What Is The Difference Between Stucco Plaster and Concrete For Home Exteriors?

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Stucco or plaster is primarily applied onto the outdoors or indoors of residential and commercial spaces to achieve a moisture-resistant and flawless surface.

Moreover, it needs minimal maintenance, ensuring an optimal return on investment (ROI).

Now, when it comes to choosing stucco plaster for home exteriors, homeowners are often uncertain about what makes this different from the traditional concrete?

Struggling with the same situation, worry no more as this article reveals the key differences between the two potent materials. 

Stucco is made from cement, water, sand and lime.  A bits of fiberglass strands in with the mud is added for support and strength.

The fiberglass offers additional structural support Different types of sand are used in specific quantities to create fun texture.

Seamless Rough Plastering Texture. Stucco Cement Plaster Background.

Know More about Stucco Plaster For Home Exteriors 

Stucco, also known as the render is composed of sand, Portland cement, sand which gets combined with water to form a plaster.

Being a common construction material, this mixture provides exceptional wall-covering which is both attractive and highly durable.

Earlier, the material was used only in the exteriors to get a textured appearance, however, later it found its importance in the interiors as well for achieving a harmonious and well-designed decor. 

Hence, the essential aspects of stucco plaster that make it a popular component of every construction project are:

• Versatile can be applied directly to any material including stainless steel, concrete, wood frame and so on.
• Fire-resistant, so when applied outdoors this can reduce the risk of fire damage to a dramatic extent 
• Colour retentive, providing the opportunity to add any pigments of your choice and the stucco will be able to offer the exact style and structure that you aspire to have.

How Stucco Plaster Differs from Concrete?

Without a doubt, concrete and stucco are one of the oldest construction materials that remain to be popular even today.

However, with technological advancements, several variations have been brought to the quality and composition of both the materials.

The difference is based more on the application, rather than the composition. 

In comparison to concrete, stucco plaster is: 

• Breathable: The entire composition of stucco is based on lime, sand and cement brought together with the help water to create a smooth paste that is applied onto the desired surface. This leads to the formation of a breathable, water-shedding and hard surface that ensures moisture can escape through its small pores, hence leading to 100% evaporation of the water left behind on the surface. 
• Decorative: As mentioned earlier, stucco plaster can be used for a wide range of decorative applications. However, based on the nature of the material, it does require proper support because of which the stucco mixture is often applied on the wall with load-bearing capabilities. 
• Easy to Install: Applying stucco onto the surface is 100% fuss-free, but for this, you will require the services of an expert who has handled such projects before and can come up with the results that you are looking for.

On the other hand, concrete holds rock-solid strength, as it has gravels or other such aggregates that  bear weight.

This is the reason why you essentially find concrete in applications like flooring, basement and foundation of the house. 

Improper mixing or drying techniques often leads to cracking or leave you with a brittle or weak surface that break down quickly. Stucco mixtures can be made by adding colour.

When you want to enhance the exteriors of your house and are planning to choose a versatile material for the purpose then undoubtedly stucco plaster is a good option to consider.

Considering the benefits that it has to offer, you can seamlessly customize them to any design or style and achieve just the look that completes your house to perfection. 

But, when you choose stucco do make it a point to hire a reputable professional for installation services.

To do this, compare multiple companies; look for their portfolio (to know more about the projects they have handled earlier) and then select the ultimate one.