Rini Asani and Calgary Parging provide practical insights into Calgary’s stucco installation industry, focusing on what homeowners and business owners need to know about current trends and choices in stucco materials and repairs.
The most popular type of stucco for homeowners in Calgary continues to be:
Out of over 5,000 stucco installations we have completed, cement stucco with an acrylic finish continues to be the main go-to stucco product for over 87% of residential properties, although that rate of use is lower on the business side.
Adex Systems Inc., Sto Corp, & Dryvit brands of stucco continue to sell much more than the Durabond brand.
Adex Systems Inc.’s brand continues to outperform Sto and Dryvit in our professional stucco experience. Although cement stucco with acrylic finish remains the most popular choice, the EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System) type of stucco is seeing a rise in adoption with commercial projects due to its insulation properties.
The most popular type of stucco for commercial properties goes on to be EIFS (recently with woodpecker proofing features)
As expected, EIFS stucco reigns over business properties because of the mid-large square footage needed to be covered. For over 500+ commercial properties that we’ve installed stucco on since 2011, EIFS stucco was the go-to choice for over 70% of properties.
Cement-based stucco came 2nd with around 30%. Cement-based stucco was used in the lower margins for business properties, and that’s mainly for houses that were re-appropriated to conduct a business function e.g. daycares.
Adex, Sto, Dryvit brands continue to be the main EIFS Stucco choice. That is mainly for their longevity and 10-year warranty (different conditions apply per brand).
Is there a shift to eco-friendly stucco?
Have we noticed anything in terms of eco-friendly stucco requests?
There was a shift into using EIFS over cement stucco because of the ease of installation and the added value of its insulation properties. It also finishes in a more modern and sleek finish.
But this trend eventually waned because of the onset of woodpecker problems in Alberta and the rest of Canada.
What needs repairing the most for homes?
Out of thousands residential stucco exterior repairs, over 30% of times we had to repair stucco damage from incorrectly installed rain gutters, eaves, or flashing. It is important that these adequately perform their function to divert water away from stucco otherwise it results in water damage.
The rest was evenly distributed between worn-out stucco, woodpecker damage, and new window installation.
The main causes for stucco repairs in Calgary, continue to be moisture damage caused by water getting behind the stucco from incorrectly installed decks, gutters, windows, roofs, and eaves.
The 2nd most notable would be incorrectly installed building envelopes carried out by the stucco contractors or the general contractor of the project.
What needs repairing the most for business properties?
In the commercial space, the story is different. The most common repairs would be the signage change or property updates. Woodpecker damage is also a secondary reason for repairs because commercial properties prefer EIFS which are prone to bird damage, so woodpecker proofing has yet to be done in these properties.
Colour fading is another significant reason for the whole stucco installation to be recoated in commercial buildings. This can be slowed down with the use of UV resistant stucco.
Cost of Stucco Replacement and Stucco Repairs
Stucco repairs for residential properties within Calgary were within the $300 to $4,000 range. The most prominent are:
Stucco repairs costs in Calgary are:
- A typical one-hole woodpecker patch with a colour match on the 1st story of the property: $600. For the 2nd story (or any section) where ladders are needed it can go up to $800 because of the extra efforts (ladder) and risk that comes with it.
- Replacing windows usually requires the stucco around them to be repaired especially if the window company cuts around the windows to ensure waterproofing. Average stucco repairs around windows would cost around $600 to $1,200.00 per window.
- New roofs or installing/replacing decks result in the stucco needing repair since the contractors would have to cut the stucco above and beneath the new addition to ensure proper installation of the building envelope. Depending on the size of the replacement, stucco repairs could range from $1000 to $4000.
Stucco replacement costs in Calgary are:
1) For conventional stucco (California texture):
- For a regular house(small, mid or big size): $12,000- $60,000
- For a duplex: anywhere from $25,000 to $35,000
2) For acrylic stucco:
- For a townhouse : anywhere from $25,000 to $30,000
- For bungalows – $12,000 to $18,000
- Mid-size house – $18,000 to $33,000
- Larger residential houses – $30,000 to $60,000
- Houses over 5,000 sq ft (floor plan) – $55,000.00 to $90,000.00
Aesthetic Trends in Stucco
How aesthetic preferences are influencing stucco exterior choices in Calgary’s neighbourhoods?
People are leaving the busy battens and trims for a cleaner, simpler, and more streamlined look. Congruent to this, the colour choices have been leaning to a palette of greys.
Innovation in Stucco The Future of Stucco Technology for Alberta
What’s new in stucco and what are Albertans installing?
Homeowners as well as commercial building owners have gravitated towards woodpecker-proofed stucco with the 3-coat system of Adex Graphexcoat at the forefront.
In our experience, Graphecoat has proven its mettle at protecting walls from bird damage. It is reinforced with graphene which is a thin layer of tightly packed carbon atoms bonded in a hexagonal honeycomb pattern. This is scientifically one of the strongest substances.
The typical woodpecker drums surfaces with an average force of 8 Newtons – and with a maximum striking force of 20 Newtons. ADEX GRAPHEXcoat was developed and tested using a machine that strikes repetitively at 75 Newtons. That’s over 9X times the average striking force with excellent results (no penetration of the lamina after 300 strikes). In comparison to similar systems available, ADEX testing of GRAPHEXcoat has shown results of being 3X times stronger than other similar 2-coat rendering systems (from Adex graphexcoat online brochure).
The application of ADEX GRAPHEXcoat is very similar to other ADEX basecoat products, requiring no special tools, meshes, or mixing procedures. Installation easily adapts over all new ADEX systems and repairs all existing types of damaged stucco walls. As a result, GRAPHEXcoat is not only the most durable coating for EIFS – it is also the most cost-effective to apply (from Adex graphexcoat online brochure).
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