Stucco Repair and Painting in Riverside: Fixing Cracks Before the Paint Goes On

By Tom Sisto, Tom’s Inside Out Painting

A crack in the stucco is easy to ignore until the day you decide to repaint. Then it becomes the first question: can this be patched, or does it need someone to look at it before any paint goes on? Paint over an open crack and it can come back through the new coat, and water can keep getting into the wall.

This guide covers why Riverside stucco cracks, which cracks are normally patched and painted, and what the prep looks like before an exterior repaint. For the wider prep picture, see our surface preparation guide.

Why Does Riverside Stucco Crack?

Stucco is a hard, rigid coating, and a few things in our area keep working on it:

• Heat and temperature swings. A wall that is hot all afternoon and cool at night expands and contracts every day. Over the years that movement opens fine lines, especially on sun-facing walls. Our piece on how Southern California heat affects exterior paint goes deeper on this.
• Settling. Cracks often start at the corners of windows and doors, where stucco is more likely to move. Whether a crack is only cosmetic is a question for the right professional, not for paint.
• Water. Sprinklers that spray the wall, gutters that overflow and gaps around windows let moisture in. Moisture is hard on stucco and on the paint over it.
• Earlier repairs. A patch that was never primed, or a filler that does not match the wall around it, can crack again at the edge.

Which Cracks Can Be Patched and Painted?

Narrow hairline cracks are the common ones, and they are usually cleaned out, filled with a flexible patch material and painted as part of a normal repaint. Small chips and spots where a section has come loose can also be repaired before paint, as long as the wall under them is sound.

Other cracks deserve a closer look before anyone picks up a brush:

• Cracks that are wide, or that keep getting wider.
• Cracks that run in a stair-step pattern or a long diagonal line.
• Cracks with a bulge, a hollow sound when tapped, or a loose section next to them.
• Cracks that show up along with doors or windows that suddenly stick.

Those can point to movement or moisture that paint will not fix. We are painters, not structural engineers, so if a crack looks like one of these, we will tell you to have it looked at by the right person first. Once that is sorted out, we can handle the repair and the painting.

What Does Prep Look Like Before an Exterior Repaint?

On stucco, the prep is the bulk of the job. Here is the order we follow:

1. 1
   Wash the walls

   Dirt, chalky residue and loose paint come off first so patches and primer have something solid to bond to.

2. 2
   Walk the wall and mark every crack

   We look over the whole wall, not only the cracks you pointed out, and mark each one for cleaning and filling.

3. 3
   Clean out and fill

   Loose material is removed from each crack, then it is filled with a patch product suited to the size of the crack and shaped to blend in with the texture around it.

4. 4
   Let the patch cure

   Patches need time before they get paint. Rushing this step is how a repair ends up showing through later.

5. 5
   Prime the repairs

   Patched spots take paint differently from the old wall, so they are primed before the finish coats go on.

6. 6
   Caulk the joints

   Joints where stucco meets windows, doors and trim are sealed so water has a harder time getting in under the paint.

After that come the finish coats. We use Sherwin-Williams exterior products on stucco. For more on our exterior work, see our exterior painting page.

Who You Are Hiring

Tom’s Inside Out Painting has painted homes and businesses across Riverside and the Inland Empire for over 20 years. We are licensed, bonded and insured (CA license 733652), and every project comes with a 2-year workmanship and material warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions About Stucco Repair and Painting

How do I know if a crack is a hairline crack or a structural one?

A hairline crack is very narrow, stays the same over time and does not come with other signs of trouble. A crack that is wide, growing, running in a stair-step or diagonal pattern, or showing up along with sticking doors or windows should be looked at before painting. We cannot promise a diagnosis from a photo, and we do not guess at structural questions. If you are unsure, have it looked at first, and we will work around what you learn.

How long does patch material need to cure before paint?

It depends on the product, the thickness of the patch and the weather, and some products need days to a week or more. We follow the label for each product, check the patch before painting and do not paint over one that is not ready.

Will the patch show through the new paint?

A properly prepped patch is less likely to. When it does, the cause is usually skipped steps: no primer over the repair, a patch that was painted before it cured, or a texture that does not match the wall around it. Moisture trapped under a patch can also leave water marks or discoloration that come back through the paint, which is why we ask where a crack came from before we cover it up.

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