Stucco

Perhaps one of the oldest techniques to apply on walls and ceilings is stucco . At present, it continues to be applied in houses , buildings and commercial premises to provide a feeling of greater elegance and warmth. It is a type of material that is responsible for covering the walls of a place to provide a smoother and brighter texture by means of which it is possible to obtain an effect very similar to marble.

The origin of stucco remains a bit unclear, although it is known that the term comes from the Roman Empire . It is believed that its appearance was linked to the great development splendor and that which was experienced in antiquity with the arrival of the Renaissance . Many of the Assyrian palaces as well as the tombs of important Greek and Roman kings used a very similar material to be built. The civilization of Rome was perhaps the one that had the greatest influence on the development of the different techniques and materials , which evolved to achieve the type of stucco that is available today.

Types of stucco

The types of stucco that can be found in the market are the following:

• Cold stucco – This is the type of stucco that is most often used both indoors and outdoors. With it it is possible to obtain a surface free of imperfections.
• Imitation stone stucco : to be able to do this, the design of the stone must be drawn in advance.
• Hot coated: it is a good coating especially for exteriors and depending on the color used it will be its transparency.
• Plastered with flattened Tyrolean : gives a better appearance and has more durability.
• Bavarian Tyrolean Coated : It has a base coat and can be applied to walls that have been previously painted with latex to improve texture and durability.
• Smooth coating : it is widely used in interior areas, it is cheaper and it is also much easier to apply.
• Scraping : it is quite similar to smooth but differs in that the last layer of material must be thicker.

There is also another type of stucco classification which is the following:

• Classic stucco : also called traditional and is made with materials that were used centuries ago such as plaster , marble and lime .
• Synthetic stucco: this type of stucco can be obtained through a mixture of materials and chemical formulas. They are sold ready-made and their composition is patented.
• Modern stucco – Plastic and synthetic resins are examples of these and work very well as a type of topcoat that can even completely replace paint. They are obtained ready to be applied and need less professional hand to be placed.

Composition

Stucco is a material composed of lime , cement , plaster , marble sand, and different types of natural pigments that have the ability to provide and create a smoother, brighter surface. It is also a very versatile compound that can, thanks to this, be molded and carved very easily, achieving different shapes. In its composition you can also find different types of dyes so that it can have different types of intensity in color. It is a product manufactured with a high degree of technical complexity as their mortars can vary in composition depending on where they are going to be placed.

How does it apply

In order to apply the stucco correctly it is important to follow a series of important steps, which are:

• The area where the stucco is to be placed must first be well prepared . This implies cleaning and washing it as well as its subsequent drying. If there are some types of impurities or traces of paint or material, these must be removed in this step to achieve that the surface has a better adherence to the stucco.
• The second step will be to place a layer of primer in order to avoid that more imperfections appear on the surface that will be treated with stucco. After the primer is applied, the surface should be dry and, if necessary, a second layer of material should be placed.
• The wall must be sanded with very smooth movements and for this it is better to use a sandpaper that has a fine grain.
• If any type of imperfection is observed after sanding , the appropriate repair must be carried out at this time.
• After preparing or having the stucco mixture, you should begin to spread the mass in such a way that it forms a fairly thin layer.
• When the first coat of stucco is finished, before it dries completely, a second coat should be applied. These layers should ideally be laid with movements that go from top to bottom and in a diagonal fashion .
• Using a spatula , the dye that was used in the first layers is applied and then rubbed with this instrument to achieve a marble-like effect.

Advantage

There are several advantages that can be obtained when using stucco on a surface. One of them is that it is a very durable and resistant material so it can stay in good condition over time, in fact, calculations say that it can remain intact for at least 50 years. It is also a fairly inexpensive material with respect to its durability and strength so it turns out to be advantageous for the economy . It is easy to clean and also provides a very shiny and smooth texture .

Disadvantages

Like any type of material, stucco has some disadvantages that must be analyzed before deciding to apply it. One of them is that, ideally, it must be placed by qualified professional personnel and this then requires an economic investment for specialized labor, which can cause additional expenses. Although their price is much lower than other types of materials that are used for the same purpose, the price is higher than that of a painting type conventional . Finally, to be able to place it on a surface, it must be previously prepared and well finishedOtherwise, the material may be damaged and may not last.

Importance of stucco

Its main importance lies in the ability of the material to protect and at the same time offer visual beauty to the places where it is placed. It is ideal to be used as a type of coating both indoors and outdoors, it provides important and beautiful artistic finishes and also, it can also be modeled to form sculptures, or to improve the details that they have. It can also work very well as a replacement for traditional paint , which means that you can save a little money by avoiding unnecessary painting.