I have slump block walls that were covered in stucco at some point and now in places it's falling off. I know I need to power wash the wall and then use some kind of bonding agent so the new stucco will stick to the old wall but how do I apply the stucco? I feel like going from the skip trowel stucco look to the adobe look but that's a lot of walls to cover just to avoid learning how to do it the skip trowel way. Suggestions?
How to fix stucco that is falling off of the walls
repairstucco
Related Solutions
From the pictures it looks like the cracks may only be in the stucco, and the underlying structural wall may be unaffected. It's hard to tell without actually inspecting the wall, but my guess is that these cracks are only skin deep. However, you will want to treat them to prevent them from spreading.
Here is a good article about Cracks in stucco.
Here are some excerpts from the article.
All buildings are subjected to a variety of stresses in various forms and this stress is often transferred to the plaster stucco membrane.
Stucco is not and never was intended to be a structural material.
Cement stucco is a relatively thin, brittle shell over a framed structure and can crack if the stresses are transferred and overcome the strength of the plaster membrane.
SHRINKAGE STRESS
All Portland cement shrinks as it cures. Controlling and minimizing that shrinkage is critical to minimizing cracks
Shrinkage cracking tends to have a map-like cracking pattern.
OUTSIDE SOURCES
Structural loads, lateral force racking, thermal changes, wind, lumber shrinkage and seismic events are all examples of outside sources of stress.
HOW HARMFUL IS A HAIRLINE CRACK?
a hairline crack does not automatically mean the stucco is faulty, failing or will not function for the service life of the building.
MAKING REPAIRS
Once the decision is made to make repairs, there are several options.
Option 1: Treat the joint with the same finish material.
Option 2: Paint the wall or ceiling after treating the crack with an acrylic paint or paint designed for stucco.
Option 3: An elastomeric paint coating.
Option 4: Recoat the wall from architectural break to architectural break with the same finish material.
Option 5: A new basecoat and mesh over the wall area.
If you are not sure about whether a your paving is capable of withstanding the jet of water from a power washer, test a small hidden area first.
Natural stone and slabs have the highest resistance to power jet water stream. It is not uncommon to see small pieces of stone or slate taken of by the water stream. You should wear glasses because this can ricochet and get lodged in your eyeball ... ouch.
You need to take care with "wet-cast" slabs and paving.
I would recommend using karchers dirt blaster ...
It has a weird cone shape on the end that actually spins the water at high pressure making the cleaning much more effective.
You should then regulate the distance and angle at your own consideration.
I usually pull away when cleaning the concrete joints as the water stream can easily rip them out. Then do a quick sweep on the tile and only concentrate on areas where tough stains are left. There have been times where small pieces of stone were forced out of the slab and nearly blinded me -- Wear safety goggles!
There is also patio cleaner that does not spew water and debris all over the place and is a bit safer to use on sensitive material.
Power-washing is particularly effective at removing mosses and algae that seem to thrive on certain types of paving, most notably 'textured' patio paving and clay brick pavers. We find that the addition of Jeyes Fluid tends to inhibit the return of this type of vegetation for a short time, whilst not affecting the pavement surface. Certain quality sealants are also reputed to inhibit or prevent algal growth, but are an expensive way to eliminate a minor problem.
You would need to find some local advice on sealants that you can use on the particular slabs you have got. They can work well sometimes -- but also can be a waste of time the rest of times.
Related Topic
- Basement – this material on the interior foundation walls
- Walls – How to fix flexible stucco
- How to insulate the walls in a stucco house
- How to fix a through hole in stucco on the outside of the house
- Walls – How to accurately locate bricks covered in stucco or plaster
- Simple fix suggestions needed for damaged plywood paneling
- Plastering a badly damaged wall
Best Answer
Preparation is all important for this kind of work.
You need to make sure you remove all of the loose stucco because if you don't it will affect the finish and durability of the repair. My approach would be to use a wide cold chisel and lump hammer to go beyond the loose areas into the area that's still sound a little way.
If you get a good stable surface then there shouldn't be a problem getting the stucco to stick.
One point to consider - if you call a professional they'll have all the right tools and the experience, whereas this will be a learning experience for you and to do a good job you might end up spending almost as much on the tools (though they can be hired).