No doubt that stucco walls add a touch of elegance, sophistication and even vanity to the house and when properly applied and maintained they can be the apple of the eye for many years. Despite being very popular with house owners and design professionals, stucco walls are not as widely-used as one might imagine. There are many reasons to that: some people are afraid of the stucco process and believe that they are unable to do it unless they are specialists, others suppose that stucco is out of fashion. Nevertheless, if you have the correct tools and supplies, a little imagination, and the time to complete this task stucco applying process turn out to be a lot easier. Done right, you can even find that stucco applying operations can be an interesting and creative pastime. However it’s a common mistake to think that once applied the stucco will last forever in its genuine appearance and elegance. And that’s where the problem of stucco maintenance stems from. Basically, it can be divided into two sections: one of them deals with the refreshing and restoration of the stucco appearance and it is stucco painting, while the other is more about taking care of the stucco everyday look and it is stucco cleaning.

Stucco painting. Stucco painting can be a special challenge. And though it is rarely used nowadays, if you have an older house, you are likely to encounter this rough outside surface. The texture of the stucco makes it extremely difficult to paint properly and it can be hard to make it look nice again. That’s why when you see that stucco painting is rather a challenge for you better invite certified specialists.

Since most stucco appears on older houses, it tends to be in a state of disrepair and quite dusty. You’ve probably seen stucco bits that have chipped away, leaving the old plain material underneath and causing unsightly scars in the wall. Spider webs are another common problem, attracting even more dust and looking quite ugly. Thus you will need to thoroughly clean the walls not only before painting them anew but also to prolong the stucco life and keep it in good condition.

Stucco cleaning. Stucco cleaning is a delicate procedure and its specificity depends on the age of the stucco. For example, older stucco tends to chip off and fall away and it isn’t suitable to common cleaning methods such as water blasting. In this situation the best way to start stucco cleaning is by using a hose with a spray nozzle to spray off excess dust and get rid of loose pebbles and stucco bits. This can take some time, but stay patient and don’t use anything stronger than the regular water pressure, as it can cause serious damage to the house. When you’ve finished rinsing the wall, examine it to see how effective the wash was. Get a broom-style brush with an extendable handle. Use a mild soap and water to scrub the wall gently until the dirt comes off completely. By the way, it is normal to see bits of stucco fall off usually they are just the stuff loosened over the years. However, if too much starts to come down stop and consult a professional cleaner.