drzura
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Stucco
Hello everyone. We had a garage built in San Lucas (just south of Santa Rosalia) and are about to have the stucco put on. Me and the significant
other are at odds of what color stucco to put on. What colors are common in Baja and which do you prefer. I just want to get an idea of what colors
are readily available and something we can look up. This is probably a stupid post... but what they hay... I have seen worse posts. Thanks..
Damion
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J.P.
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Around here they usually just Paint it.
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RnR
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| Quote: | Originally posted by J.P.
Around here they usually just Paint it. |
X 2.
Maybe one house out of twenty uses colored stucco. And, you can always tell which ones.
The stucco is typically finished in 7 x 10 ft panels. As high as a mason can reach and about ten feet wide. Then they have to move the scaffolds.
Typically, you can see a slight shade difference or joint line in every panel overlap whether using colored or just regular grey stucco.
Paint it.
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El Jefe
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Agree with above. Tinted stucco would never come out even mixed by hand in small batches.
Paint it. But not beige. You'd never get a stucco color as bright as a house in Mexico deserves anyway.
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
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CortezBlue
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Seriously, come on, put on your artist hat and choose a color.
Let your artsy fartsy self loose and make a decision!!
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bajajudy
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I have always heard that putting the color in the stucco makes it weaker. I have assumed that means it will chip.
As for the color of the paint....go for it. I would stay away from anything with red in it though....the fade factor.
I doubt I have to mention sealing it before you paint, but I will.
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oladulce
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Stucco color coat is definitely a personal preference but here's my opinion from personal experience:
Stucco color coat (integral powder)
Pros:
- Varying shades adds depth to the color.
- Looks cool... on other people's buildings!
Cons:
- Mexican stock stucco color choices are limited.
- Creative color mixing can be done by a skilled mason, but consistency between batches can be tricky.
- When your stucco cracks, you'll have to re-plaster the entire wall for an even color. If a custom color mix was used, you'll never get it to match.
- Efflorescence (whitish powdery appearance) can mess up your expensive color-job.
- For maximum longevity, you'll want to spray the surface with a stucco sealer (the best one's are imported from the US).
As you can tell, I'm another vote for painting your exterior stucco.
Painting pros:
- A good primer acts as your sealer to keep water out and efflorescence from coming to the surface.
- Allow your final stucco coat to cure for a few weeks. When you paint, the latex will cover many of the small cracks that appear.
- Larger surface cracks can be patched and either spot painted, or if the surface has faded, paint the whole wall and achieve an even color out of the
can.
Paint cons:
- Doesn't have the artsy, patina/aged color depth of color coat.
We used paint from Sherwin-Williams in Loreto- inside and outside. It was a very big job and we just finished yesterday in fact (started 5 months ago,
or I should say my husb started the outside 5 months ago) .  So far it
looks like it'll hold up well. We used their Luxor primer for the exterior and it's thick and sort of a pain to apply, but forms a great sealed
surface for your paint.
If you have your heart set on color coating your stucco these guys have great prices and large selection of nice colors. I spent a fortune on concrete
color for a patio from another company before someone told me about these guys- WAY cheaper! Direct Colors
We used some of their powdered color to color-coat a courtyard wall. So I got a little fix of the neat colors of the stucco on a wall but don't have
to worry about the maintenance on the big casa.
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Russ
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1st Stucco peels off down on a lot of houses here in Chivato. I had mine scrapped/power washed off and put on a strong cement top coat then picked out
a solid stain color I liked. Get an extra 5 gal mixed at the same time to have back up the same color. If you want texture have then trowel it on with
the finish coat of cement. Never stucco inside it'll make painting a nightmare.
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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Mulegena
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We think stucco is a good idea here in Baja and have put it on our house. We used a golden-yellow color.
Here's the pros 'n cons:
- Colors may not be available in our area (Sta. R/Mulege), so you may not find ample product when you need it. This is a problem.
- My friend is now doing her house and bought stucco in the estimated amount she'd need in the US and brought it down. The texture and mixing &
application method is somewhat different from Mexican stucco, so make sure your worker understands the different mixing methods (btw, directions are
written in English). The man who is applying it for her now prefers the imported over Mexican; he says the quality is better. Additionally, US stucco
can be chosen in different textures, smooth to coarse, with the texturizing medium already in the dry mix. This is a great plus over Mexican stucco as
you won't have to buy sand (which might have some salt in it) and your worker won't have to sift it and mix it in. US stucco will yield a more uniform
texture.
- This is really important: Be sure your abinil (brickworker) has applied ample concrete over the underlying brick so that the brick outline cannot be
seen. Too little and the outline will be apparent even when the stucco is applied. I've learned this is the typical technique local contractors use to
save money on cement, but at the expense of the overall finish of the house. Don't let 'em skimp on this step. Have them put at least two coats of
cement over the bare brick before applying the stucco.
- We used local stucco in Sunburst #103, a beautiful golden yellow color; finding ample amounts was a challenge. I love the finish and overall look
of stucco and am happy we chose this finish, but had I to do it again, I'd import what we need.
