How is stucco siding done?

Question

My dad is doing it to our home now. He hired some contractors to do it. They started today, and im just wondering how is it really done?

So far i have seen they use some big piece of foam substance and place it on the old siding of our home. Is that legit? I mean how do these big pieces of foam last during winter and summer days?

I live in jersey by the way.

Answer 1

To properly do stucco on a framed house (no existing siding), you have to first wrap the structure with tar paper and attach it to the framing with staples (big ones that you shoot with a pneumatic staple gun). Then you wrap the house with chicken wire (called a lath) and also attach it with staples.

Next, they use a device similar to a concrete pump that sprays the base layer onto the lath. They then use cement trowels to smooth the base layer. This is then let to dry for at least a couple of weeks, depending on the weather conditions (more for humidity or rain).

Finally, they apply the color coat. They use a wide brush (about 3 to 4 inches) to sling the color coat onto the base coat. After covering an area and letting it sit for a few minutes, they then go over it with a skiptrowel to knock down the high spots and give the stucco its signature texture.

For areas that already have stucco (for patching), they just apply the color coat.

Answer 2

Real stucco is made with clay and straw. After it has dried it most often painted over with Lime. Today they use a mixture of sand, cement, and lime, because it last longer. The foam is to insulate, it will be cover with expanded metal and then plastered.