# Cure Time for New Stucco Painting



## SemiproJohn

I am about to paint the exterior of a house with T-111 siding and stucco. The owner is going to have one side of the house that presently has the siding stuccoed. 

I have done some research and keep coming up with a 60-90 day cure time for the new stucco before a primer and top-coat can be applied. That doesn't sound unreasonable to me. However, I've lived in Florida all my life, been in construction in various forms for over 30 years, and have never actually seen a stucco house or commercial building "sit" that length of time before painters covered the new stucco. 

I was a block mason for over 10 years (commercial work mainly), and can honestly say that none of the Publix shopping centers, schools, time shares, condominiums and the like that I worked on and that were stuccoed ever sat that long. As I recollect, as soon as a side of a building was stuccoed, the painters were right there painting. The same held true for residential homes.

I am looking for a safe, minimum cure time for the new stucco, as I don't want to have to wait 90 days to paint to finish this house. I don't want any chance of paint blistering because I was impatient. I have a perfect track record so far (no complaints or call-backs) and want to keep it that way. Any information would be greatly appreciated.


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## Gough

SemiproJohn said:


> I am about to paint the exterior of a house with T-111 siding and stucco. The owner is going to have one side of the house that presently has the siding stuccoed.
> 
> I have done some research and keep coming up with a 60-90 day cure time for the new stucco before a primer and top-coat can be applied. That doesn't sound unreasonable to me. However, I've lived in Florida all my life, been in construction in various forms for over 30 years, and have never actually seen a stucco house or commercial building "sit" that length of time before painters covered the new stucco.
> 
> I was a block mason for over 10 years (commercial work mainly), and can honestly say that none of the Publix shopping centers, schools, time shares, condominiums and the like that I worked on and that were stuccoed ever sat that long. As I recollect, as soon as a side of a building was stuccoed, the painters were right there painting. The same held true for residential homes.
> 
> I am looking for a safe, minimum cure time for the new stucco, as I don't want to have to wait 90 days to paint to finish this house. I don't want any chance of paint blistering because I was impatient. I have a perfect track record so far (no complaints or call-backs) and want to keep it that way. Any information would be greatly appreciated.


Are you talking real stucco or EIFS?


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## SemiproJohn

Gough said:


> Are you talking real stucco or EIFS?


I'm talking real stucco. The typical scratch/brown/texture coats over wire lathe with felt backing.


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## simplycovered

That's because they use the colored stucco over the scratch coat which is also primed with a like product. Paint isn't thick like stucco. Durex is popular around here, but if you want to just paint the scratch coat , ninety days is fair,, I used that rule for mortar on a chimney that was to be painted, I must have cheated because the joints peeled somewhere in the two years, but then ten more bricks spalled too so whatever. Where ever water can get behind a soak the mortar is cause for concern, that's why we hate to paint brick usually.


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## bskerley

Just spray that ****!


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## SemiproJohn

bskerley said:


> Just spray that ****!


How long do I wait before I spray that *******?


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## LA Painter

I just wait till I don't see any more moisture in the stucco. Usually a week or two depending the weather.


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## SemiproJohn

That is about how long I was thinking to wait. Here in Central Fla. we get into the nineties every day this time of year...we also get rain nearly every afternoon (sometimes mid-morning). Right now constant humidity which slows cure time. I guess I'll just give it a couple of weeks and check it out. Thanks.


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## kmp

Real stucco needs, according to manfacture spec's, 30 days to cure. I've painted lots of stucco in southern Arizona and in a dry climate it never really gets to a level of safe alkalinity to paint. What you need to do is wait 3-4 days to let it set and then hose the house down ,a 6" rundown is good.You need to do this several times , at least once a day for several days, maybe twice a day if you can to bring the alkalinity down. You can get some pool water test strips to test for it. there is some stuff called phynelphaline solution, not sure about the spelling, that is better but may be hard to find. The faster and darker it turns purple the hotter the stucco is and means you need to hose it down more and wait longer. I've had houses sit for 30 day's and still be hotter than a two peckered billy goat and after several washings it was safe to paint.


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## bskerley

Technically 28 days
Get a ph test kit. Spray it with water daily until it comes down. Your good


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## kmp

Second post . You could also prime it with Loxon masonary conditioner if you dont want to wait more than a week.


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## Delta Painting

Spay the surface with vinegar and water 4:1..


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## IL_Painter

what is this stucco you speak of?


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## SemiproJohn

kmp said:


> Second post . You could also prime it with Loxon masonary conditioner if you dont want to wait more than a week.


kmp, that's what I did. I think I applied a coat of Loxon on day eight, followed by two coats of exterior Superpaint. It turned out great. Thanks for the tip!


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