Stucco patches are effective

• Cost effective way to fix damage done to stucco
• Stucco finishes can be matched like paint
• It takes skill and experience to diminish the look of a stucco patch
• Fix the issue thats caused the stucco damage before patching the stucco
• Two elements that make stucco patches difficult, one the color match and two the type of stucco texture that was used on the home or building
• White stucco colors are the toughest to match when doing a stucco patch

Don’t just address the symptom by patching the damage stucco, address the issue causing the stucco to be damaged, then fix the damaged stucco.  In the picture below a hole in the deck at the from the post was letting water behind the stucco, causing the stucco to fail.  Sealing the hole first and then patching the stucco, made it so this patch would last the life of the stucco system.

Stucco damage below a deck that was caused by water getting into the stucco from a leak in the deck.   Before patching the stucco, determine the problem that caused the damage, then patch the stucco.

Stucco patches have two key elements that determine how diminished the patch will look when compared with the rest of the wall.  One is a the color match.  Most stucco finishes can be matched like paint.  One major difference between a interior paint match and a exterior stucco match is that the stucco is being matched to a color that has faded due to UV light and that has picked up dirt from wind blown dust.  When you match the stucco color your’e matching a color that is faded, the color matched stucco will then fade to be a little different then the color it was matched too.  If you know the existing stucco color its best to apply that rather than a matched stucco color, and let it fade to match the stucco finish.

The second element that determines how diminished the stucco patch will look is the texture.  Some stucco texture are very easy to match, a heavy textured or skip trowel texture lends itself to concealing the stucco patch.  The most common stucco finishes like the swirled and pebble like finish are not going to blend where the new stucco finish meets the existing stucco finish.  These cannot be “feathered in”.  A good stucco patch contractor will diminish this but he can’t eliminate it.

Anyone that has done some painting knows there are dozens of different colors of white.  Its the same with stucco, different stucco manufactures will have at least 6 different white colors.  White stucco colors are the toughest to match.  They show dirt pickup more than any other color which makes them the most difficult to match.  If the color matching contractor tries to match the dirt pick up it usually turns grey.  The best way to match a white color is to match it as close as possible with one of the manufactures standard white finishes and then let it pick up dirt and blend itself in with time.  The top picture is a good example of how to match a white color.

Stucco was removed above roof line so roof could be repaired.

See the stucco patch above roof line.  This picture shows where stucco was patch in after repairs shown in picture above was completed.  This is a good example of patch, you can see a slight difference between the existing stucco color and stucco finish.

This picture shows where stucco was removed just above the foundation stop a leak into the home.

This picture shows the stucco patched in just above the foundation after the repairs was done. You can see a slight difference in the stucco color and texture. This is a good example of most stucco patches.