popcorn" it by putting the bottom of the trowel on the stucco, lifting up and smoothing the tops of the stucco that's pulled up. Add pigment to this layer for color or paint it.