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Stucco Solutions in the DFW Metroplex Area

Economy Stucco, Inc. has been in business since 2003 and has dedicated itself to providing stucco solutions in the DFW Metroplex area. We prioritize providing stucco that will last many years and prevent costly repairs due to a lack of experience. We are a certified company of Dryvit, STO, and many other stucco manufacturers.
Our commitment to you is to install stuccos that last for a lifetime. We will serve you with the most competitive prices in the DFW Metroplex area.
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About Us

Our goal is to exceed our customers’ expectations by providing a competitive price without sacrificing the quality of the work. We aim to be in the stucco industry for years and provide a high installation standard. At Economy Stucco, Inc., we highly prioritize the waterproofing layers because we believe this is the foundation of a successful stucco system. Thanks for your interest in our team, and we hope we can be part of your stucco installation needs.

EIFS

EIFS stands for “Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems.” The product is also called synthetic stucco. It refers to a multi-layered exterior finish used in European construction shortly after World War II when contractors found it a good repair choice for damaged buildings during the war. Most repairs to European buildings were to structures made of stone, concrete, brick, or other similar, durable materials.

EIFS in North America

North American builders began using EIFS in the 1980s. First, they used it in commercial buildings. Then, they used it as an exterior finish for residences, mostly wood frame houses, using the same techniques that had been successful in Europe.

Four Layers to EIFS

  • The inner layer foam insulation board is secured to the exterior wall surface.
  • The middle layer is a polymer and cement base coat to the top of the insulation and reinforced with glass fiber mesh.
  • The exterior layer is a textured finish coat.
  • Moisture and air water barrier

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Synthetic Stucco vs. Traditional Stucco

Synthetic stucco is soft and sounds hollow when tapped, while traditional stucco is hard and brittle and sounds solid when tapped.

Maintaining EIFS

Any opening, such as door and window frames and the areas around flashings, must be sealed to prevent water from seeping behind the EIFS. Gutters should be kept clean and positioned to drain away from the house. The foam should not extend below grade. Items that penetrate the stucco must be sealed. In other words, no moisture should be able to seep behind the EIFS.

Signs of EIFS Problems

  • Mold or mildew on the interior or exterior of the home.
  • Swollen wood around door and window frames.
  • Blistered or peeling paint.
  • Cracked EIFS or sealant.

EIFS Today

Newer EIFS systems include a drainage arrangement to help keep moisture from being trapped behind the covering.

Stucco

Stucco comprises aggregates, a binder, and water. It is applied wet and hard to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture. It may cover less visually appealing construction materials like metal, concrete, cinder block, clay brick, and adobe.
In English, stucco usually means a coating for the outside of a building and plaster for interiors; as described below, the material is often slightly different. But other European languages, especially Italian, do not have the same distinction; stucco means “plaster” in Italian and serves for both. This has led to English often using “stucco” for interior decorative plasterwork in relief, especially in art history and older sources.

Composition

The difference in nomenclature between stucco, plaster, and mortar is based more on use than composition. Until the latter part of the 19th century, it was common for plaster to be used inside a building and stucco to be used outside. Both consist of the same primary materials: lime and sand (also used in mortar).
Animal or plant fibers were often added for additional strength. In the latter 19th century, Portland cement was added with increasing frequency to improve stucco’s durability. At the same time, traditional lime plasters were being replaced by gypsum plaster. Traditional stucco is made of lime, sand, and water. Modern stucco is made of Portland cement, sand, and water. Lime is added to increase the permeability and workability of modern stucco.

Lime Stucco

Sometimes, additives such as acrylics and glass fibers are added to improve the structural properties of the stucco. Unlike the traditional three-coat method, this is usually done with a one-coat stucco system. Lime stucco is a relatively hard material that can be broken or chipped by hand without too much difficulty.
The lime is usually white; the color comes from the aggregate or any added pigments. Lime stucco is self-healing to a limited degree because of the slight water solubility of lime (which in a solution can be deposited in cracks, where it solidifies).

Portland Cement Stucco

Portland cement stucco is very hard and brittle and can easily crack if the base on which it is applied is not stable. Typically, its color was gray, from the innate color of most Portland cement, but white Portland cement is also used.
Today’s stucco manufacturers offer an extensive range of colors that can be mixed integrally in the finish coat. Other materials such as stone and glass chips are sometimes “dashed” onto the finish coat before drying, with the finished product commonly known as “rock dash,” “pebble dash,” or also as roughcast if the stones are incorporated directly into the stucco, used mainly from the early 20th through the early 21st centuries.

Traditional Stucco

As a building material, stucco is a durable, attractive, and weather-resistant wall covering. It was traditionally used as an interior and exterior finish applied directly in one or two thin layers over a solid masonry, brick, or stone surface. The finish coat usually contained an integral color and was typically textured for appearance.
Then, with the introduction and development of heavy timber and light wood-framed construction methods, stucco was adapted for this new use by adding a reinforcement lattice, or lath, attached to and spanning between the structural supports and by increasing the thickness and number of layers of the total system.

Stuccos and Laths

The lath added support for the wet plaster and tensile strength to the brittle, cured stucco, while the increased thickness and number of layers helped control cracking. The traditional application of stucco and lath occurs in three coats: scratch coat, brown coat, and finish coat.
The two base coats of plaster are either hand-applied or machine-sprayed. The finish coat can be troweled smooth, hand-textured, floated to a sand finish, or sprayed. Originally, the lath material was strips of wood installed horizontally on the wall, with spaces between them that would support the wet plaster until it cured.

The Lath and Plaster Technique

This lath and plaster technique became widely used. In exterior wall applications, the lath is installed over a weather-resistant asphalt-impregnated felt or paper sheet that protects the framing from moisture passing through the porous stucco.
After World War II, metal wire mesh or netting replaced wood lath. Galvanizing the wire made it corrosion-resistant and suitable for exterior wall applications. This “traditional” method of wire mesh lath and three coats of exterior plaster is still widely used today. In some parts of the United States (California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Florida), stucco is the predominant residential and commercial construction exterior.

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Trust Economy Stucco, Inc. to add elegance and longevity to your walls with a stucco installation. Contact us today, and let us be your partner in creating stucco solutions that go beyond expectations.
Address
4307 S Buckner Blvd Dallas, TX. 75227
Service Area
DFW Metroplex
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