Painting Stucco Siding in the San Francisco Bay Area
Stucco siding has an earthy, natural appeal to it that blends well in California's terrain. In addition to its pleasant appearance, stucco is also very low-maintenance and durable. It's no wonder that so many homes in the Bay Area are adorned with this simple siding! However, low maintenance is not the same as no maintenance, and even stucco siding needs to be painted sometimes.
How to Paint Stucco Siding
The first stage in any paint job is to clean the area to be painted. For exterior painting, pressure washing is the best way to prepare the surface. Alternatively, the stucco could be washed with a long-handled scrub brush, but this is more labor intensive, and may not reach into all the recessed areas of the stucco texture.
If there is any mildew on the siding, it is recommended that you use a bleach or mildewcide solution during the cleaning process, because just spraying or scrubbing the mildew will not kill the spores that live on the surface.
When pressure washing an exterior surface, it is vital that you maintain an even distance from the siding, close enough to clean, but not close enough to damage the surface. Use smooth, even strokes to make sure you don't miss spots.
What If There Are Cracks in My Stucco?
A good exterior paint will bridge and hide hairline cracks in stucco. If the crack is wide enough to insert the end of a butter knife, it should be caulked. While this can be done by a homeowner using the proper type of caulk, you may want to hire a professional painter to get the best results. Stucco repair is tricky, and poorly-blended repair jobs will show through your exterior paint.
What Kind of Paint Should I Use on Stucco Siding?
In order to do a good job coating and preserving stucco, your exterior paint needs to be flexible and resilient. Painting contractors recommend using elastomeric paint, which was developed for exactly this type of application. If elastomeric paint has been previously applied to the walls, you can use regular latex-acrylic exterior paint on a later paint job.
What Is the Best Way to Spread Paint on Stucco?
Painting contractors prefer to use spray-painting methods in many situations because of its efficiency and its even, smooth results. In the case of stucco, spraying the paint has the extra advantage of being able to coat the uneven texture better than a brush or roller.
Elastomeric paints are thicker than typical exterior house paint, so they will not work with standard spray painting equipment. However, some professional house painters use specialized equipment that allows them to spray this type of paint.
In many cases, a pro painter will roll a wall after it has been sprayed. This can help to provide a more unform finish and pleasing texture to the paint. This process is called back-rolling.
Professional Stucco Painter in the San Francisco Bay Area
If your home has stucco siding that needs repainting, you might want to have it professionally painted. After all, we have the tools and equipment to do it safely and quickly, as well as the knowledge and experience to do it right. When you hire a San Francisco residential painting company like MB Jessee, you can count on spectacular results and a lasting paint job.
MB Jessee provides interior and exterior house painting services to the Bay Area, including Piedmont, Oakland Hills, Pacific Heights, Hillsborough and the surrounding communities.
