Stucco Painting Calgary

How We Paint Stucco

Power wash. Every wall is pressure washed to a clean, sound surface. Chalking, dirt and loose material come off, so the coating bonds to stucco, not to dust.
Seal and patch. Hairline cracks are opened and filled with an elastomeric crack filler, small chips and old patches are feathered in, and failed caulking at windows and penetrations is replaced. Paint only hides what is sealed under it.
Prime. A masonry primer locks down the surface and evens out how the wall absorbs paint, so the colour goes on uniform instead of blotchy.
Two coats of paint. A double coat of breathable acrylic coating, not one heavy pass. Two coats give full coverage, a deeper colour and years more life.

Windows, doors, lights and everything you do not want painted are masked and papered before the first drop goes on. We coat with breathable acrylic systems made for cementitious walls: they shed rain, survive freeze-thaw, and let the wall exhale water vapour instead of trapping it behind a plastic film.

Side elevation of a Calgary house masked with paper and the stone column protected before painting, stucco painting, Calgary — Side elevation papered off, stone protected, ready for the first coat.

Types Of Stucco Paint And Coatings

Not every paint belongs on stucco. These are the coatings we use on Calgary walls, what each one is for, and the ones we will not put on a cement wall.

100% Acrylic Masonry Paint

Our default on sound cement stucco. Water-based, UV-stable so the colour holds through Calgary summers, and vapour-permeable so moisture in the wall dries out through the coating instead of pushing it off. Flat or low sheen so the texture reads evenly. Two finish coats over a masonry primer.

Elastomeric Coating

A thick, rubbery acrylic that stretches and bridges hairline cracks up to about 1.5 mm. Good on older cement stucco with fine crazing and on walls that take driving rain. It breathes less than standard acrylic, so it only goes on a dry, sound wall with the cracks sealed first, never over a wall with moisture behind it.

Mineral Silicate Paint

A potassium silicate paint that bonds chemically with the cement instead of sitting on top as a film. Highly breathable, matte, very long-lived, and it cannot peel. The colour range is narrower and it needs bare or previously silicate-painted stucco, so we use it on select heritage and lime-cement jobs.

Acrylic Finish Coat For EIFS

EIFS and acrylic stucco are not painted with house paint. They get a new tinted acrylic finish coat from the system manufacturer (ADEX, Dryvit, Sto, Parex), which restores colour and texture together and keeps the system warranty intact.

Masonry Primer And Conditioner

A bonding primer or chalk-binding conditioner goes on first. It locks down a chalky old finish, evens out absorption so the colour does not go blotchy, and gives the finish coats something to grip. Skipping it is the second most common reason painted stucco fails.

What We Do Not Use

Standard exterior latex, oil or alkyd paint, and film-forming sealers. They trap water vapour in the cement, which pushes the paint off from behind and can spall the stucco face. The cheapest way to ruin a stucco wall is a good-looking coat of the wrong paint.

Sheen and timing: flat or low sheen on stucco, because anything glossier highlights every trowel mark and old patch. Coatings need the wall above 5°C for the cure window, usually 24 to 48 hours, with no rain in the forecast. That means May to September for most jobs, with April and October possible in a good stretch.

Every Job, Prepped Like This

Two storeys, every window and door papered, the deck and stone covered, before a single coat goes on. On most houses the masking takes as long as the painting, and it is why the finish lines are crisp and nothing gets overspray.

What we cover and protect:

Windows, doors and garage doors papered and taped to the frame line.
Lights, vents, hose bibs, meters and cameras wrapped.
Stone, brick, siding and trim that stay their own colour masked off.
Decks, steps, patios, driveways and walkways tarped.
Shrubs, beds and fences along the wall sheeted, and your neighbour's side too.

Before we arrive: move vehicles off the driveway, pull patio furniture and planters a few feet from the walls, close the windows, and turn off sprinklers for the day. We handle the rest, and the paper comes down the same day the last coat goes on.

Timeline on a typical house: day one is washing and masking, day two is crack repair and primer, day three is the two finish coats. Cure needs a couple of frost-free days, so we watch the forecast and tell you if a chinook moves the date.

Two-storey Calgary house fully masked and papered before painting, windows, deck and stone protected, stucco painting, Calgary — Two-storey Calgary home masked and papered, ready for coating.

STUCCO PAINTING FAQ

What Calgary homeowners ask first.