"Raise your words, not your voice. It's rain that grows flowers, not thunder." ~Rumi
"It's the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle
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oladulce
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Photos of your stucco or paint job anybody? Makes stucco talk more interesting.
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RnR
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Okay, does anybody know what the actual difference is between stucco and the usual gray cement topcoat used on most construction?
I just talked to a local mason (albanil) and his two terms are "emplaste fino", (the usual fine sand/gray cement mixture), and "estuco", (the
prepackaged bagged goods). His opinion is that the sand/cement mixture is far superior to the prepackaged stuff.
My thoughts are that the normal grey cement/sand mixture probably has a higher cement content than the pre-mixed bags and is just stronger, stickier,
and more durable.
The albanil's mix ratio is 1 1/2 parts sand to 1 part cement. Cement is expensive and the pre-mix may not use as high a proportion of cement.
Just a side note: For small decorative areas/accents, we have used white cement (rather than gray) and added colored powder. The colors are vibrant
rather than muted. However, it's just about impossible to keep the color consistent from batch to batch. Mix it all at one time!
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SFandH
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I have questions about concrete construction too. Is stucco the cement mix that goes on top of concrete block of is a courser mix used on top of the
block and then stucco put on top of that?
The stucco coat can be sprayed on, right?
I'm a wood stud type of guy. 
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RnR
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| Quote: | Originally posted by SFandH
I have questions about concrete construction too. Is stucco the cement mix that goes on top of concrete block of is a courser mix used on top of the
block and then stucco put on top of that?
The stucco coat can be sprayed on, right?
I'm a wood stud type of guy. |
This relates to the common practice in the La Paz area:
The local masons (albaniles) use three different words/materials:
Emplaste - The rough sand/cement base coat. The sand is screened with a 1/4" mesh and covers the block to depth of about 1 cm.
Emplaste Fino - The sand/cement topcoat. The sand is screened with a very fine mesh (usually window mosquito mesh) and applied to a depth of about
1/8".
Estuco - The prepackaged (and colored) topcoat.
Have never seen a spray rig used for home construction.
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oladulce
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For the exterior of our block casa the first layer was cement/sand
Followed by the estucco . It's white and comes in bags in "fino" or mediano textures. We wanted smooth and used fino. If you want color coat, you'd
add the color at this stage. We painted the stucco later so it's white here.
Here's a shot of some painted (red) casa walls, the white is unpainted stucco, and the courtyard wall which had the powdered color added to the
emplaste. The courtyard wall blocks were covered with the same base coat of cement and sand, but we didn't need the smooth texture and to save money
the color powder was added to the 2nd coat of grey cement and a mixture of white and black sand rather than using stucco.
For the interior walls, the block walls were covered with the same base coat of cement and sand and then we used Pegapasta plaster for a finish as
smooth as a baby's bottom. If you wanted to add color pwder to the pasta you'd get the same mottled finish as color coating the stucco. We painted the
interior so we skipped that step.
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DENNIS
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I had a friend who used white [as in White] stucco on his three story house. I thought he was nuts. [well...he is]
After so many years it started to take on the patina of Corinthian Leather that Ricardo Montalban ooozed over. It became beautiful, but impractical
as it was hard to patch or match.
So....don't use White.
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SFandH
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Thanks for the info. Keep it coming. Maybe someday I'll put it (the info) to work in BCS.
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Mulegena
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| Quote: | originally posted by RnR
This relates to the common practice in the La Paz area:
The local masons (albaniles) use three different words/materials:
Emplaste - The rough sand/cement base coat. The sand is screened with a 1/4" mesh and covers the block to depth of about 1 cm.
Emplaste Fino - The sand/cement topcoat. The sand is screened with a very fine mesh (usually window mosquito mesh) and applied to a depth of about
1/8".
Estuco - The prepackaged (and colored) topcoat.
Have never seen a spray rig used for home construction. |
In either painting or stucco finish, the albaniles
will do the emplaste coat followed by the emplaste fino or the estuco.
Make sure the emplaste coat is thick enough so the underlying brick is not visible, unless you want it that way; myself I don't think its attractive.
This is one of many instances when your presence and "eye for the job" is important, imo.
Stucco/estuco/also called "pasta" is most commonly thrown on by hand in a variety of textures and finishes from smooth to gritty and rough. It can
also be machine sprayed on and lightly trowled down.
You can also do some artsy finishes, either with the emplasto fino coat or stucco such as imprinting palm leaves or lightly rolling cardon cactus
across it. If the top coat cracks you can add a layer of stones or shale "laja" on the lines.
Owner's choices are many except in finding sufficient boxes of your favorite color locally in the Sta. Rosalia/Mulege area. Imo, best to bring down
sufficient quantity from US or make a trip to Home Depot in Ensenada or La Paz.
[Edited on 2-27-2013 by Mulegena]
[Edited on 2-28-2013 by Mulegena]
"Raise your words, not your voice. It's rain that grows flowers, not thunder." ~Rumi
"It's the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle
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