Three Types of Stucco Finishes

There are three common types of stucco finishes you might choose from when applying the exterior wall to your home. These finishes include wet dashes, dry dashes, and float finishes.  The wet dashes include many different variations of stucco finishes you might choose to apply to your home. These finishes include the rough cast, pebble dash, spatter dash, broom dash, and even the sand dash. The pebble dash or the rough cast is simple to obtain by throwing the mixture on to the wall by using a paddle.  The mixture will include grout and pebbles. You will throw the mixture against the fresh coat of mortar. The spatter dash can be obtained in a similar fashion but instead using a thinner mixture of cement and coarse sand. Some people choose to use stone screenings instead of sand. This mixture is dashed against the mortar. The sand spray and the broom dash mixtures are used by actually applying the mixture to the mortar by using a long fiber brush or a whisk broom.  You do not throw the mixture but apply it. The reason these finishes are called wet finishes is because you apply the finish to the mortar while it is still fresh.The dry dash stucco finish is another common finish people prefer on their house.  When obtaining the dry dash look, you will throw clean pebbles, pieces of shell, or even stone chips against the mortar right before it is hardened. It is important to try to uniformly distribute the mixture across the wall so the outcome looks nice.  In most cases, you will have to push the pieces of rock into place by using drywall finishing tools like a float.  However, you should not rub the surface once the pieces are embedded into the mortar. The dry dash is a more difficult finish to apply because it takes more time and you have to be more careful to evenly distribute the rocks and pebbles.Float stucco finishes are another popular option to use on the exterior wall of a home. This type of finish is accomplished by applying the coating once the mortar has begun to harden. This type of finish requires a thin finish coat and needs to be straightened before you begin floating. Once the stucco has begun to stiffen, water needs to be dashed on the surface with a brush. Float finishes are performed by professional workmen with experience and skill. Not many homeowners attempt to do this type of finish on their home.There are three different types of stucco finishes you might choose from if you are looking for a new siding for the exterior of your home. These types of finishes include wet dashes, dry dashes, and float finishes.  Wet and dry dashes are the most common if you are thinking of performing this project on your own. If you would like a float finish on the outside of your home and you have never done this before then you might consider hiring a professional to assist you.