Stucco -EIFS

Often times, stucco contractors in Toronto, GTA are asked how much they charge per square to supply and install EIFS (stucco). Many clients do not like the answer, but the answer often times is “it depends”. The cost of stucco is contingent on where the stucco is being installed, how many square feet the totality of the project is, whether its a new build and is straight-forward, if there are a lot of windows, if the project is retrofit which often is not plumb and square making it harder to work with. For instance, how can you quote a project where you have to build three storey scaffold versus working off of your feet? 

For straight-forward new build projects, the going square feet rate is between $12.00 and $15.00 per square feet. This is assuming that the scope of the project is at least 1000 square feet. The location of the project, ability to park, load/unload stucco material all impact pricing. Often times, having a lot of windows makes it harder to work with and material costs are just as much as it would be if there were no windows because of the cost of EIFS tape membrane, drip edges, covering material cost just as much if there were no openings.  

For an average bay window in Toronto, GTA, you can expect to pay between $2,500.00 and $4,000.00. Sometimes, you have to replace panels of wood, treat the existing cladding so the prices can vary, but it is safe to assume that to erect two storey scaffolding and supply and install EIFS stucco would cost about $3,500.00. 

Most often, stucco contractors needs to make multiple visits even for the smallest project for curing process so the prices of project can vary. 

Yes, exterior stucco can be done in the winter provided it is tarped and heated. If the temperature falls below -5 degrees celsius it is recommended that the area of stucco application be heated. During the course of the day, when the temperature is above -5 degrees celsius there are specific additives that are used in basecoat material to speeden the curing process for cementitious finishes. Typically it is colder over night and this specific ensures that the surface and material is cured prior to it. Often times, this additive is of additional cost so exterior stucco contractors will avoid using it if it is not necessary to do so.

Exterior stucco provided has a good design will add significant value to an older house with decaying outdate exterior cladding. In addition to the curb appeal, stucco EIFS with 2 inch EPS foam will roughly add a 5 thermal resistance value while an average brick only offers 0.8 thermal resistance value.  EIFS has a thermal resistance value of more than five times which works like a blanket on your house. The heat will remain inside longer in the winter and the cold air longer during summer months reducing your heating and cooling costs. Stucco EIFS is by far the most energy friendly exterior application available in the market. 

As a certified stucco contractor we ensure that not only is the project completed soundly, but cosmetically it looks elegant and modern. Should we need to introduce moldings and/or add various reveal lines, we seek the approval of the homeowner/contractor, and ensure that each project looks phenomenal.

If you are looking to flip a property or replace outdated exterior facade, Alasya Construction consultation team will ensure that you have to most visually appealing cladding that is functional, sturdy, and visually appealing. 

You can most definitely repair stucco. Whether a wood pecker pecked its way through or a sharped end of a ladder punctured the stucco wall, you can patch the stucco area and attempt to blend it as much as possible. Ideally, to avoid any patch marks, you want to complete the stucco sectionally but if that is not an option, you can patch the area, and once it is exposed to outside elements for several weeks it should blend it a lot better. Do keep in mind, the area of the stucco repair is fresh, newly apply stucco finish so it will be slightly conspicuous, but overtime it will blend it a lot better. This is one of the reasons why good exterior stucco contractors will run reveal lines closer to areas that will get a lot of traffic because in the future should the homeowner damage the stucco it is easier for them to patch the area completely without hassle. 

The key to repairing stucco is to feather out similar to any touchup you would do with most applications whether it is plastering the wall or painting an area. You can touch up the area but with less paint or stucco finish coat you want to gently dab the area. 

You can paint stucco and it is ideal to use elastomeric paint to do so as it will fill in the hairline cracks (if any) and give it the flexibility it needs. When painting, you need to pay attention to avoid using too much paint as it will eliminate the stucco finish texture and roll out the stucco paint as much as possible. When choosing stucco paint colour it is ideal to use lighter colours as darker colours typically draw my heat from the sun and imperfections are not as noticeable. As exterior stucco contractors, we can get suppliers to match paint colours. Some popular exterior stucco paint colours are HC-173 Edgecomb Gray, HC-170 Stonington Gray, HC-168 Chelsea Gray, HC-172 Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore. 

Clients needs to be informed about their decision-making process. By asking the right set of questions, you can be certain if a stucco contractor is knowledgeable or not. By taking the time to see if they have online presence. Have the right number of employees, scaffolding equipment, whether suppliers know the stucco contractor and have a relationship with them are all factors to be considered when deciding which stucco contractor to choose in Toronto, GTA. 

That is why working with Alasya Construction stucco team will ensure that you get the best exterior stucco and cladding results.

There are many different textures that are available in the market and different stucco manufacturers like DuRock Alfacing, Durabond, Sto, among others, offer similar textures with unique names that have given it themselves. The most ideal exterior stucco finish is Marble Fine as it not only hides imperfections well, but gives it the desired elegant finish coat. 

While there are other stucco finish coats like Venetian that have been used or Max Coat, over the years we have realized that for exterior applications it holds dirt and unwanted debris so we do not recommend it clients. The crevices in this stucco finishes, though is dirt repellent, still does hold debris and stains more so especially if there are trees around the perimeter of the property. 

You can most definitely install stucco EIFS over brick. This will enhance the thermal resistance value of the house, enrich the exterior curb appeal of your house, and increase the value of your house. 

Stucco over brick first requires a thin base coat on the existing brick, similar to scratch coat, to allow for strong bond and adhesion. 

You can then using vertically notches install EPS PUCCS foam on brick and allow it to cure. 

Upon curing, you can then rasp the foam to level the wall, apply two coats of basecoat embedded in fibreglass mesh, and apply the desired finish coat upon curing. This is a very superficial way of explaining the process, but stucco over brick is ideal way of replacing the appearance of the exterior facade of your house. 

In Toronto, Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and most of Ontario there are various incentives to make your house more energy friendly. A link is provided below for you to benefit from these incentives. 

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/canada-greener-homes-grant/start-your-energy-efficient-retrofits/plan-document-and-complete-your-home-retrofits/eligible-grants-for-my-home-retrofit/23504

Beginning January 2023, new applicants in Ontario will only be able to apply for the Canada Greener Homes Grant through Enbridge. Until then, Ontario homeowners can continue using the Canada Greener Homes Grant portal for new and existing applications.

Exterior stucco provided has a good design will add significant value to an older house with decaying, aged facade including brick. While brick and other stone masonry has very limited thermal resistance value, stucco with 2 inch EPS foam roughly add 5 thermal resistance value while and average brick only offers 0.8 thermal resistance value. 

As a certified stucco contractor we ensure that not only is the project completed soundly, but cosmetically it looks elegant and modern. Should we need to introduce moldings and/or add various reveal lines which serve as divides and have an element of visual appeal, we run it by the homeowner and/or contractor to ensure that all of our projects look phenomenal. 

If you are looking to flip a property or replace outdated exterior facade, Alasya Construction consultation team will ensure that you have to most visually appealing facade on the street.