The‌ ‌Pros‌ ‌and‌ ‌Cons‌ ‌of‌ ‌Stucco‌ ‌Siding‌ – 2024 Guide

While stucco siding has been the traditional choice for homeowners in the past, it’s important to remember that its advantages don’t outweigh all the cons. Here are some of the pros and cons of stucco siding.

The Pros

1. Long lasting

Stucco siding can easily last up to 50 years if maintained, and it’s designed to withstand a wide variety of temperatures. This means that it will last much longer than most other types of siding, like wood or vinyl. Stucco is also a joint free and seamless form of siding, so unless cracked or broken in some way, there are no areas for moisture, or insects to get inside. Again this makes it more durable than horizontal joints on other types of siding (e.g., vinyl).

2. Repels water

Properly painted and treated stucco siding is designed to repel water. Stucco on its own is a very porous material that can absorb moisture, but between proper painting and sealing of the stucco, and proper waterproofing prior to installation, stucco is very water resistant siding against rain.

3. Attractive

While there are a variety of styles that stucco comes in, stucco siding itself is actually just a finish for the typical wall board or fiber cement siding underneath. By itself it’s very simple and can be painted in a variety of colors to match your home’s appearance. Stucco can also be textured in a variety of different ways when being finished. A smoother finished siding, or a more textured and rough siding is easily accomplished when stucco is being installed. There are very few limitations of what your end results can be.

4. Saves on energy costs

Because stucco doesn’t have any seams, gaps or large air pockets it provides good insulation against cold weather. Stucco also stays cool in warmer weather because it’s not a material that readily absorbs heat. The bottom line is that properly installed stucco siding will make for efficient energy cost savings on your energy bill. Keeping your home both warmer in the winter, and cooler in the summer.

5. Increases property value

Having stucco on your home is much more attractive to potential buyers because of the way it looks, and because of its durability. These two factors are part of what causes stucco to typically cause homeowners to see an increase in property value. This could save you money on the sale of your home down the road if you decide to sell or move, because it will sell much faster and for a higher price than homes with other types of siding.

6. Fire Safety

When properly installed, stucco is designed to be fire resistant. Stucco is not a flammable material, the sand and lime that make up stucco are naturally fireproof, and therefore when used as a siding it does an exceptional job of keeping a fire outside the home from spreading inside. Unlike Wood or vinyl siding that may themselves either melt or burn, a stucco home will last longer and be more heat resistant, hindering a fire’s spread. This means that it’s a good fire safety feature for your home, should you decide to have this type of siding installed.

Those are some Pros to stucco siding and now let’s view some Cons:

Cons:

1. Scratches

Stucco is very abrasive. Depending on the texture and finish you’ve chosen, there very easily can be some sharp and jagged edges. While this isn’t a typical concern, it is something to be aware of because brushing up again the siding with bare skin can leave you with scratches and cuts, clothing can be snagged, torn and frayed, and any furniture that comes in contact with the siding during moving will definitely be left with marks.

This is an uncommon complaint, the frequency of this happens is typically quite low for the vast majority of homeowners, but it is something worth considering.

2. Cracks

Stucco is an extremely stiff material, because of its composition and because of how thick most applications are with stucco siding. The downfall with stiff and solid materials like stucco is that they lack flexibility. Should something cause the stucco to flex, it can crack in some areas. things like the home shifting or settling, or impact damage to the siding.

Cracked and damaged stucco is harder to repair seamlessly on your own than it is to repair a piece of vinyl siding. With proper cleaning and prep work, a crack can be filled and sealed. But the difficulty lies with matching the texture of the remaining stucco, and the colour of the wall. For an invisible stucco repair we recommend leaving that to the Stucco Repair pros.

3. Mold

Stucco does not mold and it does not rot. However, stucco being a very porous material can allow for mold to grow on its surface in higher humidity environments. A buildup of dust and dirt plus enough moisture can allow for mold and mildew to grow on your home’s siding.

Luckily cleaning can be done easily with the myriad of available mold removal products available at any hardware store, due to its porous nature, it is still more of a challenge than that of cleaning vinyl siding.

4. Leaks

Properly installed, sealed and maintained stucco is a water resistant choice for siding materials. But should a crack be left unattended in the stucco siding, water entering the crack can eventually wear away at the surrounding stucco, widening the crack or causing pieces and chunks to fall out.

Moisture that enters between the wall and the stucco siding can cause the stucco to lose adhesion to the wall due to it continually expanding and contracting with the temperature changes. This can cause sections of the stucco to lose their backing and easily break off.

Just like any building material you choose when building, remodeling or renovating your home, they all come with their own set of pros and cons. We hope this article has provided you with some insight when it comes to choosing the right siding material for your home.

Stucco is a fantastic choice for siding, with many of the cons being negated through proper maintenance and upkeep.

For more info on stucco repair and installation, check out https://legacyexteriors.ca/stucco-painting-repair-calgary/.