How long does painted stucco last in Calgary? +

With proper prep and a breathable acrylic coating, expect 10 to 15 years of solid performance. With regular exterior paint over unwashed, uncracked-repaired stucco, peeling commonly starts within 2 to 5. The difference is almost entirely in the prep and the product.

Can you just paint over the cracks? +

No, and anyone who says yes is selling you a callback. Paint bridges a hairline crack for a season, then the crack telegraphs straight through. We repair cracks properly first, then coat, so the finish stays sealed.

Why not just use regular exterior paint? +

Stucco is cement, and cement needs to breathe. Standard exterior paint forms a vapour-tight film that traps moisture in the wall, which pushes the paint off from behind and can spall the stucco face. Breathable acrylic coatings let vapour out while keeping bulk water off the wall.

When is painting the right call versus a recoat or repair? +

Painting fits when the stucco is sound but faded, stained, or the wrong colour. If the finish is failing, cracked everywhere, or damaged, a repair or an acrylic recoat is more honest, and we'll tell you which after seeing the wall.

Do you help choose the colour? +

Yes. We can match the colour you have, or bring options and samples so you can see them on your own wall. With every paint job we also run your house through colour visualization software, so you see how a few different colours look on your actual home before you commit.

What's the best season to paint stucco in Calgary? +

Late spring through early fall, when overnight temperatures stay above the coating's cure threshold. The calendar fills in exactly that order, so if you want it done this season, quote early.

My stucco is cracking. What are my options? +

Three, depending on how bad it is. Hairline cracks in an otherwise sound wall are sealed and then painted over as part of the prep. Widespread cracking across a wall gets a base coat with fibre mesh embedded in it and an acrylic finish on top, which ties the surface together and gives you a fresh colour and texture. Cracks that go through the base coat, bulging or hollow spots, and anything with water behind it need a stucco repair first. We look at the wall and tell you which one you have before quoting.

Why is my stucco paint peeling? +

Almost always because the wall was painted with regular exterior paint, over dirt or chalk, or over cracks that were never repaired. Cement stucco needs to breathe; a non-breathable paint traps moisture, which pushes the film off from behind, usually on the sunniest wall first. The fix is to strip the loose paint, wash, repair, prime and recoat with a breathable acrylic made for masonry.

Can you paint EIFS or acrylic stucco? +

Yes. EIFS and acrylic stucco take an acrylic coating well, as long as the sealant joints are sound and any impact damage is repaired first. We use the coating the finish manufacturer recommends so the warranty holds. If you are not sure which system you have, tap the wall: EIFS sounds hollow, cement stucco sounds solid. More on the two systems on our stucco page.

How much does it cost to paint a stucco house in Calgary? +

It depends on the size of the house, how many storeys and how much access equipment is needed, the condition of the wall (crack repair and priming are part of the job), whether it is a straight paint or a fibre-mesh recoat, and how much masking the house needs. We look at it in person or from your photos and give you a written quote, so you can see exactly what you are paying for.

What kind of paint do you use on stucco? +

A breathable 100% acrylic masonry coating, applied as a primer plus two finish coats. It sheds rain and survives freeze-thaw while letting water vapour out of the wall. Where a wall has fine hairline cracking we use an elastomeric acrylic that bridges hairlines, and on EIFS we use the manufacturer's tinted acrylic finish coat. We do not use hardware-store exterior house paint on stucco. See the types of stucco paint ↑

Elastomeric or acrylic: which is better for Calgary stucco? +

Acrylic masonry paint is the better all-round choice on sound cement stucco: it breathes more, holds colour in Calgary sun, and costs less. Elastomeric earns its place on older walls with fine hairline crazing, because it stretches over those cracks. It breathes less, so we only use it on a dry wall with the cracks sealed and no sign of moisture behind the stucco.

What sheen should stucco paint be? +

Flat or low sheen. Stucco is textured, and any gloss catches light on every high point, trowel mark and old patch. A flat acrylic hides the history of the wall and is what the coating manufacturers specify for masonry.

How do you prepare stucco for painting? +

Power wash to a clean, sound surface. Repair cracks, holes and failed patches. Mask every window, door, light, vent and anything that stays its own colour. Prime with a masonry primer. Then two coats of the finish. Prep is most of the job, which is why the coating lasts.

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Is Paint The Right Fix For Your Stucco?

Paint it

Repair it first

Cracked all over