Thank you for your interest in our project. The material that was used on the home is integral colored stucco.

I can't seem to find the link to this product, would you mind sharing? Also, is this an acrylic based system?

This is not an acrylic material - it is a cement based stucco, integral color, steel troweled finish. This is a 3 step system, scratch coat, brown coat and the final color/texture coat. We do not like the acrylic based materials. Here is a link to the Portland cement Association website and I have attached our general specification for stucco (I apologize for the erratic formatting by this site):

9.01 LATH AND CEMENT PLASTER

1. The
Work includes, but is not necessarily limited to, furnishing and installing
Portland-cement plaster, including but not limited to the following:

•Building
paper weather resistive barrier over all surfaces to be plastered.

•Metal
lath over all surfaces to be plastered.

•Foundation
weep screeds.

•Control
joints and reveals where indicated and specified.

•Casing
beads at all exposed termination points of plaster and where plaster surfaces
abut surfaces not to be plastered.

•Portland
cement plaster - scratch, brown and custom color finish coats where 'stucco' or
'plaster' is indicated on exterior or interior walls, soffits, window
surrounds, cornices and related construction.

•Patching
and pointing of plastered surfaces after all work of other trades which abuts
or penetrates plaster membrane has been installed.

•Protection
and cleaning of plaster work.

2. QUALITY

ASSURANCE

•Work
of this section shall be performed by a qualified experienced applicator, of
established reputation which is regularly engaged in the type of work covered
by this Section and which maintains a regular force of workers skilled in
installation of the type of work specified in this section.

•Subcontractors
bidding this project shall submit to the Architect a list of several comparable
projects of similar work that the applicator has completed within the last five
years, giving addresses, owner's names, telephone numbers, and dates on which
each project was started and completed.

•Work
specified in this section shall conform to the Uniform Building Code and all
amendments and regulations of local, state and federal agencies having
jurisdiction, including safety, health and anti-pollution requirements in
effect at the time of execution of this contract.

•Maximum
deviation from true plane of 1/8 inch as measured from the line of a 10-foot
straightedge placed at any location on surface.

•Contractor
shall submit Manufacturer's product literature identifying materials to be used
& instructions for mixing & application of plaster.

•Contractor
shall be prepared to provide (5) preliminary 1'x1', (2) intermediate 3'x3' ,and
(1) final 3'x3' samples of finish coat for review of color and texture by the
Architect.

•Deliver
manufactured materials in original unopened packages or containers with
manufacturer's label intact and legible.

•Keep
cement and lime dry, stored off ground, under cover, and away from damp
surfaces.

•Remove
wet and deteriorated materials from Project site.

•Protect
metallic materials and accessories from dampness or wetting.

3. PROJECT

CONDITIONS

•Cold-weather
Requirements: Do not apply cement
plaster unless minimum ambient temperature of 50 Degrees F. (10 degrees C.) has been and continues
to be maintained for a minimum of 48 hours prior to application and until
plaster is cured.

• Hot-Weather
Requirements: Provide special
protective measures as may be necessary to avoid uneven and excessive
evaporation during hot, dry weather.

•Protect
finished surfaces installed prior to plastering as required to prevent damage
to the finished surface.

•Maintain
protection in place until completion of the plastering.

4. MATERIALS

•Building
Paper: Grade D building paper
complying with requirements of Federal Specification UU-B-790a, 'Vegetable
Fiber Building Paper".

•Metal
Lath: 3.4# diamond mesh metal
lath, self furring, corrosion resistant, painted or galvanized, over all
surfaces to be plastered.

•Corner
Reinforcement: Expanded metal
corner bead for use with exterior cement plaster as manufactured by U.S. Gypsum
or approved equal.

• Foundation
Weep Screeds: as manufactured by
U.S. Gypsum, Fry Reglet or approved equal.

•A
spray on Teflon coating or equal bond breaker shall be applied in field on the
ground portion of the foundation weep screed to prevent adhesion of plaster.

•Casing
Beads: as manufactured by U.S.
Gypsum, Fry, or approved equal.

•Shapes
Used as Grounds: Size and
dimension to provide for required plaster thicknesses.

•Design
to permit complete embedment of accessory in plaster.

•Provide
for alignment and attachment to underlying surface.

•Fasteners: All screws and nails required for
installation of lath and Portland cement plaster shall be of approved sizes and
types, corrosion resistant, and appropriate for installation specified or as
shown on the Drawings.

•Portland
Cement: As manufactured by U.S.
Gypsum conforming to requirements of ASTM C 150 for Type I or II, standard.

