Fixing Cracks in Stucco

Stucco can be described as a material that is basically used as a coating for walls and ceilings, apart from decoration purposes. Its main purpose is to cover lesser appealing construction materials, like concrete, cinder block, or clay brick and adobe. Stucco is made by combining an aggregate, a binder and water. It is applied to a surface when wet and given desired shape. As time passes, it hardens to a very dense and solid form. Though stucco is widely being used for adorning walls and ceiling of buildings, the problem comes when cracks appear in it. However, the good part is that repairing these cracks is fairly easily. In the following lines, we have provided the basic procedure of fixing cracks in stucco.

How to Repair Cracks in Stucco

Items Needed

Caulk
Damp Rags
Cold Chisels/ Old Screwdriver
Garden Hoses And Attachments
Shallow Bucket
Portland Cement
Builders Sand
Water
PVA Bonding Agents
Bitumen (tar)
Fiberglass
Paint Rollers
Soft-bristled Brush
Primers
Latex Paints
Rollers
Mallets

Instructions

First, ascertain the size of the cracks. Very small cracks can be filled with a high-quality caulk, possibly one that can be painted over. Press the caulk inside the crack with you fingers and after it has been filled, clean the surface with a damp cloth.
In case the crack is a wide one, first clean it out with the help of a cold chisel or an old screwdriver.
Next, soak the area inside the crack, with the help of a hose. This will ensure that the stucco doesn’t soak water from the new mortar, causing it to crumble.
Take a shallow bucket and make mortar in it, adding one part Portland cement, four parts builders' sand and some water. Make sure that the mortar is workable, but not runny.
Use Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) bonding agent, used for masonry, to cover the area that has to be patched.
When you feel that the bonding agent is becoming slightly sticky, fill the crack with the mortar mix.
Next, you need to cover the patched area with a piece of bitumen-coated fiberglass.

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