Cement Stucco Installation in Albuquerque, NM

Cement stucco is the traditional three coat system, and it is still the standard on a lot of homes around Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, both older adobe style houses and newer builds. It starts with lath fastened over a weather barrier, then a scratch coat that is scored to give the next layer something to grip, then a brown coat that levels the wall out and builds the real thickness of the system.

Each coat needs time to cure before the next goes on, and that curing time matters more here than in a humid climate. Albuquerque's dry air pulls moisture out of curing stucco fast, and if the coats dry too quickly instead of curing properly, the wall ends up weaker and more prone to cracking down the line. That means the coats often get misted with water during curing, especially in summer, to slow that process down.

The finish coat goes on last, in whatever texture and color you want. Because cement stucco is a breathable system, it handles moisture differently than synthetic systems do, which is one of the reasons it is still preferred on a lot of masonry and adobe construction in this area.