Paint a house

While planning the job and coming up with the query of how to prep stucco house for paint, the first issue that comes up and is to be resolved is what is not to be painted. Whether it is a stucco house or otherwise, this aspect transcends all such issues and has nothing to do with what sort of wall finish exists in the house that has to be painted. Masking the areas or spots that are not to be painted is therefore the first step when preparing stucco house for paint.

One other universal fact remains, that it is only the surface that has to be painted. It is, therefore, necessary that the surface to be painted has to be prepared for this task. The key factors that would ensure a long lasting paint scheme are a drywall and a clean wall surface.

It is generally opined that using pressurised water to clean the surface is the best way for the surface or wall cleaning. However, this process also has demerits which need to be considered. The stucco itself could get loose due to the pressure applied upon it. Water could also ingress under the surface of the stucco if care is not exercised. For this reason, in case this option is being used for cleaning, the surface suitable distance and correct angle of spraying the water needs to be borne in mind.

Cracks and small gaps should be sealed with sealants. This would prevent ingress of water under the existing stucco layer. Longevity of the applied paint is also ensured in this process. The application of paint on wet surface as advised by professional painters needs to be considered for its demerits prior to accepting this recommendation.

It is a good practice to take steps that ensure the surface is level for the paint to be applied. Existing damage to the surface needs to be repaired and loose stucco to be removed in the preparatory steps.

In order to ensure that the repaired patches match up with the rest of the surface area professional help could be of use. Applying two coats of the patch up work is also an advisable step as the surface being level all through and matching texture being the end result would be ensured.

Caulk could be applied for cracks small in dimension. Where the crack is of larger dimension, and it is felt that the material may move, application of elastomeric caulk would be more suitable.