Leave a few feet of space around the perimeter of any stucco finish. “Hardscape” is perfect for stucco maintenance. Rock, gravel, bark etc will help prevent dirt from splashing up against your stucco finish when the rain comes pouring down!

Apply a good quality stucco sealer to help with your stucco maintenance. LA Stucco uses and recommends Omega ‘OmegaGuard’ stucco sealer. This will protect your new stucco surface against stains AND the elements, while maintaining the stucco finish’s requirement to “breathe”.

Stucco should be cleaned periodically. A standard garden hose with a decent nozzle should do the trick. Nothing too harsh, and if necessary, a mild detergent and soft bristle brush can be used for your stucco maintenance. Ensure to saturate the walls in totality first, and begin at the bottom of the wall, working your way to the top before returning down – this will help against dirt & grime penetrating the lower wall areas as it is washed away.

Try and direct any sprinklers or irrigation systems away from your stucco exterior. Stucco is water RESISTANT and not water-proof, and sprinklers saturating stucco can be a prime candidate for efflorescence. Proper stucco maintenance begins with adequate measures of protection as opposed to remedies.

Understand that stucco, whilst durable and long-lasting is a porous material. Painting stucco is often the “kiss of death” when it comes to stucco maintenance. Stucco needs to breath and painting stucco will not only mean higher maintenance costs for your paint application (as mold and excess moisture behind the painted surface will cause cracking and peeling), but also higher stucco maintenance costs as your underlying stucco surface will experience accelerated product failure due to its inability to breathe.

Cleaning home exterior accessories such as light fixtures, window-sills, vents, gutters and downspouts will prevent a build-up of accumulated dirt or rust which could easily stain the stucco surface if left unchecked. Stucco maintenance measures such as stucco sealing can also help to prevent stains such as these.

Cut back any trees or plantation which may be hanging directly over any stucco surfaces. When rain hits such foliage this causes surefire staining your stucco finish, which is extremely hard to remove. Correct stucco maintenance in the form of adequate preventative measures will certainly save your stucco finish from the harsh effects of nature in the future.

Only stucco can afford its homeowners such a versatile and durable siding choice. When properly installed and maintained, stucco can give 50-80 years of hassle free home protection. Make stucco maintenance one of your top priorities and you can enjoy your smooth or textured stucco finish for almost an entire lifetime!

Stucco maintenance is never something high on the priority list of any homeowner, property manager or general contractor. But, with the right preventative measures employed, stucco’s life-cycle can literally DOUBLE and more, so the correct moves now can say you thousands down the line! Upon installation of one our famous stucco packages, LA Stucco will furnish you with a ‘Project Closing Package’, detailing all of the basic stucco maintenance measures we recommend to prolong the life and finish of your new stucco application.