Is painting stucco a bad idea?

Generally speaking, painting your stucco is a good idea. It will add a fresh, new look and feel along with color to your home and add to the curb appeal. It will also help to protect your home as the paint will act as a sealer, preventing moisture from penetrating through the stucco. As stucco is a cement product, it is inherently porous, the rain will wick through the stucco, and if not properly installed, it will also wick into the underlying substrate, damaging the wood structure of the home.

That being said, if you have damaged stucco, or worse still, incorrectly installed stucco, then painting the stucco will not solve your problem, it will merely cover up the underlying issues and lead to more damage. Any moisture trapped inside the stucco will now be sealed in and will continue to deteriorate the structure beneath. So if you have signs of stucco damage or incorrectly installed stucco, painting it is a bad idea.

Your only solution is to employ a reputable stucco remediation company to remove the stucco and reinstall it. Alternatively, and a much more popular option, is to remove the stucco and replace it with an alternative siding product. Beware of stucco remediation companies that claim that they can “patch” your stucco. Stucco problems are systemic issues with the initial installation, they are not isolated areas. You can not “fix an area” and solve the problem. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous companies out there that wish to part you from your hard-earned money by doing the least amount of work they can get away with. If you have a stucco problem, the cold, hard reality is that you likely need complete stucco remediation of the entire exterior.

If you are not sure where you stand with your stucco, give us a call at the Stucco Testing Specialists and set up a professional stucco inspection. We will provide you with an accurate and honest evaluation of your stucco facade so that you can make safe and accurate decisions to protect your investment.

I hope this article was of some help to you, but if you still have questions or concerns give us a call here at Stucco Testing Specialists and we will be happy to give you the benefit of our experience. Advice is always free at STS! For more information on our stucco inspection services, you may visit our stucco inspection services page here. We also have more stucco guides for you to peruse and frequently asked questions. If you are ready to book an inspection, you may call us at (610) 994-0287, email us at info@stuccotestingspecialists.com or submit a booking request on our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!