Stucco over painted cinder block?

Question

i invested in a cute cinder block home that has several coats of sturdy paint. i would love to stucco over this with minimal prep.. has anyone out there tried it? what is involved? is it $$??
my intent is to make it look less like a garage - so i'll take any ideas - stucco or other.
i'm hoping for ideas from folks that have actually done this and is happy with results!

Answer 1

Certainly you CAN. I did an 1800 sq. ft. house using Fiber glass based stucco, in my opinion as good as any other, still holding up well after 15 years.

I suggest try a test, if you don't want the expense and effort initially of wire mesh as the base, and give it time enough to set, and try intentionally pulling it off. You can buy stucco patch in a gallon tub for the test.

Steven Wolf

Answer 2

Stucco Over Cinder Block

Answer 3

stucco is a great fix, but it can't be trusted to stick to even unpainted block. You'll have to buy a wire mesh and tac it up to the exterior first. There are however stucco looking materials that may not need this mesh.. but is not true stucco. An example of this can be seen at your local taco bell and the like. It's a spray on type.. and can get pretty expensive.

The mesh can be pretty expensive as well if you buy their "recommended" type for stucco. Chicken wire can be used with success.. but will stick out a little further from the wall.. so your stucco layer will be a bit thicker. It may be a wash either way. We used chicken wire on my uncles straw bail home and it holds up great. The problem with the heavy mesh they recommend is that it's hard to tac up without getting "bubbles" in it... hard to get to lay flat. You have to stretch it as much as possible and tac up the sides.. then tac the rest.

The stucco is put on in three layers, with a few months time between each coat ideally. The first layer is thick and will crack. The next layer is a medium coat.. which seals the first cracks and will itself crack a little bit. The third coat is thin and will hardly crack at all. After its all done.. if you didn't dye the final coat.. you can paint 6 months later (giving the stucco enough time to cure).

A totally different approach would be to side the exterior. You could use conventional vinal after tacking on 2x4s.. or you can use lumber. I've done this with rough cut poplar and the result is awesome. I did a 75 foot span (8ft tall) for less than 500 bucks with the baton strips. Here are some poplar and oak prices. My barn was made in 1917 and still has the original siding.. in great condition. As long as you treat it every few years.. it'll look good for a lifetime.

http://www.denoon.com/Products/rough_green_dimension.asp

The "green" boards have not been kiln dried.. which is why they're inexpensive. After about 6 months of being up.. there will be a gap between the boards about 3/8" thick. This is what the 2" baton boards are for.. to cover the gap.

Another option would be to buy T-111.. which is a toung and grove 4x8 panel. I've used this as well.. and it looks decent. It also needs to be treated every 3 or 4 years.. but is actually the same price or more than the poplar is.. and the poplar looks better. T-111 can be purchased at lowes or home depot for between 15 and 25 dollars a sheet depending on the thickness and wood type.

Hope this gives you some ideas anyway. The stucco will be much more labor intensive than the board and batton.. but will look great if you choose to do it.

Answer 4

Take a pressure washer to it first to knock off any loose paint should any want to come off. Then let it dry for a week. You can do stucco right on the painted surface or even glue on siding, or faced brickwork.