How to Make Natural Stucco

Prepare the scratch coat ingredients together and then add water until the mixture is a consistent thick paste. Prepare only enough for one hour's work so it does not stiffen in the pan before it is applied. If it does start to stiffen, you can add a little water but you can do that only one time. Note: Before applying stucco on a brick wall, hammer on a metal lathe to the wall with self-furring nails so the stucco seeps through the mesh and attaches the lathe to the brick securely.

Apply the first layer to 3/8 inch thick using the mason trowel, held at an angle. Lay the cement on with sweeping motions. Hold the scarifier and drag it over the surface you just laid on the wall. Sweep it one way and then cross-hatch it back the other way to create the scratched grooves you need for the next layer. Once the wall is completed, let the layer dry over two days and spray a fine mist of water several times so it does not crack in the drying process.

Mix your finish coat (or brown coat if applying on brick) and spread on a 1/4-inch-thick coat of stucco using your mason trowel held at an angle. Use smooth strokes moving back and forth. Then smooth over the whole area using a flat metal trowel held at a slight angle to avoid catching any raised spots. Smooth out any wall corners by holding a flat board against the wall edge or corner and move your trowel from the top of the wall, pressing against the board on the stucco, to the bottom of the wall. Note: For the brick wall, once this coat dries, add on another coat.

Texture your wall by using the tip of a brush or broom jabbed directly into the stucco. Keep your brush cleaned so there is not much buildup of stucco on the bristles. You can try out different strokes either with the broom tip or by using another tool of your choice. For a different design look, mix color into the cement when getting ready for the finish coat. It will add a little extra zip to your overall design and finish.