What NOT To Do When Painting Stucco

Stucco projects are highly specialized and therefore, have special needs. When painting stucco, it is important to pick the right paint finish for the job. In this blog Peak Pro will let you in on the biggest mistake you can make when painting stucco homes.

Why you should never use a satin or high gloss paint:

High gloss paints are great for high traffic areas that need to withstand cleaning products and normal wear and tear. Although it might sound tempting that you could cover your exterior stucco home in gloss paint and never worry about difficult cleaning again. Read this article to understand the proper methods of cleaning stucco (it can be pretty tricky). However, high gloss paint doesn’t have the same efficacy on stucco, and Peak Pro would NOT recommend using gloss paints on stucco exteriors. Painting stucco with high gloss paint is the biggest mistake you can make when painting stucco! High gloss paints highlights irregularities, this is the last thing that you would want when it comes to stucco. Stucco looks best with a matte paint or semi-gloss paint to mask imperfections.

Why Peak Pro uses a flat paint finish when painting stucco

Although options such as a satin finish may seem attractive, it is important to be aware of a phenomenon called shadowing. Shadowing occurs on stucco when a glossier finish is applied on a porous stucco surface and the reflection of light creates the illusion of dark inconsistencies on the paint surface. To avoid this, it is best to use a flat finish paint. A flat finish has significantly less sheen, therefore reducing the reflection of light on the paint and therefore the shadowing. This is just another example of knowing your project and knowing your product.

Chose the right type of paint

It is important to avoid all oil-based paints when painting stucco exteriors. Oil paints do not breathe like water-based coatings. Moisture within your home should be able to evaporate through the exterior walls and oil based paints will hinder this process, resulting in bubbling and peeling paint.

If you have a stucco home but are tackling this job yourself, Peak Pro has the expertise to help you power wash the exterior of your home and give you a fresh coat of paint. The best Denver commercial painting company and our professional team of painters for homes will put a fresh coat of paint on your home! Request a quote here for exterior/interior painting Denver or Denver commercial/residential painting. Our painters for home exteriors will give your home a new look with fastest and cheapest estimate you can find! Also serving Austin Texas!