Like any home exterior, stucco homes require regular maintenance to keep them looking their best. To help make things easier for our customers, we’ve put together this seasonal guide to stucco maintenance.
Spring
As the weather warms up, the most important stucco maintenance tasks you’ll want to take care of are cleaning and inspections. Because Florida’s warm season brings high humidity that can promote algae, bacteria, and mold growth, giving your home a thorough cleaning before things heat up can help protect it from these damaging contaminants. Before you schedule the cleaning, do a visual inspection to check for cracks, chips, and other damage, and have these issues addressed prior to cleaning.
Summer
Summer is a good time to focus on protecting your stucco home from damaging UV rays and heavy rains. You may want to apply a sealant that can prevent water from seeping in, which will also help prevent cracks and chipping. Summer is also a good time to trim and prune your landscaping to ensure that the growth won’t rub against the stucco surfaces.
Fall
As summer winds down, it’s time to start preparing for the hurricane season. Applying a sealant in summer is a great step, but to really waterproof your home, you’ll want to make sure your gutter system is clean and ready to handle any downpours. Fall stucco maintenance should also include handling any necessary pest control treatments to ensure that your home remains pest-free.
Winter
Florida has mild winters, which makes it a great time to address any stucco maintenance you couldn’t get to earlier in the year. Winter is also an ideal time to check for efflorescence, which is a residue that can build up on stucco if there are underlying moisture issues. We suggest having a professional inspect your stucco during the winter so that you have a clear picture of its condition and are prepared for any additional stucco maintenance steps you need to focus on in the coming year.