Stucco Vs. Wood Exterior

Stucco Characteristics

• Stucco exteriors form a thick, masonry covering on both wood-framed and masonry buildings. Modern stucco mixtures consist of varying amounts of cement, sand, lime and additives. Typically available as a dry, powdery mixture, stucco combines with water to form a plaster-like paste, which masons apply either by hand with trowels or with mechanical sprayers. Suitable for both wood-framed and masonry exteriors, stucco masons apply a variety of surface textures or patterns to a stucco exterior's final coat. Although installing a stucco exterior requires substantial time and labor, stucco is impervious to rot and insect damage. However, the natural movement of wall framing materials, both wood and masonry, often causes stucco exteriors to develop cracks.

Wood Characteristics

• Wood exteriors commonly consist of a series of interlocked or overlapping boards. The wood products offered for exterior siding applications include structural stable species or species with natural resistance to deterioration, such as redwood, cedar and spruce. If properly sealed or treated with chemical preservatives, wood siding lasts decades or longer. However, even naturally hardy wood species succumb to rot and deterioration. Additionally, wood siding products continually absorb and release moisture and naturally shrink and swell. Thus, wood siding products sometimes split, crack or bulge with age. However, installing wood siding products is relatively quick and requires only standard carpentry tools and skills.

Cost

• Compared by materials costs alone, stucco is typically less expensive than wood siding. However, installing stucco siding generally requires more specialized tools, skills and labor than installing wood siding. Alternatively, do-it-yourself builders familiar with general carpentry likely possess the skills and tools required to install several types of wood siding, including board and batten and lap siding. Thus, a homeowner or do-it-yourself builder must factor labor costs or savings into the final price of exterior siding.

Maintenance

• Although both wood and stucco exteriors benefit from regular maintenance, wood exteriors quickly deteriorate without annual or semi-annual refinishing. The weathering characteristics of wood and stucco exteriors differ greatly. Wood exteriors tend to blister, peel and crack much more frequently than stucco exteriors. Aside from cracking and chipping, stucco exteriors are generally more stable and require less maintenance than wood exteriors.