About Stucco

  Although stucco has been around for thousands of years, this article will not address the history of stucco, but rather the different types of stucco used today in the marketplace and how to determine each type of stucco.

  In the middle Tennessee area, we have found 3 different types of stucco applied to homes and commercial buildings: cement-based, foam-based (EIFS) and cement board-based. Prior to 1982, only cement-based stucco was used in this area. After 1982 and through 1999, almost every structure built that had stucco applied to it used an EIFS stucco on it. Since 1999, very few homes have an EIFS stucco installed on them due to concerns over moisture issues. Lastly, a very small percentage of homes had a cement board application of stucco used on them which we will detail below.

  Over the years, the materials have changed, but the methods of application have changed very little.