- Stucco has been around since ancient times. Examples survive from Ancient Egypt and Rome. It was used on timber structures in early Colonial America and continues to be found on new buildings to this day. Historically, stucco's popularity in a given area was the result of local materials and construction methods. Stucco has recently experienced renewed popularity because of its attractiveness and easy maintenance.
- Masonry served as a logical substrate for stucco because of its rough texture and stable nature. Wooden lath -- thin strips of wood -- was once widely used to anchor stucco to frame houses but gave way to galvanized mesh in the 20th century. In use to this day, wire mesh installs faster and ensures a more unified, crack-free surface.
- Prague Castle's beautiful stone exterior is actually finely-trowled, painted plaster.Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Stucco varies greatly in texture. For many Americans, the word stucco brings to mind the rough-textured surfaces often found on Tudor and Spanish Revival homes of the early 20th century. Stucco can be finished with smooth plaster and is often troweled to look like blocks of expensive cut stone. Modern stucco substitutes usually have a smoother, dimpled surface and are not made of cement or plaster. - Raw stucco with a rough, cement-like surface is resistant to rain. Finer plaster coats have to be painted to withstand moisture. If water penetrates the substrate -- from faulty guttering or a leaky roof -- it can deteriorate stucco from the inside out. Painted stucco requires periodic scraping to remove loose paint. An exterior primer suitable for cement and the best exterior acrylic latex paint you can afford assures a lasting paint job. Repairs to stucco should only be done with matching materials to assure an attractive and durable match.
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