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Cleaning Stucco Guide
How to Clean Stucco Walls
If you are looking for a guide or education on how to clean stucco walls, remove black stains or how to remove mold on exterior stucco walls, this guide is for you.
Stucco is a great material for the exterior of your home, but cleaning it requires some special considerations. A stucco wall is naturally textured, so it can accumulate dust and grime deep in its cracks and crevices, making it hard to clean. To properly clean a stucco home exterior you will need to use the right chemicals and the right tools to get deep into the stucco without damaging it or causing paint scratches.
Stucco is a great material for the exterior of your home, but cleaning it requires some special considerations. A stucco wall is naturally textured, so it can accumulate dust and grime deep in its cracks and crevices, making it hard to clean. To properly clean a stucco home exterior you will need to use the right chemicals and the right tools to get deep into the stucco without damaging it or causing paint scratches.
Important considerations when cleaning stucco
Stucco is a great surface for the exterior of your home. It is beautiful, strong, and low maintenance. In the right environment and with proper care, a stucco wall can last 50 years or more with few signs of wear. Stucco is a cement product, so it is incredibly hard and resists damage. It also provides superior insulation from temperature and sound.
A stucco exterior is almost always textured, though the depth and type of texture vary based on architectural preference. The depth of texture ranges from the smooth Santa Barbara finish, to the deeply textured lace finishes that most people think of when they picture a stucco home.
In any case, stucco is going to have enough of texture that it will hold on to dirt, dust, mold, and other stains much more stubbornly than traditional painted wood or vinyl siding.
In order to properly clean stucco, you will have to take into account the texture of the material as well as its tendency to hold at least some water.
Because modern stucco is cement-based, it is also susceptible to cracks and chips.
A stucco exterior is almost always textured, though the depth and type of texture vary based on architectural preference. The depth of texture ranges from the smooth Santa Barbara finish, to the deeply textured lace finishes that most people think of when they picture a stucco home.
In any case, stucco is going to have enough of texture that it will hold on to dirt, dust, mold, and other stains much more stubbornly than traditional painted wood or vinyl siding.
In order to properly clean stucco, you will have to take into account the texture of the material as well as its tendency to hold at least some water.
Because modern stucco is cement-based, it is also susceptible to cracks and chips.
How to remove stucco stains
A stucco exterior can build up several types of dirt or stains. Different types of stains require different approaches to get them completely clean.
The most basic stain is just dirt, dust, and even bits of particulate air pollution that get stuck in the porous and textured stucco. This can cause the stucco to look grime and even change its color somewhat. Another type of stain comes from dirt and mud that are kicked up from the ground in a rainstorm or just from activity around the base of the walls. This type of dirt can be removed softly using proven industrial chemicals or regular detergent or stucco cleaning detergent, whichever cleaning solution you prefer.
Sometimes stucco will develop what looks like black stains. While these stained areas may vary in appearance, they generally are not the same as just plain old dirt. Black stains can be caused by mold or algae that grow in the porous stucco. To get these out you will need to kill the mildew or algae first and then clean out the residue.
If there are nails, hooks, or other metal fixtures on the outside of your home, you may also get some rust streaking on your stucco. Rust streaks are easy to identify. They look like rust-colored tears streaking down from wherever the rusty culprit is. The rust simply runs down the wall with water from rain or any other source, leaving a rusty stain behind. While these stains are easy to identify, they can be tough to treat. However, with the right experience and approach they can be cleaned.
The most basic stain is just dirt, dust, and even bits of particulate air pollution that get stuck in the porous and textured stucco. This can cause the stucco to look grime and even change its color somewhat. Another type of stain comes from dirt and mud that are kicked up from the ground in a rainstorm or just from activity around the base of the walls. This type of dirt can be removed softly using proven industrial chemicals or regular detergent or stucco cleaning detergent, whichever cleaning solution you prefer.
Sometimes stucco will develop what looks like black stains. While these stained areas may vary in appearance, they generally are not the same as just plain old dirt. Black stains can be caused by mold or algae that grow in the porous stucco. To get these out you will need to kill the mildew or algae first and then clean out the residue.
If there are nails, hooks, or other metal fixtures on the outside of your home, you may also get some rust streaking on your stucco. Rust streaks are easy to identify. They look like rust-colored tears streaking down from wherever the rusty culprit is. The rust simply runs down the wall with water from rain or any other source, leaving a rusty stain behind. While these stains are easy to identify, they can be tough to treat. However, with the right experience and approach they can be cleaned.
Should you clean stucco walls without chemicals?
Using a power washer without chemical is a bad tool for cleaning a stucco exterior. In fact, you will likely damage the paint due to the water pressure flow.
Be careful you don’t damage the stucco. Chemicals should be applied using soft low pressure water flow, the flow should be delicate and soft never bring the nozzle closer than 24 inches from the surface of your stucco. Finally, try to maintain a 45-degree angle approach with the pressure washer, so you avoid head-on pressure to the stucco.
Fazio Eliz AT SoftWashStucco.com is your local soft wash stucco professional with 10+ years of experience and can make your home look amazing.
