Hi Mike, 40 years on the tools here (stucco/plaster), we also use sealant but take it one more step, after tooling the sealant into the cracks we then broadcast sand onto the wet sealant/caulk surface, either clean mason sand or silica sand, toss it on by hand or put some into a water bottle & pour onto a brush. Works a treat.
Cracks tend to happen from dead weight. Meaning, the stucco was finished first then the added framing, and drywall was done after. Stupid inspectors from the city makes you finish the stucco first.
stippling with a dry old paint brush will also perfectly blend in the caulk with the texture of the paint. Good alternative to wetting and down caulking and potentially causing it to deteriorate and thin it too much before it dries.
Wow thank you good idea, I live in Arizona my new build have has several cracks and the did not caulk it, they had to repaint the areas fixed, 4-5 months later there are re-cracks on the corners of the window frame
yea usually it will mound up a bit. but sometimes I do that. if the voids are wide. Best to wipe it tight or use a stiff brush with water then wipe it.
Thanks Mike. This is helpful. How do you fill in holes in stucco from screws or other holes? Also, I have a 4 inch diameter circle of stucco that came off. It's about 1/4 inch deep. How do I repair that? Tks again!
Hi, how would you match the color if I wanted to just paint the crack repair and not the entire house. Is there a way to just blend to existing stucco color so not noticeable?
Thank you for this! Would you suggest a tan colored caulking for tan colored stucco, or do you think the white would look less noticable? Or maybe even clear? Probably won't plan on painting soon.
yea I was going to show that method too. works well. dip the brush in water and run it over the caulk. Still comes out a smidge better with the rag. Both works good too. Just use the brush in water run over it then hit it quicker with the rag.
I live in a house built in 1950s. It is stucco and i am having some cracks show up. My cousin told me to fill the cracks with tissue paper and put the stucco over it. Why do i have a crack. It coulld be roots from a non bearing mull berry tree or that the house it old that the foundation is settling. Maybe its the heat. I dont know. If i fill the cracks with tissue paper and fill with stucco, will have to sand it? If so, what grit do i use in sandpaper. Im not going to paint immediately. Its too hot in Texas for that (triple digits).
@@hliz8818 I would think you already found an answer. Paintable caulk doesn't require primer. Never hurts tho. Silicone based - no go for me if needs to be painted
Thanks so much for the video. For the caulking, I see a bunch of different types, from a $3 bottle of DAP Alex Painter's all purpose caulk, to fancier DAP Dynaflex sealant. Do you have any idea which one is better? Thanks
Say man a grocery store wants me to fill in large expansion joints a smooth finish can I do that? And if so will it crack out ? Every if I oil prime it
What do I do if stucco guys filled cracks and now I painted and they all bleed through. We did prime coat then they patched and now we did two finish coats and it’s still bleeding through
you need to prime it again. Like after the patch. You prime the surface so the paint has something to bond to. The primer soaks into the stucco so the paint can cover properly.
I agree with all of this, except You really should cut your caulk tip at an angle. Hold it firm against the crack and force caulk into the void. Hovering over it and pumping caulk on it isnt very effective... even if you do rub it vigorously.
@@mikethepainter idk. I’m going to put it to the test. My house is only 5 years old and has like 20 cracks. 5k square feet. I’m so disappointed in stucco. I come from Washington state where our cedar planks last 100 years on our houses. Now I’m in southern Utah and this house needs new stucco or paint in 5 years?!?! That’s crazy! way too expensive upkeep.
Tara how is the water leaking in? Are you sure it’s not an issue with the flashing? My understanding is cracks don’t matter much for water intrusion because it’s still supposed to float down the paper and flashing should protect from coming inside your house.
I contractor in New Mexico. I personally do Pressure whash my jobs first and apply wallease and mesh buried. Later color coat. But always Pressure whash first to remove all dust in order for the cement to stick better
Ok, I heard you say your guys still don’t do this. I’m in the opposite situation where I kind of take my time with things like this during preparation repairs but my employer cracks the whip & says we need to be more productive. As a result a lot of cracks went unfilled, old caulk wasn’t removed from the window sills so the new caulk looked all boogered up and looked awful. So where do you draw the line between quality work/making a quick buck? It just irks my when my employer goes on a diatribe about doing it right or not doing it at all but then when I take too long I’m not being “productive”. 🤦🏿♂️
yea there are some comers you can cut but some you really should not. Getting better with cardboard shields vs masking is one you can do to save time. also trying not to do all the prep and then some before you paint. do a quick good prep. then start painting and do some as you go. that is the best advice I can give you. so many people spend too much time prepping everything perfect before they start painting. For instance keep the caulking gun in the area where your working when you see a crack you missed hit it real quick then paint or catch it on touch up. Its a balancing act.
I know this comment was 10 months ago, but I hope you start your own business. The biggest problem in the industry is people trying to make that quick buck. If you feel like your work stands out with more love and attention to detail, it already sets you apart to make those big bucks. Good luck!
@@meowman25 Thanks, yeah I decided to work for myself. I’m still trying to figure out the licensing and insurance aspect of it. Not committing to take on big jobs just yet until I have the legal aspect of it taken care of but work has been steady and things have been looking up. I’m averaging $40-80 an hour now as opposed to the $15 that I was making an hour when I made this comment. I’m considering going back to school so I can get some type of licensing, not sure which one to go for just yet but I’m really glad I made the leap. These last 8 months have been most investing in tools and equipment but well worth it.
Well that is a Crack, but I like you answer me what you do when the stucco crack is falling, do you just caulk the crack, in your video is no falling stucco but you didn't removed the falling stucco?, that is the reason I opened the crack, and the way you pushed the caulking is the hardest, for that you need a sponge 🧽 🧽 🧽 it is more easy, you having a hard time that's why your employees ignored you
