How to Repair Stucco by Painting Over It

Stucco finishes are found on a large number of houses built between 1940 and 1960. Stucco works well as an insulator, keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The only disadvantage to stucco is its susceptibility to moisture when it starts to develop cracks. Stucco cracks can be repaired professionally but this can be expensive and time consuming. Use standard house paint to coat exposed stucco, sealing small cracks in the process.

Wire brush
Metal putty knife
Shop vacuum
Concentrated liquid laundry detergent
Bleach

Instructions

- 1
  
  Loose stucco must be removed prior to painting.
  
  Remove any loose stucco and debris from the surface being painted. Use a putty knife to remove the larger pieces of stucco and a wire brush to remove any smaller pieces or surface debris. Paint will not adhere to stucco if there's debris between the paint and the surface.
- 2
  Vacuum the stucco surface to remove any remaining debris. Stucco finishes have a rough texture. This texture allows dirt to build up on the surface, creating a barrier that will inhibit the paint's ability to bond to the stucco. Pay special attention to areas close to the ground where debris buildup is highly concentrated.
- 3
  Wash the stucco surface being painted. Use a mixture of 8 tablespoons of concentrated detergent to 32 ounces of hot water. Add 8 tablespoons of bleach to the soap and water mixture. Scrub the surface with a stiff scrub brush. Rinse with water and allow 24 hours to dry.
- 4
  Examine the surface one final time, especially areas where there are noticeable cracks. Run the putty knife along the crack as if scraping paint off of a surface. This will remove any remaining loose stucco. Since the surface is already clean, no further preparation needs to be done.
- 5
  Paint the surface. Start with the cracks. Use a paint brush to apply paint into the cracks. The paint will act as a sealer, filling in the crack. Apply at least two coats of paint to each crack. Allow the paint to dry for at least 6 hours before applying another coat. After the cracks are sealed, paint the entire stucco surface with one coat of primer followed by two coats of paint. Use paint to seal the cracks rather than primer because paint is thicker and will fill the cracks. Either oil-based or latex paint will work.

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