When in good shape, stucco is one of the most attractive of all materials, but this beautiful material can quickly lose its appeal if not maintained and repaired properly. Fortunately, making simple repairs on a stucco wall or other surface is not that difficult a job, and it is well within the skill set of most do-it-yourself-ers.

So, take a look around your home, identify those areas where the stucco needs some TLC, and follow these easy steps:

1. Look first at the direction of the crack in the stucco. If the crack is vertical, such as from the base to the window or from the roof to the door, there could be a problem with the foundation of the home. When dealing with vertical cracks, you might want to call a foundation specialist - you may have a much more serious problem than cracked stucco.

2. If the crack is horizontal, you can move on to needed repairs. Small cracks can be filled by using a high quality caulk. The best caulk to use is one that can be easily and invisibly painted over. The caulk can be pressed into the crack with your fingers. After the caulk is in place, use a damp cloth to smooth and clean the area. Once the caulk has dried it can be painted to match the color of the wall.

3. Wider cracks can be cleaned out using a screwdriver or a cold chisel. The area to be filled should be soaked thoroughly to prevent the stucco from leaching the water from the new mortar. If the new mortar becomes dry it could crumble.

4. Next, mix the mortar using a shallow bucket. Mix one part Portland cement, four parts builder’s sand and a small amount of water. The mortar should be thin enough to work easily but not too runny.

5. First cover the area to be patched with a polyvinyl acetate (PVA) bonding agent designed specifically for masonry.

6. When the bond is still slightly sticky, fill the crack with the mortar mix.

7. Then cover the patched area with a piece of bitumen-coated fiberglass. The bitumen-coated fiberglass can then be pressed into place using a paint roller. The coat of bitumen should be applied directly over the patch.

8. Allow the bitumen to dry, and after it has dried, apply a second coat. The second coat should be carefully stippled with a soft bristle brush so that it matches the rest of the wall.

9. The area can then be painted over, using a primer made specifically for stucco. Allow the primer to dry, and then repaint the area to match the rest of the wall.

Touch Up Paint

Proper touch-up of latex coatings is directly associated to several key factors. Some of the more prominent factors are listed below:

1. Sufficient sealing of substrate - Primer/Sealers offer better subsequent topcoat and touch-up properties through proper sealing of varying porosities of sheetrock paper, joint compound and wood trim.
2. Topcoat uniformity - After sealing with the proper primer, the topcoat needs to be uniform, without holidays, at proper mil thickness. If varying sheen areas are present or the sheetrock can be seen through the topcoat then insufficient sealing has occurred and touch-up will essentially become a second coat, often resulting in the “true” color.
3. Sheen or gloss of topcoat - Flats will touch-up better than higher sheen or gloss paints.
4. Temperatures of painting environment, paint, and curing environment - Most latex coatings require temperatures above 50°F to properly form a film. Lower temperatures will result in “lighter” touch-up and “cut-in” areas.
5. Size of touch-up - Area of touch-up should not approach large enough area to constitute complete recoat. Often, recoat should be considered opposed to huge areas or multiple splotches on a wall. Touch-ups should be small areas of blemished paint - not complete wall areas.
6. Proper procedure - Ideally, touch-up will look best when same batch of paint is used as topcoat. A “trim roller” when lightly dry-rolled over the blemished area has proven best in our testing. Brushed touch-ups do not normally yield as positive results. A heavy coat of touch-up will usually prove inadequate resulting in a build-up of the coating.
7. Coating touch-up capability - Different coatings yield different touch-up capabilities. Usually, the lesser expensive coatings do not touch-up as well as the higher end products, due to the overall balance of components. 
8.    

Popped Nails and Screws

This problem occurs if the drywall isn’t fully fastened tightly against the framing, when the framing lumber shrinks or twists, or when an object strikes the wall or ceiling. This causes the joint compound to become loose and pop off the fastener.

Before any drywall repairs are made, concerning popped nails or screws, make sure the drywall is fully fastened to the framing. Apply hand pressure next to the popped nail or screw. The pressure will verify if the drywall panel is loose. Now apply a new screw 1-1/2 inches away and reset the existing screw. As you install the new screw apply hand pressure to the area.

If the drywall paper surface isn’t damaged apply 2 coats of light weight spackle or heavy joint compound. After the patch has fully dried lightly sand the area.

If the paper has torn or the core of the wallboard is damaged the area will need a small piece of paper drywall tape and 3 thin coats of joint compound. After final sanding apply texture to match the existing finish.

Patching Nail Holes and Small Cracks

Some walls can be like a pin cushion with dozens of small nails or thumb tacks. After removal, all these holes must be filled with a suitable compound; don’t rely on the paint to fill these small holes.

The best patching compound for small holes and cracks is light weight spackle.

Use your finger to fill the nail hole with spackle. After application lightly rub the surface to distribute the spackle and blend it with the surrounding surface. The same technique works for small cracks. A light sanding is recommended after the spackle has dried, typically 1 hour.

For larger nail holes or small dents use a putty knife to fill the area. After allowing the spackle to completely dry, lightly sand the area and blend the patch with its surroundings. A second coat can be applied after the first has completely dried.