thanks snoonyb, we don't plan to repaint! ! Our first quote recommended power washing off the extant paint, fill in cracks, caulk, etc, apply a fiberglass mesh and a base coat or coats of stucco (several coats where the stucco is extremely uneven due to old rip outs/poor repairs) and then topcoat of dryvit. (cost of 7$/sq ft for materials and labor--seems reasonable but do we need this amount of work?). What might be the advantage of this process or the advantage of wet sandblasting and color coat? It seems if we sandblast, we will get down to the original stucco coat, but there are some places where it is not there (e.g. windows filled in with a cement mix).

hello, My husband and I are in a similar situation however, we hired a stucco company to restucco our home from the original rough look to a more smooth texture... We asked the guy and all the other companies we got estimates from about preperation for the new stucco and all said we didnt need to and that they just go over what is already there and create the smooth finish we are looking for.... Fast forward to today, as of this moment the stucco company we hired has only done a small area that was not prepared before applying the stucco, they have also been no shows, no call and very difficult to get intouch with.. we are now back to the drawing board of hiring someone else and want to make sure the person is doing the job right... We live in South Florida and our home was built in 2001, CBS construction and has a very rough texture.. the house is painted and some or the paint is peeling away and flaking off also.. Does the house need to be stripped of the paint and surface prepped for the new stucco application? I almost feel like this is common sense but I am not an expert.

If the current perimeter wall is in good condition, I actually think I would first consider seeing if the orange vertical stone could be stained gray and, if so, I would forego the expense of removing the perimeter wall and instead invest in creating an amazing modern landscaping design.

If the ledge is solid the water usually doesn't penetrate through stucco surface, but it will penetrate backing materials if improperly installed or flashed, like Tyvek, lack of flashing, not excluding doors, windows, missing or separated sealants, etc. There should be flashing installed above windows and if windows are improperly flashed and don't allow the moisture behind the stucco to escape it will leak... In some cases if diverter flashing is not installed at intersections in some cases the water from the roof could get behind the stucco, run down the wall and get trapped above the window and you will have a leak. Any stucco specs indicate that " all terminations at penetrations, such as windows, doors, light fixtures, hose bibs, dryer vents, wall receptacles, etc. require back wrapping with reinforcing mesh and base coat. The insulation board must be held back from the opening a minimum of 1/2" for proper sealant installation. A bead of sealant is permitted around small penetrations such as hose bibs, etc. Windows and doors also should also be installed properly... they should be flashed and caulked per window manufacturers specs prior to installing stucco or any other exterior cladding. You need to pin-point the area that allows water to penetrate. I would remove the sheetrock on the inside where it's getting wet (that can be easily patched later" and use a hose and start from the bottom working your way slowly up the window and keep moving up slowly until you see the water intrusion and that the area you will have to examine. In every case of water intrusion that I have seen it was because the contractors didn't follow manufacture specs when installing the stucco or they never flashed windows or other building intersections or used sealants where needed. I hope in your case this can be fixed with a surface repair whatever it is, because if you have to open up the wall it could be a costly expense. Good luck