Don’t Plan for Stucco Applications in Winter

Deciding to install stucco siding to your home is an excellent way to spruce up your property’s curb appeal as well as to take advantage of the many benefits of using stucco. However, if you’ve made the decision to add stucco, wait until the winter is over or you may end up running into several problems.

First of all, the cold weather of winter can pose serious issues to your stucco siding. If temperatures are expected to drop below 32 degrees, it can cause the mortar to freeze on the wall, causing the plaster to weaken. This is because water expands when it freezes and the plaster could fracture before the cement has gained strength.

Another potential problem is that the warm moisture of new plaster can be absorbed by the cold dry air, which can cause plastic shrinkage cracks in addition to impaired cure. Low temperatures will result in mortar taking longer to set and gain strength, which means that troweling and floating will need to be delayed, which can lead to more expensive labor costs.

Consider waiting until after window to add stucco siding.