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You can put the best product in the world over bad preparation and it will fall right off the walls. Before we even talk about the products we need to talk about what’s happening underneath to make sure they will stay on the walls.
Liquid Stucco’s factory trained applicators are licensed, bonded, registered and insured. They work exclusively for us. All preparation is inspected by our Production Manager before the crew moves on to the various phases of the actual coating system. We start with four times the preparation of a normal paint job.
FOUNDATION-TRENCHING:
Minimum Industry Standards is to just paint down to the dirt. The wall goes below the dirt. There’s a capillary action. The water tends to come up inside from below and eat away the base. The footprint of the house ends up looking like it’s been chewed on. To prevent this and to do it to Manufacturer’s Specifications-if the foundation is part of the job-we trench down 4-6 inches. Then we water blast, patch, prime, waterproof and then when we coat and put the dirt back the water can’t come up inside and eat the base of the house away.
LIGHT FIXTURES:
These are either taken down and put back up when we are done or they are masked. If you want new ones go down to Lowe’s or Home Depot, buy some new ones, bring them home in the box, and we’ll put them up for you when we’re done.
REPAIR, RESCREW, RENAIL:
Any loose wood on your house needs to be tightened up. Like all homes, things on your house have come loose. We can’t put a permanent product over something that is moving around. Wherever possible we don’t use nails, we use grabber screws. We’re not rescrewing the whole house. We won’t know what needs refastening until we lay our hands on every inch of it. Any necessary carpentry is also done at this time.
STUCCO CRACKS:
Minimum Industry Standards is just to put stucco patch over the cracks. That’s like putting a band aid over a would that needs stitches-it’s only temporary. To do it to Manufacturer’s Specifications we need to V-Open the larger cracks either by hand or with a power tool. The dentist doesn’t put a filling in your mouth without first drilling out the decay. Next we waterproof and prime inside the crack and then we fill it with a material that molecularly bonds to the stucco on either side and that bends and flexes and stretches so that when the house settles and moves around the patch doesn’t fall out of the wall.
BLASTING:
Minimum Industry Standards is to just hose the house off and go. That’s ridiculous. A lot of times a good painter will pressure wash the house. Good enough for paint, not good enough for Liquid Stucco. To do it to Manufacturers Specifications we first need to apply a material called Spray-N-Shine. Spray-N-Shine is an algaecide, a mildecide and an insecticide. It kills all the algae, mildew, mold, bugs and bacteria that’s growing on the outside of the house. We’re preparing the house for major surgery so we have to do a surgical scrub. It’s endorsed by the American Environmental Review and won’t harm your plants, pets, kids or grandkids. Then, based on the condition and delicacy of the siding, the Spray-N-Shine is blasted off at pressures up to 4,000 psi.
MASKING:
Minimum Industry Standards is to just mask around the outsides of the windows and doors. Since all of our processes are applied under very high pressure, if we do that, it’s going to make a big mess of your nice clean house. To do it to Manufacturers Specifications we need to mask off the doors and all the windows. We don’t make a mess of your house but the trade-off is that your house will be a little dark for a week or so. Also, when the job is underway taking care of your property is essential. We can’t be just rushing in there to get your check and get out. We need to stop, slow down and cover what needs to be covered. If there is a wind blowing we need to mask the windward side(s) of your neighbor’s house. If we get all done and you find overspray on the deck, the RV and the dog you are not going to be very happy campers. Every day when we’re done working, we make sure the ladders, cans and supplies are all cleaned up and neatly stacked out of the way so you are not living in a disaster zone while the job is in progress.
WIRE BRUSH, SCRAPE, POWER SAND & FEATHER SAND:
These procedures are done to all wood surfaces-as required. The degree to which the procedures are done depends on the condition of the home. Feather Sanding is knocking down the ridges of old paint so that the finished job does not look like it has cliffs and valleys in it. One of the beauties of Liquid Stucco is that it does not make the finished surface look glassy smooth. In other words, it does not plasticize your home. You still see the grain of the wood. The end result is that the wool looks freshly painted…forever!
CAULK:
Painters use caulk that doesn’t last any longer than paint, it doesn’t have to. The caulk used in the Liquid Stucco coating system is permanent. Caulking is important to every job: where the walls meet the soffit and fascia, where the walls meet the foundation/masonry, around the chimney, especially around the doors and windows where settling cracks have formed. Liquid Stucco’s special caulk is made to work in conjunction with the entire system. It goes on, the other parts of the system go over it and you don’t even know it’s there. It is rubber based instead of silicone based. It’s very expensive, that’s why you don’t see it in the stores. The amount of caulking that is required varies based on the condition of the home.
BIG REPAIR PATCHES:
Caulk doesn’t work on big splits and holes. Ordinary patches tend to dry out, get brittle and pop out of the wall. Liquid Stucco uses a wonderful repair product that bends and flexes and stretches so that when the stucco or wood moves around the patch doesn’t fail. It can save a lot of money on expensive stucco and carpentry repairs.
Now the fun begins with the application process!
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