Florida Stucco is a machine blended composition of Portland cement and two grades of silica that utilize fade resistant pigments, a water repelling agent and other selected materials to yield a spectrum of attractive colors.
Florida Stucco Corporation maintains rigid quality control standards in its manufacturing processes to insure uniformity of stucco mix and color from batch to batch.
Product Description
Florida Stucco is manufactured specifically to yield a lasting color finish for use over any properly prepared Portland cement base. Florida Stucco gives the homeowner or builder the advantage of a durable exterior finish, which does not require painting and is weather resistant, to withstand years of exposure to the environment. It is important to note that Florida Stucco incurs lower maintenance costs for the homeowner or builder than ordinary cement stucco and paint over the life of the structure.
Florida Stucco is available in over 18 attractive colors and is packaged in an 80 pound, heavy duty, 3-ply, kraft bag with a polyethylene moisture barrier liner. Custom colors are formulated and blended upon request. We reserve the right to specify the minimum number of bags to be manufactured in these instances.
Specifications
All materials utilized in manufacturing Florida Stucco comply with the specification standards stated in ASTM C926-86 and ANSI A42.2-1971 for stucco. Qualified mechanics that adhere to the professional plastering standards of the industry are necessary for a successful application of this exterior finish plaster.
Water Repellent Agent
Florida Stucco utilizes a superior grade of calcium stearate of great bulk density in its colored stucco products. Calcium stearate is recognized for its outstanding water repellency characteristics.
Florida Stucco Product Data Sheet Mixing
A. For best results, use of a standard stucco-mixing machine is recommended. Use only clean, potable water when mixing. Material and water must be mixed for 15 minutes to yield good plasticity. All stucco tools and equipment must be maintained in a usable, clean condition.
B. Water must be measured with a measuring pail, approximate 2.5 to 3 gallons per bag of material. WATER CANNOT BE ADDED TO THE MATERIAL FROM A HOSE.
C. Do not re-temper the material in the mixing machine or on the plasterboard. This will cause color variation. SURFACE PREPARATION A. Any previously painted or stuccoed surface must be sandblasted and cleaned. A scratch coat should be applied over the existing surface after sandblasting. All surfaces to be stuccoed must be free of foreign particles. e.g., grease, oil, loose paint, dirt, dust, tar. B. Allow the scratch and brown coats to cure for a minimum of 24 hours before application of the finish coat.
Application
A. Begin finish coat application on a side of the building that is not facing directly into the sun. Stay in the shaded part of the building until it is completed. On dry and/or windy days, fogging is recommended to keep the finish coat damp. This procedure helps to eliminate cracking and crazing. Covering the finish coat where strong wind conditions prevail is recommended to prevent rapid curing. Coverage is 6-8 square yards per 80-pound bag.
B. It is best not to stop finish coat application on an expanse once it has commenced. However, if conditions warrant, apply the finish coat to a natural break to prevent joints from being apparent.
C. Apply to a thickness of 1/8". It is imperative that all journeymen use similar texturing methods when texturing Florida Stucco.
D. With floated finishes, a minimum amount of water is to be used. Do not overtrowel. This will bring the fine materials to the surface. E. Do not apply stucco material when temperatures are 45 Degrees Fahrenheit or below.
Trowel Application of Florida Stucco
Our recommended specifications for the application of Florida Stucco are as follows: Apply in a scratch coat, a base coat and a finish coat. The three coats should be approximately 1/2" thick. The scratch and base coats constitute approximately 3/8" of the total thickness while the finish coat should be no more than 1/8" thick. When bonding agent is applied to a poured concrete surface that has a proper scratch and base coat, the application of Florida Stucco should not exceed 1/8" in thickness. The finish coat must be kept damp for a period of 48 hours after application to assure maximum harness. Florida Stucco, like any colored cement, has a tendency to check-crack when applied in excess of the recommended thickness.
Spray Application of Florida Stucco
Florida Stucco is to be applied in a tight coat by trowel over a base that is floated, level and has even suction. Next, allow for adequate "take-up". A second coat of Florida Stucco should be sprayed over the first coat to yield the desired texture. Total recommended thickness is 1/8" to 3/16". It is important to not spray too heavily in one area. Light applications of sprayed Florida Stucco are more desirable, working the unbroken areas in one operation. To acquire evenness in color and texture, the spray nozzle must be held at the same distance and moved with a steady, even stroke building to the desired thickness. Watered-down mixes must not be used as this can cause Florida Stucco to separate and yield such problems as: cracking, discolorations, shrinkage, lower strengths, crazing, dropouts, glazing and slow take-up. Evenness of finish and color depend on watchful control of equal batch-to-batch additions of material and water. When a large spray machine is used, caution must be exercised to insure there is no separation of water and materials.
Caution
Discoloration and/or color variation is more evident with the darker colors. In particular, floated finishes that utilize darker colors are more susceptible to color variation. Florida Stucco does not recommend the use of its colored stucco for float finishing as blotchiness and color variation of the finish plaster can result. With more than one journeyman working on an elevation, all must be instructed to utilize the same floating and texturing technique and the same type of float. When properly applied, dash and hand textured coats yield a more even color than spray application.
Check Cracking
Check cracks, spider cracks or wind checking are all problems associated with periods of rapid drying. These weather conditions are usually prevailing with such rapid drying periods: A. Low humidity, moderate temperatures and wind. B. High humidity, high temperatures and wind. Please exercise caution applying stucco materials when these weather conditions are present.
Florida Stucco White Cement
Florida Stucco Corp. offers a high quality bagged white cement for use in tile grouting, simulated brick facades and as a beddingcoat for stone, river rock or coquina shell. PACKAGING Florida Stucco White Cement is packaged in a 90 lb., heavy duty, 3-ply, kraft bag with a polyethylene moisture barrier.
Specification
Florida Stucco White Cement, Portland Type I, complies with the standard specification for portland cement, ASTM C150; also with Federal Specification SS-6-1960/3 and with the requirements of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AASHTOM85.
Florida Bonding Agent A Permanent Bonding Agent Florida Bonding Agent, with weight solids of 54% and 56%, is a vinyl acetate homopolymer latex (liquid bonding adhesive) for use in bonding materials such as cement stucco, weather resistant stucco, concrete, gypsum plaster and colored stucco to most surfaces which are clean and have structural integrity. A roller, mechanical-type sprayer or paint brush can be used in applying Florida Bonding Agent to the surface being bonded. (If mechanical-type sprayer is used, it should deliver between 35-45 P.S.I. with the nozzle displacing 6-8 cubic feet per minute). The surface being bonded should be clean and free of foreign particles, e.g. grease, oil, loose paint, dirt, dust, tar. Bonding Agent is not to be applied to surfaces covered with wallpaper, glue or water soluble paints. Apply a test patch if the integrity of the surface to be bonded is in doubt. This material IS NOT for use on swimming pool surfaces. When applying Bonding Agent, the temperature must be above 55 Degrees Fahrenheit. Application of the finish coat should be accomplished while Bonding Agent is tacky, usually 45 minutes after applying. If allowed to dry overnight or for several days, the bonded surface must be free of dust before stucco or plaster is applied. In this event, prior to application of the finish coat, water dampen the bonded surface slightly with a brush or small amount of fog spray.
AC/Availability and Cost
Florida Pool andPatio Deck Finish is distributed within the State of Florida through leading building supply dealers. Distribution of plaster products to points outside the State of Florida is accomplished on a direct shipping basis.
Further information regarding distribution can be obtained by contacting Florida Stucco Corp., 800.334.5134, or by visiting our Contact Us page.