Question about Stucco...

[Ms. Mini]

Right now I'm in the process of builing a Tennyson for my mom as a suprise for her bday in september. Ive been heavily debating whether or not I should use stucco or siding for the exterior. Siding I know how to do, ive done it on 3 houses now. But Stucco is a whole new ball game for me. Im thinking about getting the "greenleaf stucco" and had a few questions...

Do you hae to put the exterior window frames on before you stucco? Once you stucco and it dries how hard is it to drill tiny wholes for electricity to go through? Is it hard to paint?

Any advice or opinions would be grealty appreciated! Also if you think I should use siding let me know... I really want to make this house extra special for my mom.

THanks

[havanaholly]

I use spackling compound for stucco (& everything else, as the whole world knows by now) because it is so much less expensive than dh stucco. You can also separate layers of facial or bathroom tissue, wad it up, smooth it onto your fresh paint & lightly swirl & pounce your paintbrush over it and with it's dry paint over it and it'll look like stucco. Peggi is using the dh stucco on her Magnolia & may be able to answer your drilling question.

I lay my trims where they will go and trace around them and then with masking tape I cover the area I will want to glue the trim to later, and as soon as the spackle is spread I gently & carefully lift the tape. When the spackle's dry I can glue in my door & window trims. I explain all about it in my Glencroft pub team building blog.

[Missymew]

I used the Greenleaf stucco mixed with acrylic paint when I stuccoed my Orchid (it's in the community blogs). I installed the trims and window ledges before I stuccoed. I just put the stucco mix on with a large paint brush and swirled it around to achieve the effect that I wanted. I had a smaller paint brush that I used to push the strucco in closer to the windows and trims. It worked out nicely for me.

One thing I've learned through this forum is there's usually more than one way to achieve the desired look. In most instances there isn't necessarily a right or wrong method, but whatever works best for you.

Holly does do marvelous work with spackling.

-Susanne

[nuttiwebgal]

I enjoy using the tissue/paint method for acheiving the stucco look for a couple of reasons.

1st its inexpensive

2nd easy to do

3rd wont chip off and IMHO makes it sturdier...coz honey afte it dries there is nothing can take it off!

4th looks good

5th...the looks on peoples faces when I tell them I used TP to get the look.

my grandmother always gets a chuckle after she listens to the ooos and aaahhhhs over her Orchid and then she tells them its covered in TP

there is also mixing fine sand into the paint for a textured paint that resembles stucco

like its been said...many ways to achieve the same type of look. you just have to pick one that works for you.

nutti

[mariawicz]

I too use spackling compound in place of stucco although I would suggest that if you never did it before and you feel more comfortable with siding, then go with siding. Because it's a gift for your mom, which is very special, I wouldn't try anything too new, but if you decide that it's not going to be a scary process, then go for it. And remember, just because you never did the stucco before, doesn't mean putting the siding on is going to be any less special.

[havanaholly]

As with any technique you haven't tried before, get you some scraps of plywood, prime them and try out different techniques to see what "works" for you, for heaven's sake don't experiment on the house itself!

[Peggi]

Jenny, I used the GL stucco for the first time on my Magnolia and was real please with how easy and fun it was to spread. As far as the wiring, I bought from Earth & Tree a connector tool. It is spring loaded and really helps put those eyelets in the wood. Had no problem at all using it except for a couple of place where the eyelet came all the way thru. the wood and stucco.

I also did like Holly said and taped over where the trim would go, but I also upgraded the windows and did not want them sticking out to far.

The first picture is the mix--since I mixed my paint with it--it looks like strawberry icecream and spreads just as smooth.

One pic shows after the tape was removed and the other is a shot of the finished stuccoing.

[smallhouset]

I used texture paint I got at Walmart on my Tennyson and Pierce. It was left over from some work we did on our real house. I just brushed it on in small swirls with a brush after I marked where the window trim would go. It dried quickly and I used craft paint over top of it. I didn't have any problems with it, but I did spray it with matte sealer when it was all done and painted. Before I put the windows in.

[Deb]

I use Greenleaf stucco and absolutely love it!! It mixes beautifully with latex paint without changing the color of the paint, with arylic it might lighten the tone just a tiny bit. On the faerie house, I used it for the interior and pressed peridot, citrine and emerald chips into it for a sparkling cave-like effect and on the tuscan villa, I used a small paintbrush to swirl in the pattern for venitian plaster. On the wizard's house, I stuccoed the interior in a parchment color, then dry-rubbed mahogany stain over it to give it an aged look. The texture of the stucco really made the antiquing look realistic. On exteriors, I slap it on and then ponce it with a stiff bristle brush. (and yes, that's as much fun as it sounds!!)

For the exteriors, I've found the best method for me to use around windows is to base paint the exterior of the house with the same paint (minus the stucco) first. I install the window frames, then when I apply the stucco, I tape off the frames and, like Susanne, I use a smaller brush to apply it around the windows. It takes a little patience but I like the window frames flat against the wall and don't mind a little extra time stuccoing around them. If you put a base coat of paint under the stucco, you don't have to worry about little bare spots showing thru.

Deb

[Color Me Holly]

Mabyn is using the TP method on her Buttercup and Alysia used spackel. The both look like stucco, although Alysia could have taken a paint brush and textured hers a little more. For Alysia's I showed her how to tape off where the trim went.

Thanks for the info about the GL Stucco. I haven't used it but was curious about it.

[Ms. Mini]

Thanks for all the tips everyone I knew i could count on all my wonderful friends here! i think im gonna do the stucco And Im going to get some spakling compound this week! im so excited :yay:

[havanaholly]

Jenny, another trick to texture spackle to look like stucco is after you spread it (old/ giveaway credit cards are the tools of choice) go over it lightly all over in the same direction and then use just the tip of one corner to randomly touch to the damp spackle, or you can bounce an old toothbrush over it.

[Ms. Mini]

Thanks Holly! thats a great tip I will def. have to try that!

[More Minis Dollhouses]

These were all great tips. I plan on using stucco on my Glencroft for the first time ever so all of the advice was much needed.

[havanaholly]

I plan on using stucco on my Glencroft

The brick infill on the downstairs exterior is the only place I didn't sspackle for stucco!