DIY fix for stained stucco

Q: My stucco house has never been painted, and from years of never being cleaned it is very dirty. I have had several power-wash companies look at the house. They have tried various chemicals and they do not seem to take this dirt or mold off. None of the companies has washed the house -- they have only looked at it and then refused the job.

A: Your house needs more than just a good cleaning. It needs the finish refurbished. We don't doubt that your house has never been painted. But we do question that it never had what is known in the plastering trade as a "color coat."

Stucco is a porous material made of water, lime and cement. If left unsealed, over many years it will become stained. That is the condition we think you face now.

Your question brings back memories from our youth. We've written before that our dad was a master plasterer. He could do anything with the mud, from the finest ornate ceiling work to coating a tract home. After working Monday through Friday on his real job, he and his buddy Babe Mesquite would take on "little jobs" on Saturdays to earn a few extra bucks. Many of these side jobs would be to redo the color coat on tract homes in San Francisco's suburbs.

As we see it, you've got two choices to spruce up your home: a new color coat or paint.

Plastering should be left to the pros. Contact two or three licensed, bonded and insured plastering contractors for quotes.

Painting you can do yourself. The first step is to clean the surface. The quickest and easiest way is with a pressure washer. The water blasts away dirt (not stains). Pressure washers can be a little tricky to operate. For unpainted stucco, adjust the spray pattern to a wide spray. Start on an out-of-the-way part of the building to get the hang of using it. Pull the trigger (there will be quite a kickback) and move the wand over the wall in a consistent side-to-side pattern. An additive designed to kill mildew is available to use with the pressure washer. Use it. ...CONTINUED

All rights reserved. This article may not be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, in part or in whole, without written permission of Inman News. Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright law.