When you are hunting stucco companies in Albuquerque, call the best
When you want your home or business to have an exterior that stands out, is beautiful, classy, and adds value to your property, you are smart looking into stucco. Used for thousands of years as a durable, pleasing building finish, stucco is a high end standard in our region.
Stucco work is a dedicated, exacting trade, as is plaster work. It takes many years of experience to learn what, and how, to do each step required for a fine finished product. Hiring a professional stucco and plaster contractor should be reserved for only contractors like Stucco Albuquerque Contractors that know exactly what they are doing, and does it every time on every job, no matter the size.
Stucco contractors Albuquerque has are not all the same
Stucco and plaster are challenging materials to work with and apply correctly. Wisdom and experience come into play from how the material feels to how the weather on a given day will affect the application. Knowing when the curing is at exactly the right stage to finish, or apply the next layer, all comes with years of working daily with the raw materials. A handy man or company that tries to do it all just does not have the expertise to provide a job that will hold up, not crack or crumble, or worse, fail in a short period of time.
Albuquerque stucco need done by those who know local climate and construction
It is more important in the stucco trade than most other crafts to know the local area, climate, and building materials utilized regularly. The reason is that certain kinds of stucco need to be used in certain conditions, on specific kinds of materials. If the wrong stucco is used on a substrate it does not work well with, it is assured the stucco will crack, much sooner than later, or fail completely. Knowing what to use where and when is crucial in good stucco and its long term “health” on your structure.
Stucco that is not prepared correctly, is too wet or dry, or is not applied over a properly prepared substrate has a high chance of cracking, or worse, letting loose in areas. If the materials are not built up and put on at the right consistency, moisture can and will be held in the wall, often leading to mold growth or even a type of delamination. It is essential that lath, wire mesh and sometimes fiberglass, the base the stucco clings to and bonds with, is heavy enough, applied correctly, and is the correct material for the application. If any of these conditions are not met, your stucco can fail.
Stucco Albuquerque has needs to work in our conditions
That is why whether we are using a more traditional El Rey Stucco Albuquerque trusts or a newer synthetic stucco Albuquerque is now utilizing, we will suggest the best possible materials for your particular application. Stucco needs to be matched to your location, level of trim and cutouts, and finish.
Albuquerque stucco contractors need to know how to do the job right
Cement based stucco is the traditional mix, made from Portland cement, lime, sand, and water. It is non-toxic, does not off gas, and is vapor permeable. It is highly durable and can be colored in a large variety of shades for architectural and aesthetic use. Once cured, traditional stucco is tolerant and resistant to water and weather. It has insulation value, and is protective as well as fire resistant. It is the most economical version of stucco and can be applied in many patterns and textures. With a cement base, colors are not as vibrant and it is much harder to mix batches and match colors in cement stucco.
Acrylic stucco, also called elastomeric stucco, usually has a plastic or polymer resin added to allow for expansion and contraction of the stucco face, weather and vibration depending. It helps prevent crack formation, and allows for some texturing options not normally seen in traditional stucco. It acts like a heavily sanded paint with glue in it, covering the surface allowing it to be more elastic due to weather changes and moisture content. Acrylic stucco is more expensive, but the colors available are a much brighter and wider range. Special textures are available from some manufacturers.
You will see many ways stucco is described to be applied. Generally the surface is prepped and a vapor barrier is laid, often a special paper or felt, then wire lath. Once the wire base is down and weep screed in place, a base layer is applied that acts as a primer for the stucco to adhere to. It is usually referred to as brown-scratch coat, and depending on whether your contractor uses a one or two layer base, sandwiched application depends on how thick the layer or layers are. Usually a fiber is added to the scratch coat to improve crack prevention. One way to improve and enhance the quality of the job is to lay fiberglass webbing between the layers of base to further strengthen the built up underlayment for the stucco itself.
The brown-scratch layer should be left to cure for 5-7 days depending on weather conditions. Too short a time and moisture will cause issues in the final stucco layer and adherence, as well as provide potential for mold growth. Too much drying and the scratch may shrink or harden too well to provide the “tooth” needed for the stucco layers to adhere well. Once cured, the final stucco layer(s) can be applied, with necessary curing times between.