•Sand: white, clean, sharp, free of loam,
salts and other impurities, thoroughly screened and washed, and conforming to
gradation requirements of ASTM C 897.

•Water: Clean, potable, from a domestic source
suitable for human consumption.

•Admixture: PRF as manufactured by Gibco
Industries, Tulsa, OK.

•Finish: Propriety integrally-custom colored
factory prepared stucco finish containing
all materials required except water, from an approved stucco
manufacturer. Finish shall be
****.

•Sealants: Sikaflex, Tremco Dymeric, or approved
equal.

•Glass
Fiber Mesh: Perma-Glas Mesh, type
207A as manufactured by PermaGlas Mesh Co., Dover, Ohio, or approved equal.

•Fiberglass: 1/2-inch-long chopped strands, alkaline
resistant.

•Integral
coloring shall be custom.
Contractor shall prepare samples as required to achieve the desired
colors. Assume 3 colors.

5. EXECUTION

•Inspect
all surfaces for any defects that can affect installation and performance of
lath and plaster. Report such
defects to proper authority for correction before proceeding with work of this
Section. Work shall not proceed
until all required corrections have been made to the satisfaction of the
sub-contractor.

•Install
two layers of building paper over all surfaces to receive metal lath and
plaster. Paper may be
tack-fastened in place for nailing off with metal lath application. Install according to the manufacturer's
instructions. Flash windows and
doors with metal, bituthene and paper flashing as indicated in the Drawings and
as required to provide a waterproof seal between window and/or door flashing
paper and building paper.

•Attach
designated control joints and/or reveals to lath before application of plaster.

•Apply
sealant at all splices, intersections and termination points of control joints,
or wherever plaster terminates at adjacent dissimilar construction.

•Apply
expanded metal lath securely to framing members. Lap lath at all joints at least 3", tying sheets
together at not less that 4-1/2" intervals. Do not apply lath over concrete or masonry surfaces. Such surfaces shall receive acrylic
modified Portland cement plaster directly to surfaces.

•Do
not cut lath behind control joints.
Wire tie control joints to lath.

•Foundation
weep screeds - screw-apply to framing and seal with bituthane before
installation of building paper.
Bring building paper down over flange of weep screeds.

•Control
joints, casing beads, and soffit vents shall be wire-tied to lath.

•Install
all plaster accessories in a straight line, level, plumb, true and in such a
manner as to permit plaster application to the required thickness.

•All
plastering work and all materials and labor related thereto shall conform to
requirements of ASTM C 926 (plastering) and ASTM C 1063 (lathing) and to Codes
and regulations herein referenced.
Provisions of referenced publications do not supersede requirements of
these specifications and/or Drawings.

•Mechanically
mix plaster materials at the site for not more than six minutes nor less than
four minutes before use. Do not
hand mix except where small quantities are required using less than one sack or
Portland cement.

•Before
mixing, add water and PRF to the mixer, run mixer for a short time, then add
cement and sand.

•Rod
brown coat with a feather edge, and float to provide a true, level even
surface, without variations exceeding 1/8" under a 10 foot straight edge.

•Portland
cement plaster shall be a three coat application applied to a minimum thickness
of 7/8", texture, finish and color as approved by the Architect.

•scratch
coat to consist of one part Portland cement, 3-1/2 - 4 parts
sand and
three ounces of PRF per sack of cement.
Mix for not more than six minutes,
dump and apply to metal or wire lath. Do not use lime.

•After
application, score scratch coat lightly in a horizontal direction only. Moist cure with fine fog spray mist of
water applied to plaster when
it has taken up, and as frequently as necessary to compensate for evaporation
of moisture from applied plaster when it has taken up, and as frequently
as necessary to compensate for evaporation of moisture from applied
plaster when weather conditions are conducive to rapid drying.

•Do
not add any materials to the mix other than specified.

•Apply
scratch coat to a minimum of 3/8" thickness to key into and to cover and
conceal not less than 70% of metal lath.

•Brown
coat shall consist of one part Portland cement, 4 to 4-1/2 parts
sand, and
three ounces of PRF per sack of cement.

•Apply
brown coat to bring thickness of scratch and brown coats to
minimum 3/4". After brown coat has been applied, rod
with a feather-edge and float, and
leave in a straight, level, true plane, without
blemishes or defects.

•Brown
coat may be applied as soon as the scratch coat has attained sufficient
rigidity to prevent damage from application of the
brown coat.

•Moist
cure brown coat, using fine fog spray of water as often as required by weather
conditions. Do not apply water
with a direct stream from the hose.

•Apply
glass fiber mesh around all penetration points of service lines, pipes, etc.,
through the stucco membrane.

