How to Apply Interior Stucco

Stucco can create unique and impressive wall surfaces.

Stucco is a wall surface or covering that produces textures that are tactile as well as visual. Stucco is applied to both interior and exterior surfaces to create unique and impressive walls. The application method will depend largely upon the existing wall surface. Most interior walls will be made of wood or drywall, which require similar application.

Things You'll Need

• 15-pound roofing felt
• 17-gauge metal netting
• Tin snips
• Hammer
• Finishing nails
• Galvanized roofing nails
• Mortar
• Trowel
• Plaster rake
• Spray water bottle
• Pigment
• Paint
• Paintbrushes

Instructions

1. Prepare the walls for the stucco. Roofing felt and metal netting must first be applied to the wall as a base to secure the stucco in place and prevent pieces of the finished stucco from falling off of the wall. Use small finishing nails to hold the felt into place.

2. Nail the metal netting to the wall, on top of the roofing felt. You will have to use tin snips or another powerful cutting tool to cut the netting down to the sizes you need for the wall. Purchase the largest available rolls of metal netting and avoid placing seams in the middle of the walls you intend to stucco.

3. Mix up a batch of mortar, then use a flat trowel to apply the mortar to the netting, forcing the mortar though the netting to secure it into place. After mortar is applied to the entire surface, approximately 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick, the mortar should then be notched with the plaster rake. The notches should extend across the entire width of the area, and be around 1/8-inch deep.

4. Allow the first layer of the stucco wall to dry or cure for around two full days. While it is drying, you will need to use the spray water bottle to mist the surface so it stays damp.

5. Apply the finishing coat of stucco. Mix the stucco and add more pigments to the mix if it's need to achieve your desired texture. Use the flat trowel again to apply the finishing coat, in a layer thickness between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch.

6. Create your desired textures in the stucco after it has been applied to the entire surface. After texturing is complete, you must allow the stucco to cure and dry. Again, you must mist the surface and allow curing for up to six weeks before applying a stucco-specific paint to the surface.

References

• Better Homes and Gardens: Applying Stucco

Resources

• Cement: About Stucco