How to Change Stucco

Remove all of the old stucco before applying new. This is necessary because the old stucco will suck up moisture from the new stucco, thus impeding the curing time and affecting the overall strength of the new layer. Use a scraping tool to remove the old stucco and take everything down to the base layer, otherwise known as the substrate.

Inspect the old layer of felt paper. If it is intact and in good condition, you can leave it in place. Otherwise, install a new layer of felt paper and hold it in place with nails. Cut pieces of wire mesh to fit the area you will be stuccoing, using the tin snips. Mount the wire mesh with a hammer and nails.

Mix your stucco according to the manufacturer's instructions if you are using a dry mix, or simply use a pre-mixed stucco. Apply an initial coat, known as the base layer, onto the wire mesh by forcing the stucco into the netting across the entire surface with a stucco trowel. Allow your initial coat to be roughly ½ inch thick across the surface, and give it time to harden slightly.

Rake the entire surface to a depth of roughly 1/8 of an inch using a plastering rake after the surface has dried somewhat (usually an hour or two). Allow anywhere from 36 to 48 hours for the base layer to harden, spraying with a light mist of water occasionally throughout this time period, otherwise known as the curing process.

Apply your finish coat once the base layer has cured sufficiently. Use a stucco finishing trowel to smooth the final layer to your desired texture or pattern, keeping the final coat between 1/8 and ¼ of an inch. Similar to the base layer, give the final layer at least 48 hours of drying time, with periodic misting sessions to aid in the curing process and avoid drying too rapidly, which causes cracks.