Be careful you don’t damage the stucco. Chemicals should be applied using soft low pressure water flow, the flow should be delicate and soft never bring the nozzle closer than 24 inches from the surface of your stucco. Finally, try to maintain a 45-degree angle approach with the pressure washer, so you avoid head-on pressure to the stucco.
Fazio Eliz AT SoftWashStucco.com is your local soft wash stucco professional with 10+ years of experience and can make your home look amazing.
How to clean stucco exterior
Using the right tools will make this part much easier. Electric power washers are available at most hardware stores. Gas-powered pressure washers can often provide more pressure and better overall cleaning. Both types of pressure washer are often available for rent as well as purchase at local hardware or home improvement store.
However, chemical machines are rarely rented out, nothing beats a Professional Stucco Chemical Machine with properly mixed Cleaners.
A professional-grade power washer is not generally sold to the public, and will definitely not be readily available for rent.
Fazio Eliz AT SoftWashStucco.com will have the tools, knowledge, and experience to get your stucco really clean with minimal mess and fuss.
The first step is to apply the detergent to the stucco. Detergent should be applied from the bottom up, overlapping somewhat to make sure you get complete coverage. The detergent needs to soak in for 5-10 minutes, but only works when it is wet, so you may need to add more detergent during this time. It is best to do your cleaning on an overcast day, so the detergent doesn’t dry too quickly. Also, you want to avoid leaving the detergent to dry on a wall for too long, because it can leave residue and stains. Instead, divide your house into smaller sections, working on one section at a time to treat it with detergent and rinse it before moving to the next.
Once the detergent has had a chance to work, it is time to rinse everything down. Start from the top and work your way down. This way you will capture the dirty water as it cascades down your wall and avoids having to rewash sections. Make sure to use plenty of water, so that dirty rinse water doesn’t get stuck in the pores of your stucco. If you use enough water, you should be left with nothing but clean water soaked into your walls, and it should dry clean relatively quickly.
However, chemical machines are rarely rented out, nothing beats a Professional Stucco Chemical Machine with properly mixed Cleaners.
A professional-grade power washer is not generally sold to the public, and will definitely not be readily available for rent.
Fazio Eliz AT SoftWashStucco.com will have the tools, knowledge, and experience to get your stucco really clean with minimal mess and fuss.
The first step is to apply the detergent to the stucco. Detergent should be applied from the bottom up, overlapping somewhat to make sure you get complete coverage. The detergent needs to soak in for 5-10 minutes, but only works when it is wet, so you may need to add more detergent during this time. It is best to do your cleaning on an overcast day, so the detergent doesn’t dry too quickly. Also, you want to avoid leaving the detergent to dry on a wall for too long, because it can leave residue and stains. Instead, divide your house into smaller sections, working on one section at a time to treat it with detergent and rinse it before moving to the next.
Once the detergent has had a chance to work, it is time to rinse everything down. Start from the top and work your way down. This way you will capture the dirty water as it cascades down your wall and avoids having to rewash sections. Make sure to use plenty of water, so that dirty rinse water doesn’t get stuck in the pores of your stucco. If you use enough water, you should be left with nothing but clean water soaked into your walls, and it should dry clean relatively quickly.
How to remove mold from stucco walls
There are some spots that will not get clean with a simple detergent and rinse cycle. For these areas, you may need to use special treatments.
For stains caused by mold, mildew, or algae, you will need to kill the source of the stain before treating the stain itself. Simple oxygen bleach should do the trick. Mix the oxygen bleach powder with water according to any directions on the packaging. Apply the bleach solution liberally to the affected area so that the stucco is saturated and give it 30 minutes to work. The area should stay wet the whole time, so this is best done on a cool, overcast day. You can also apply more solution as necessary.
To prevent mold and mildew from coming back, a simple wash with detergent or even dish soap once in a while can clean off the food that the mold and mildew feast on. If the issue is algae, you can prevent regrowth by introducing copper to your wall. Copper is a natural biocide and inhibits algae growth. One way to introduce copper to your stucco wall is to install a thin strip of copper near the top of the wall. Every time it rains, the water that washes down over the copper strip will carry a minute amount of copper down over the walls, which is enough to deter algae growth.
To get your walls really clean, it helps to have the knowledge, experience, and toolkit of a professional contact Fazio Eliz AT SoftWashStucco.com today for your free quote.
For stains caused by mold, mildew, or algae, you will need to kill the source of the stain before treating the stain itself. Simple oxygen bleach should do the trick. Mix the oxygen bleach powder with water according to any directions on the packaging. Apply the bleach solution liberally to the affected area so that the stucco is saturated and give it 30 minutes to work. The area should stay wet the whole time, so this is best done on a cool, overcast day. You can also apply more solution as necessary.
To prevent mold and mildew from coming back, a simple wash with detergent or even dish soap once in a while can clean off the food that the mold and mildew feast on. If the issue is algae, you can prevent regrowth by introducing copper to your wall. Copper is a natural biocide and inhibits algae growth. One way to introduce copper to your stucco wall is to install a thin strip of copper near the top of the wall. Every time it rains, the water that washes down over the copper strip will carry a minute amount of copper down over the walls, which is enough to deter algae growth.
To get your walls really clean, it helps to have the knowledge, experience, and toolkit of a professional contact Fazio Eliz AT SoftWashStucco.com today for your free quote.