Just realized my neighbor and I have totally different ideas about stucco repair in the Northeast Heights

Last week, my neighbor on Juan Tabo hired a crew to patch a crack with a premixed acrylic compound, saying it was faster and cheaper. I've always used the traditional 3-coat cement plaster method on my own house, which my dad taught me years ago. Which way do you think holds up better against our sun and freeze-thaw cycles?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthewsullivan3mo ago

Honestly, my own patch jobs look like a kindergartener did them, but that old school cement method your dad taught you is the real deal for our weather.

emery_craig3mo ago

Your dad’s cement mix survived 20 years, @matthewsullivan.

lane.angela1mo ago

Oh for crying out loud, I have to say something here. That old school method wasn't actually my dad's cement mix, it was his granddad's recipe from back in the 40s. See, the key difference is they used a lime putty instead of straight Portland cement, which gives it that flexibility to handle our freeze-thaw cycles without cracking. The sand ratio is different too, more like three parts sand to one part binder instead of the usual four to one. If you try making it with just regular bagged cement from the hardware store, it'll be too brittle and fail in a year or two.