•Finish
Coat texture to be determined in the field with the Architect and the sub-contractor,
for approval by the Owner.

•The
finish coat should not be applied before the building has dried sufficiently to
transmit any shrinkage cracks through the scratch and brown coats and these
cracks have been properly repaired, ideally at least 2 months after application
of the brown coat.

•After
application, drying and repair of the brown coat, and immediately before application
of the finish coat, place glass mesh sheets in a cement bond coat compatible
with the materials used over all flat planes and wall surfaces and additional
butterfly patterns at corners of all doors and windows to minimize restraint
cracking. Self adhesive backing
permits placements before application
of the finish coat. Butterflies may
be strips of glass mesh four inches
wide and six inches long.

•Apply
the finish coat of integrally colored cement plaster after moistening, but not
saturating the brown coat.

•Apply
a first coating approximately 1/10 inch thick. Apply final second finish coating
over the first. Supply adequate manpower
as may be required to work
uniformly over an entire area to a natural break such as a corner, angle, screed,
etc. Joining shall not occur
except at natural breaks. Float uniformly
using an absolute minimum of water
and taking care not to lap finish
coat. After colored coat finish is
dry, it shall be examined for color variations
differing from those designated in the approved color samples. Where
significant color variations differing from those designated in the approved
color samples. Where significant
color variations have occurred, as
determined by the Architect and Owner, a fog coat shall be applied using a
pressure tank sprayer.

•Apply
finish coat to bring all three coats to a minimum of 7/8 inch.

•Do
not moist cure finish coat unless required by weather conditions. In warm weather,
finish coat may be moistened with a fine fog spray of water within the
first few hours after application. In moderate or cooler weather, moist curing
is not required.

•Maximum
allowable tolerance of any vertical or horizontal surface is 1/8" under a
10 foot straight edge placed at any point on the plaster.

•There
shall be no visible juncture marks in the finish coat, either horizontally or
vertically. When work for one day
must be stopped before completion, work shall only be stopped at a natural break. Where one day's work joins another
day's work, there shall be no visible break.

•Repairing,
pointing up and patching of plaster shall be performed after work of other
sections is in place. Point up
around items abutting or extending through the plaster to achieve a clean,
sharp appearance at all such locations.

•When
plaster is machine applied, requirements for industry standards for
slump-testing shall be followed.
Maximum slump of plaster, taken at nozzle, shall not exceed 2-1/2"
when measured in a 2"x4"x6" cone. Contractor shall maintain a supply of 2"x4"x6'
cones at the job site for use by Owner, Architect, Inspectors, and others to
determine that slump of plaster is
within specified range.

•Upon
completion of work of this section, remove all unused materials from the
site. During the course of
installation, promptly clean each completed area of debris and plaster
droppings. Clean and repair all
adjacent surfaces that are marred, stained or damaged in any way by work of
this section. Leave all areas in a
broom clean condition.

•Protect
all plaster work from damage due to subsequent construction operations.

OMG. I wish you were my architect!!! You know what is in MY contract?

7.3.1
Senerlastic Plus Coating over Sentry Stucco Ultra System as
manufactured by BASF (800-221-9255) Follow manufactures specifications and
installation instruction. Installer shall be factory approved and
approved by Owner prior to commencement of work. Construct sample panels 2’-0” square for approval of color and finish two weeks before proceeding with construction. Finish shall be smooth with mottled appearance.

That's IT!! And the contractor misread the above as "Sentry Stucco" (not the Ultra) and put JumboTex all over (not an approved water barrier for the Ultra system).

I'm curious, why do you say you don't like acrylic based materials? I thought they are less prone to cracks?

Hi Germain,

We don't like acrylic because it feels plastic, it looks plastic and there is no way to get the beautiful mottled finish you saw in our project or the textures we prefer. It is also hard to get the rich, deep, earthy tones we prefer for our work. We generally try not to use anything that forms a thin film, like the final coat of acrylic plaster, or paint, or varnish, or anything that is not integral to the material or deeply penetrating - to avoid the maintenance that comes over time with films that fail - ie. peeling paint, crackled, sealants, and polymer finishes. If cement stucco is properly applied, per our spec that I sent you earlier, there is minimal, if any cracking. It comes in a rich variety of standard colors as well as can be custom colored to anything we want, and you can get that beautiful mottled coloring that you commented on that allows a building to age more gracefully than when it is acrylic or painted and just starts to look dirty rather than develop a nice patina.

Here is a simple comparison you might find interesting. https://thestuccoguy.com/acrylic-stucco-vs-traditional-stucco/.

Good luck with your project,

Cathi House