Stucco is a popular finish for home builders and buyers who are looking for both durability and varied design.

Because stucco comes in many textures and types, with the ability to either stain it, paint it or add a certain pigment to it, it can be confusing as to which stucco to choose. Let’s explore a few options.

Stucco Finishes

Whether you’re looking for a smooth surface, or one that can mimic the look of stone or brick, learning about these different types of stucco finishes can help you decide which one is right for your home.

The Dash Finish

If you’re looking for a gritty, highly textured finish that gives the appearance of fine gravel added into the mix, then the Dash stucco finish might be a good option for you.

This stucco finish is applied by spraying it with a special spray gun. It can also be applied by hand as a final coat. The Dash finish can vary in appearance and texture with either a fine, medium or heavily grained result depending on the amount that is applied.

The Pebbledash Finish

Pebbledash is another option for lots of texture, even more so than the Dash finish. The Pebbledash stucco uses actual seashells, gravel, pebbles and even small pieces of crushed glass added to the final coat. The texture covers the entire surface and offers a multi-colored, multi-textured result.

The Smooth (Scraped) Finish

If smooth is more your style, the stucco finish simply known as “Smooth” (sometimes referred to as “Scraped”) is a perfect choice. With this application process, a special metal tool helps to scrape the surface flat.

Some homeowners choose to customize their smooth stucco surface with a mottled color effect spread into the mix as it’s scraped to give it a more dimensional look.

The Sand (Float) Finish

Sand stucco is just what it sounds like: stucco with sand added to the mix. Different types of sand are used to produce a variety of results from fine to heavy sand textures. With really heavy sand finishes, the final result can resemble a fine Dash finish.

The Lace Finish

This particular stucco finish is among the most popular as it’s very good at hiding any little imperfections in the surface. The name of this finish is given due to the lace-like pattern that is left after a final layer of stucco is added in random directions using a skip-trowel. After the last layer dries, the surface is then flattened ever so slightly which leaves a lacy look behind.

As with most of the stucco finishes, this application can be done with a fine or heavy finish.

The Santa Barbara Finish

This very traditional stucco finish is not unlike the smooth finish, but with a slightly more irregular texture. It’s comparable to the old adobe style buildings that were so popular in California in its early days.

We Know Stucco

For help choosing from the many stucco finishes to find the perfect one from your home, visit our website to learn more.

We’re here to help, whether it’s with your first stucco project or re-finishing your old stucco for a new, updated look, so contact us today.