Types of Stucco Finishes

Dash – aka Splatter Dash, Roughcast Finishes Dash is a highly textured, gritty stucco finish that looks rather as if fine gravel has been added into the stucco plaster mix. Some contractors actually do incorporate gravel into the plaster and this is known as Roughcast.

The finish coat is applied last, creating the decorative finish on the wall surface. Building Codes Standards on Stucco One of the major secrets to applying stucco is mixing stucco, so every batch has the same perfect consistency The International Building Code (IBC) provides rules for the minimum time delay between each coat of plaster.

Lace – aka Spanish Lace, Skip-Trowel Finish. Stucco lace finish is an extremely popular one as it‘s great for hiding imperfections and suits most building designs. It looks rather like a delicate lace pattern, created by applying a final layer of stucco in random directions using a skip-trowel; the final surface is then “knocked down” or flattened slightly creating the lace-like pattern.

Pebbledash – aka Rock Dash Finishes. Pebbledash is where actual aggregate material (small pebbles, gravel, flint chips, seashells or even crushed glass) is thrown onto the final wet stucco plaster coat, completely covering the surface. This is a particularly popular style of stucco finish in the United Kingdom and parts of Northern Europe.

Sand or Float Finish Because of the extra sand added to this finish, it has an orange peel pockmarked-type appearance. After application of the stucco material by a machine, the finish is hand-floated in a fine, medium or coarse texture.

Merlex Santa Barbara Finish Exterior Stucco is a premium quality portland cement based color coat finish material designed to achieve a smoother texture reminiscent of the many historical buildings in the Santa Barbara area.

In this finish, the final coat of stucco is brushed on by hand using a tool known as a plaster float. It’s essentially like a trowel with a sponge attached to one end. This gives the surface a rough, almost popcorn finish. Smooth or Scraped. A popular choice for modern homes, scraped stucco surfaces have been smoothed down by hand using a trowel.

This finish is the smoothest finish you’ll see in stucco, where the final layer of stucco is scraped flat with a metal tool. A growing trend with smooth finishes is to create a customized mottled color effect, adding a level of uniqueness to your home.