Stucco Painting and Stucco Repair in San Diego

Why stucco fails in San Diego

Stucco is a cement plaster, and it moves with heat, settles with the house and drinks water. Hairline cracks come from thermal movement on sun-facing walls. Larger cracks follow settling or a change in the framing behind them. Chalking is UV breaking down the old coating. Efflorescence and soft spots come from moisture, most often sprinklers hitting the wall or failed sealant at windows and penetrations. Near the coast, salt air adds to all of it. Each of those has a different fix, and only some of them are painting problems.

Crack repair that is written into the scope

This is where our stucco work differs from a bid that just says "paint the house." During the site visit we inspect the walls and put the condition in writing. Hairline and small cracks are filled, patched and textured to blend, and that repair is a line on the proposal. Cracks that are wide, stepped or recurring, stucco that is delaminating from the lath, and any sign of water intrusion are disclosed and excluded from the painting scope, because they need a plastering or waterproofing fix first. We tell you which is which before we bid, and we do not paint over a problem to hide it.

Elastomeric or acrylic: choosing the coating

Elastomeric coatings are thick and flexible. They bridge hairline cracks and hold up on hot, sun-facing walls, which is why they are common on San Diego stucco. They are also less breathable, so they should not go over damp stucco or a wall with a moisture problem, and they are harder to recoat later. Acrylic systems breathe better, adhere well to sound stucco and are easier to maintain, but they do not bridge movement the way elastomeric does. The right answer can differ from one elevation to the next on the same house. The proposal names the system for each condition it is meant for, so the choice is on record.

How we paint stucco

1. Pressure wash to remove chalk, dirt and loose material, then let the wall dry.
2. Repair the cracks that are in the scope, and texture patches to match the existing finish.
3. Seal or prime chalky and patched areas so the finish coat bonds evenly.
4. Apply the coating system named on the proposal, at the coverage the product calls for.
5. Paint trim, fascia and doors as itemized, then walk the job with you and sign off.

What affects the cost of stucco painting and repair

Wall area and the number of stories, the amount of crack repair, the coating system (elastomeric costs more per gallon and covers less area per coat than a standard acrylic), the number of colors, and access. Each is itemized. Anything found during washing or repair that changes the scope is disclosed and approved as a written change order before the work is done.

Stucco painting across San Diego County

Stucco is the most common exterior in El Cajon, Santee, La Mesa, Chula Vista, Coronado, La Jolla, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Encinitas, Del Mar, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Poway and across the county, from coastal homes that fight salt and damp to East County homes that fight heat. Read our Google reviews, or request a free estimate. See also exterior painting.

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