When it comes to fixing cracks in the home, no home improvement task is more popular than Stucco Repair. Gaps left behind by heavy storms or simply from normal wear and tear can be repaired easily and quickly with stucco. Homeowners who live in areas with severe winters or who find that their homes take on a worn look after years without much maintenance are the ones who benefit most from stucco. This repair is much easier than other surface repairs and does not require the grueling hours that other repair types usually need. Homeowners can choose from several different options for repairing their homes with stucco, including spraying on stucco and repairing small cracks in the stucco patching cracks.
Cut the nozzle tip of your Stucco Repair from an angle using a fine utility knife cut to fit the crack’s size and apply to a standard siding or metal lath patch. Slowly draw the tool down the small crack creating a small bead of stucco repair. Do not begin to stitch the repair line until the device has reached the top of the hole. The stucco should be pulled slightly back from the edges of the hole while holding on to a steady object such as a nail or drywall anchor. Allow the repair to dry for a few hours before beginning the process of stapling.
The second step in this Stucco Repair video is to gather the materials needed to patch the damaged area. This includes a large sponge, some paint thinners and a putty knife or nails. Preparation is key when patching a damaged area; simply prepare the area by covering it with a clean sponge so that dirt is not attracted to the repaired area. After preparing the area, place the patched area inside the hole using a putty knife and start to fill up the sponge with paint thinners until the entire area is covered with paint.
The third step is to remove any excess stucco and secure it to the surface with a small piece of drywall anchor. If you are repairing a window, then you will need to use a hammer and chisel to remove the damaged stucco. Once the area has been filled completely, then you can begin to hammer in the nails or drywall anchors until the damaged area has been completely covered. Use a steady hammer to pound in each nail or anchor and make sure to have the support of another object such as a drywall anchor post. Once the damage is covered, then apply another layer of drywall mixture until the entire damaged area is covered. This can be repeated until the wall or damaged area is covered.
For windows and doors, the process is very similar to that of repairing a damaged stucco patch. Instead of using nails or drywall anchors, you will be using screws or metal wire. Start by placing the metal wire over the existing areas of damage and twisting it back and forth until the damage is covered completely. Once the damaged area has been covered completely, then apply another layer of repair cement by scraping or sanding the edges to roughen them.
One important thing to remember when working on your repair stucco jobs is that you should apply a rough or scratch coat before actually working on the job. Scratches and cracks in the stucco will show up much better once the patch is applied, and you don’t want to have to guess at how much to apply on the first few tries. To determine the proper amount of scratch coat to apply, mix a small amount of water with one-half cup of heavy duty paint thinner. Apply the mixture to the scratched area until you can no longer see the scratch but the paint is wet.
Once you’ve worked the area dry with the scratch coat and repaired the damage with the stucco patch, you can start on the actual repairs. Working with a metal lath may seem difficult, but the metal lath will make things easier for you since it allows you to just simply grab the snips and cut straight through. The main problem with working with metal lath is that it is so heavy; if you try to cut your cuts without using the correct angle, you may end up ripping the metal lath instead of cutting through it. With the metal lath, use a chisel to do most of your cuts and if you have any doubt about how to use the chisel, ask for help from someone at your local home improvement store. It is important to keep the metal lath as straight as possible, so it doesn’t twist or bend when you are cutting.
After you’ve repaired the entire patch area, fill it back in with the original stucco surface. When you work with the stucco surface, make sure to always work from the edges and not from the center. This will prevent you from having unsightly bubbles that overflow from where the stucco started to dry. Be sure to use your saw at an angle that allows you to cut through the bubbles without catching them on the edges of the material.