Stucco is a very popular finishing material in many areas of the world. There are times, however, when you may want to put stone over it. Is it possible to put stone over stucco?
Stucco provides a suitable base for a stone finish. When you prepare the stucco properly in advance using a scratch coat and making sure that moisture is not going to be a problem, you can improve the look of the home with stone and it will last for many years.
There are a number of things that need to be kept in mind to make this job a success. Two of the things that will be discussed in various ways in this article, however, are moisture and the need for a scratch coat.
The scratch coat for a stone finish on a stucco home should not be a small job. You need to have a scratch coat that is at least 1/2 inch thick and preferably, a little thicker. This will provide the backing necessary for the stone.
You will also see how moisture can be a real problem and this comes as a surprise to many people. If you are not familiar with how stucco is affected by moisture, make sure you pay attention to what is written in this article before you get started with this task.
Can You Put Stone Over Stucco? (How To)
One important factor that needs to be considered with moisture is some type of flashing on top of the stone that will keep the moisture from running down the wall behind the stone. If moisture gets behind the stone, it can do more than just cause damage to the veneer.
Moisture can destroy a home and it can do it from the inside out. You want to avoid any damage from moisture and one way to do this is to stop the moisture from getting into areas where it can cause problems. That is why it is recommended that you use metal flashing to keep the water from running behind the stone.
More than likely, if your house was built properly, there is also something known as a weep screed in place. Essentially, this is metal flashing that is put at the bottom of the walls on the outside of the home.
A weep screed allows moisture to get out of the walls, which is a fairly big problem with stucco. Even if it is painted, stucco is going to absorb water and the weep screed is what allows the water to escape so it doesn’t damage the walls in the home.
We will discuss these factors further in this article, as well as provide you with information that will be invaluable in helping you to get this job done the right way.
For now, let’s look at some of the different problems you may experience when you put stone over stucco. As long as you pay attention to these issues and do something about them in advance, you can continue with the work and it will last a long time.
Should You Put Stone Over Stucco?
There are some problems you may experience when you put stone over stucco. These need to be considered, because they can do more than ruin the job, they can actually make your home uninhabitable if the worst happens.
Cracking – One of the bigger problems that are sometimes seen when you put stone over stucco is that eventually, the stone veneer will crack. You may also have the finish coming off of the stone, which is a similar problem.
This is something that happens as a result of moisture. Once moisture gets behind the stone, it can cause cracking.
Running Water – If there is water running down the face of the stucco, it will eventually reach the stone veneer and could get behind it. This won’t be a problem, as long as you have a way for the moisture to continue and flow away from the area.
If the moisture gets trapped behind the stone veneer, however, then you may be in for some more serious problems. The moisture could absorb into the stucco and eventually, could breach the building envelope.
When water is inside the walls in this way, it can result in a variety of problems and they are all better avoided.
Stone too Low – If you put the stone on the wall and you take it the whole way down to ground level, or if you install it below ground level, this can be a big problem. It is especially an issue on the side of the house without a lot of direct sunlight.
Leaving a little bit of space below the stone is important to allow water to run off and moisture to get out from behind the stone. If you are putting the stone at or even under the ground, you are allowing moisture to stay behind the stone and it can even absorb up from the ground through the stone.
Blocked Weep Screed – The weep screed allows moisture to escape the area so that it doesn’t absorb into the stucco and eventually, into the building envelope. A problem with a blocked weep screed can be so bad that you may even think you have leaking pipes in the walls.
Mold – it may be possible that mold could build up if you have a problem with moisture in the area. This is just another problem associated with moisture so it is best to avoid the buildup of moisture.
Termites – When you have moisture in the walls, you are inviting the possibility of termites coming to visit as well.
Most of these issues are associated with moisture and as you can see, it is something to keep in mind. The last thing that you want is to cause problems by allowing moisture to build up inside of the walls. In some cases, it could even make the home uninhabitable.
What Tools Do You Need To Put Stone Over Stucco?
Are you ready to get started on the job of putting stone over stucco? Here are some of the tools that you will need.
Pressure Washer
Rags
Buckets
Scrapers
Drill with Mixing Paddle
Trowels Including a Notched Trowel
Hammer
Rubber Mallet
Five-in-One Tool
4 Foot Level
2 Foot Level
Straight Edge
Wet Saw
Angle Grinder
Safety Glasses and Goggles
Gloves
Disposable Respirator (n95)
What Preparations Do You Need To Put Stone Over Stucco?
If you’re ready to get this job underway, then preparing for it is the most important part of the process. Let’s consider how to prepare the stucco so that a stone veneer can be put on it successfully.
1. Clean – It is important to clean the stucco and generally speaking, you want to clean it with more than just a bucket and sponge. It is best if you use a pressure washer to deep scrub the wall or at a very minimum, rinse the stucco with a garden hose and scrub it with a scrub brush.
After you clean the wall, make sure that it is dry. This may take a few days because stucco can absorb water. Be sure that the stucco is as dry as possible before you install the stone façade.
2. Weep Screed – Attach some metal flashing at the bottom of the area where the stone will be put in place. This is a weep screed, and it will allow the moisture that gets behind the stone to eventually drain from the area and for moisture to pull from the wall.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on December 17, 2022.
3. Scratch Coat – The scratch coat is essentially a rough coat of mortar that allows the stone veneer to stick to the wall. Mix a large batch of mortar for this job in a 5-gallon bucket using a drill with a mixing paddle.
Be careful when you are mixing this, especially when the mortar is still dry. It contains silica, so you want to protect your respiratory system by wearing a respirator, such as an N95. You should also wear goggles to protect your eyes during this time.
Apply a liberal amount of mortar to the wall and then ‘scratch’ the mortar with the notched side of the trowel. You essentially want to rough up the surface so that it gives the stone something to stick to.
How To Put Stone Over Stucco
Now it is actually the time to begin installing the stone. How can this be done?
1. Butter – The first step in the process is to add a thick layer of mortar to the back of the stone. A brick trowel can be used for this purpose. You don’t have to be neat, just put enough mortar on the stone so that it will stick in place.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on December 17, 2022.
2. Press – Push the stone into the wall. You want to push enough so that some of the mortar comes out from behind the stone but there will still be plenty of mortar behind it. Continue to put one stone after another but leave a small joint in the area.
3. Rows – Begin working in the corners and after finishing the corners, work your way in rows across the wall. You want horizontal rows to be put in place and as you continue to work up the wall, be cautious that you are not setting any type of noticeable pattern.
Don’t worry too much about the details at this point. A few imperfections are actually going to give the wall some character.
4. Flashing – When you get to the top row, put some metal flashing behind and over the row to keep water from running behind the stone.
5. Grout – It is now time to grout the wall. You can fill in the spaces with grout and then use a sponge to wipe off any excess.
You can put stone over stucco as long as the stucco is prepared in advance. This would include cleaning and putting on a scratch coat. You also need to install a weep screed and flashing to keep water from going behind the stone and to allow it to run off.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on December 17, 2022.