House is not just a shelter for rain and sun, it’s more of a status symbol. A brick wall may give your house strength and durability but it won’t look appealing to anyone. Even painting over a brick wall doesn’t do any good. You need something that can enhance the beauty aspect along with concealing any eyesore. Stuccoing could be the thing you are looking for. Let’s find out more.
Can you stucco over brick?
Stucco enhances the appearance of brick walls. Stucco over brick walls is a typical construction method to conceal minor damage or to fix an eyesore. Although stucco over a brick wall is convenient, it takes a significant amount of time to accomplish the basic preparation.
Brick house:
bricks are vulnerable to a lot of external factors. The weather, mold buildup, dust, UV rays, heat, cold, and many more. It’s better to install stucco over a brick wall. The stucco will protect and preserve your brick house and will ensure your better safety along with elevated beauty.
Brick veneer:
This is also used for enhancing the aesthetics of the wall. You can apply brick veneer on top of stucco or a wooden wall.
Brick fireplace:
You can put stucco on the outer wall of the fireplace but make sure not to put the mixture inside of the fireplace. Most people put stucco on the outer wall and then decorate it with a brick veneer to bring out a retro look.
Brick chimney:
You can install stucco on a brick chimney but it shouldn’t be to fix up any major fault. Chimneys are mostly neglected or rarely maintained. Replacing any broken brick, fixing holes then applying stucco on a healthy-looking chimney will be your best bet.
Painted brick:
If your brick wall is painted or there is a significant amount of Spray paint graffiti on the wall then stuccoing may not be a good idea. You may need to sandblast or go for a chemical solution to get rid of the paints.
damaged brick:
it’s highly prohibited to apply stucco on damaged bricks. One brick may not be that much of a deal for you but in the long run, it could bring on a really unwanted situation.
Spalling brick:
First you need to fix the problem. Changing bricks, mortar, and when you are finally done with everything only then you should apply stucco. Keep in mind stucco is just to cover up the bricks, it should not be a go-to solution for such a major problem.
Can you stucco over red brick? Is it a good idea to stucco over brick?
You should stucco over red bricks. There are several benefits of stucco, the most notable one would be that applying it will protect your red brick wall from any kind of weather damage. The stucco will also act as a moisture shield for the bricks. Dust and mold buildup won’t be a matter of concern anymore.
Also, the possibility of shrinkage, cracks in the bricks will reduce quite remarkably. Most stucco works last for years so it’s efficient and cost-effective. Redbrick walls aren’t known for reflecting the sunlight hence you might feel very hot inside your home but applying stucco and painting afterwards will certainly be a great solution to the heating problem.
In case of a fire breakout, you may find stucco being more fire-resistant than any regular brick wall. So, it is a good idea to stucco over brick.
3 reasons why you can put stucco over brick
Enhancing appearance:
one of the main reasons behind applying stucco over the brick is to enhance the overall appearance and get a smooth texture-out of your wall.
Covering minor damage:
stucco is greatly appreciated for its ability to cover up any minor damage, even repair it to some extent. Also, any minor fault in contact with moisture or mold could end up getting worse, putting the stucco over brick kinda prevents it from happening.
Easier to decorate:
If you are thinking about painting your walls, adding tiles or terracotta then a brick wall may not give you the desired outcome. Putting stucco over brick makes it easier for the tiles to stick into the wall. Also, a smooth surface would really bring out the true beauty of your paint hence making your house more appealing.
How much does it cost to put stucco over brick? What is cheaper siding or stucco?
The stucco cost is estimated by the total area you are working on. It’s gonna cost you $6 to $8 per square foot. Most people only double coat it, meaning only applying scratch coat then brown coat and completely holding back on the finish coat.
Such practice may not be suggested but It may reduce a significant amount of expense. Siding could be a great alternative to stucco. Siding may cost from $2 to$10, the only drawback is it’s kind of high maintenance, and color and shine fade away pretty quickly.
How to stucco over brick?
Power wash and sandblast:
Any mold buildup and dust should be removed before stuccoing any brick wall. If it’s a newly constructed wall then use a brush to get rid of the dust, but for an old wall you would need to do a proper power wash to get rid of all the stubborn residue otherwise the stucco won’t stick to the brick surface.
If the wall has been painted in the past then before applying stucco you must sandblast the wall to get rid of the paint and make sure the rough surface of the brick is visible.
Repairing major damages:
If you have any major damages around the brick surface, any problem with door or window flashing then your first priority should be fixing them before applying stucco. Keep in mind that the stucco you are gonna apply on your wall will only cover the outer surface, it won’t magically fix your problem.
The biggest drawback of stucco is that any major and minor fault conditions are hidden from your eyes; you may not know about it until it’s too late. Also, a faulty window or door flashing could lead to moisture damage and may worsen the situation even more. So make sure to repair the wall before applying stucco.
Mixture preparation:
For making an effective stucco mixture you will need to balance the ratio of sand, cement-lime, and water. You will need to prepare three separate mixtures: scratch, brown, and finish. For scratch coat mixture the ratio should be 1:4 means for 1 bag cement-lime you would need to add 4 bags of sand. For brown coats, the cement and sand ratio is 1:5.
And for the finish coat, the cement-sand ratio is 1:3. Now for the water ratio, it usually depends on how much cement is needed, for every 60lb of cement you would need 1.4 gallons, or for 37kg cement you would need 8 liters of water. Be careful while adding the water into the stucco mixture, too much or too little water will make it inefficient.
Applying stucco:
After adding water to the stucco you will have to apply it within half an hour. Starting with the scratch coat then the heavy brown coat and ending with the thinnest layer finishing coat. You can apply half-inch coat for each time or the total sum could be ⅝ inch.
Hydration:
the majority portion of the stucco mixture is cement and it needs to be hydrated for achieving longevity. After applying the scratch coat, let it dry for a few hours and then spray the wall with water then wait for at least an hour before applying the brown coat.
How long does stucco last on a brick house? Does stucco increase home value?
It’s pretty hard to put a number on the longevity of stucco. That being said, a well-balanced mixture, maintenance, and also being in ideal weather conditions the stucco layer on your wall may last up to 20 to 40 years.
In addition to that stucco is known to be a help when it comes to delaying any fire breakout, it will take hours to burn through the stucco layer. When it comes to the topic of property evaluation, stucco does add on some extra numbers.
First of all the stucco will mask any minor damage or irregularities, secondly painting over the smooth stucco surface will bring out a far better look than painting over a brick wall. In comparison with a brick wall, a stucco wall will look much better and it will also elevate the overall aesthetic aspects of the surroundings. So, you can say that stucco increase home value.
Final Thoughts
In the construction industry, stucco over brick walls is quite popular for covering up minor damage. Stucco helps in the overall improvement of strength and aesthetics of brick walls. It may be a go-to method for stuccoing over brick, but it isn’t a long-term solution to any major fault.