Basics
Stucco is an ancient method used today of prevalent cladding materials applied as a decorative and protective coating for inside or outside walls and ceilings.
In most cases, conventional stucco is a blend of an aggregate, binder, and water for chemical reaction, which in present time will often be Portland cement, lime, clean sand, water, fibers, oxide colorants and modern polymeric or acrylic additives. The combination of those materials creates a very durable, low maintenance, flexible barrier protecting the residential and commercial building against harsh environmental elements.
Stucco may be applied with three unique systems and each system offers a different finished look and strength.
- Hard Coat Cement Stucco (HCS) is a three-coat stucco system that has been in use for decades. It features a scratch coat, brown coat, usually followed by a cement finish coat, making them more bulky, heavy, and durable. Hard coat stucco can also me finished with primer and an acrylic finish coat.
- One-Coat Cement Stucco (OCS) One-coat stucco is just a version of Hard coat that simply combines the scratch and brown coat all into one for a more convenient process that is more difficult but takes less time. The scratch & brown coat can sometimes be troweled or sprayed onto the substrate.
- EIFS, (Exterior Insulation and Finish System) has been used for a little over three decades in the USA, uses a multi-layer of EPS foam, fiberglass mesh, primer and a “synthetic” acrylic stucco that offers excellent insulation and flexibility over a traditional stucco system.