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Stucco Albuquerque Contractors is your one call for stucco and plastering needs
Stucco is a time honored exterior finish used since ancient Egypt and Rome. Durable and effective for fire resistance, stucco and plaster are non-toxic and do not off-gas. Many are environmentally friendly products as well. With Albuquerque’s strong sun and extreme temperatures, stucco resists sun damage and does not fade. As long as regular maintenance is done, a stucco exterior can easily last 50 years or more on a building, providing lasting beauty and a durable shell.
Interior plasterwork is coming back as people realize the luminosity and variety of finishes available. Whether you need traditional plaster ceilings or Venetian finishes, we can do your work. Plaster is durable, cleanable, and some even water resistant or proof, and comes in a variety of colors and textures. Patterns can be applied as well as stenciling, imprint, and other effects. Bring us your design ideas and see how we can make your interior glow with special plastering work.
When stucco repair Albuquerque NM trusts is needed, call us
Stucco is heavy, 6-10 pounds per square foot. When stucco is not mixed and applied property to a correctly built base, it tends to fail – quick. We have seen walls full of crumbled patches less than a year old because the person doing the work did not do the correct preparation or use the right materials. We can evaluate the repair you need done and provide a complete quote for what it will take to fix the problem correctly, not just patch and paint over it, a band aid “solution” which may cause far more expensive repairs to be needed.
Some Albuquerque stucco repair involves more than paint and patch
If you happen to have EIFS or synthetic stucco on your property, there are some things to consider. EIFS generally cannot be repaired. You might be able to plug a hole with caulk, but that is not a repair and moisture will get inside. EIFS, while a wonderful product for some applications, is not as fire resistant nor nearly as durable as traditional stucco. Hail is hard on it and objects slung by lawnmowers, blowers, or some kid’s slingshot or BB gun can easily puncture the stucco skim into the insulation layer or beyond. Any surface breech causes deterioration and compromises your stucco.
Another EIFS truth – woodpeckers love the stuff. It reminds them of nice, soft, insect damaged rotten wood, and they will hunt for food in your pretty EIFS fascia until sundown and start again tomorrow. If moldings, cornices, or other decorative trim are damaged, it can sometimes be replaced. Often EIFS damage has to be repaired by repairing a whole wall segment. If you have EIFS, please keep this in mind when we provide a repair quote
Doing stucco repair Albuquerque trusts means repairs, not out of sight, out of mind
Running some caulk down a crack and painting over it, hoping it does not show, is not how you fix stucco or plaster. While it is true most stucco will over time show some hairline cracks due to settling, seismic activity, weathering, vibration from doors closing, and the like, cracks over 1/8” are problems. It is easy for moisture to intrude and get into, or behind, the stucco. Moisture sealed inside tends to stay inside, growing mildew and mold. Your stucco will discolor, flake, patch off, and fail, if the mold does not threaten the integral structure of your building as well.
Stucco needs to be evaluated for the type of damage and how to best repair it to avoid those problems. A quality company like Stucco Albuquerque Contractors can take care of those repairs, whether in traditional stucco or plaster or an EIFS system.
A lot of stucco contractors Albuquerque NM sees only do one kind of job. Not us - We do it all.
Many stucco or plaster contractors only do commercial work, or only do high-end residential homes, or other specialized types of application such as Venetian or Marmorino. We do traditional, synthetic, elastomeric, and Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems stucco exteriors, as well as a wide variety of craftsmen level interior plastering styles. Let our team know your needs and we will provide a free quote for what you want done. We can share materials, colors, and samples of special textures and patterns for your perusal.
When you are hunting stucco companies Albuquerque lists, look no further
Than Stucco Albuquerque Contractors. We are a full service, dedicated to the craft, stucco and plaster company. We are licensed and insured and come with years of experience. We take pride in giving you a high quality job, a clean job site, and courteous, timely service.
Stucco Albuquerque Contractors would be pleased to give you a free quote for stucco Albuquerque NM And The Surrounding Area Loves
We live and work here and are proud to call Albuquerque home. Let us help make your stucco or plaster project stress free and beautifully complete. Fill out the contact form with some basic information and we will contact you. Our quotes are always free, and we know you will appreciate the level of artful craftsmanship to which we take our work.