stucco
We have stucco on the exterior of the house. It is a sand/float finish, I believe, and it looks like this. It is a medium to coarse version of this finish.
How do I go about making this smooth by doing it myself?
Do I have to scrape off the existing stucco or can I actually just put a layer on top of it and fill in the gaps until I have a smooth exterior?
It sounds like your problem is stucco depth (1 in or more) versus drywall depth (1/2 in or 5/8 in).
Can you find a mud ring/box extender that's appropriately gasketed for use in a wet environment? If so, you can use that to bulk up the box depth.
You could also look for a deeper box. That one looks like a pancake.
Or, since you mounted the box on plywood anyway, just use several pieces of plywood to push the base of the box out to an appropriate depth.
It sounds to me like the caulk is meant to prevent water from getting into the wall, not to prevent water from entering the electrical box. To seal the box, you'll want to use a weatherproof cover with a weatherproof gasket.
If the box is in an area protected from the weather, you can use a cover that is weatherproof when nothing is plugged in.
However, if the box is not protected, you'll want to use a cover that is weatherproof even when things are plugged in.
In my opinion, it's a good idea to use an "in-use" cover for all outdoor receptacles
Best Answer
I would pressure wash the entire surface with plain water. Make sure to keep about 18 inches away from the surface and use a wide fan tip. You want to wash it well, but you don't want to peel off any of the material. Allow the surface to dry for 2-3 days.
If the stucco is structurally sound and there is no loose or peeling paint, you can use a bonding agent such as Weld-Crete. Then you can apply new stucco right over the top of your existing finish.
Kirk Giordano is one of the country's greatest plastering companies and he has many videos that detail how to get a variety of finishes.