Architectural stucco mouldings  

Well  this article will be not to write all the process of creating mouldings  neather all profiles , ornaments, charts ,ect. but to give homeowners and  my customers some basic  idea of   their  QUALITY...Mouldings are made from a white foam (EPS) in their base cut by a CNC computer controlled machine,, covered with fiberglass mesh and layers of special cement- plaster.......Mostly from moulding companies use the same foam so this will not be  main  issue here- some use genuine foam, some recycled-this is i would say %7 of importance.Also mostly from them use the same or similar grade sticky mesh before plastering- so that one is not the main issue as well.

Well you ask then - where is the difference from  different moulding  suppliers ??

The difference in 90%  is into the  NUMBER of coatings, TYPE of coating , waranty ,TESTING, %95 from stucco contractors - know NOTHING  or very little about this or don`t even care to learn

FIRST-- NUMBER OF COATINGS 

Mouldings done on the jobsite or bassement by a contractor or plasterman themself 

This is the WORST and cheapest job you can get- guaranteed !! These mouldings when painted are very ugly in most cases . the only way to finish  them is with spray - that way you dont see all the defects they have.If you request on such a job to paint with brush coat usually contractors will refuse  to do so,,Also they are 99% rectangle profile band  arround the doors and windows - Other curves are impossible to make  on the field- if you  want to DEFENITELLY LOWER!!! the value of your house then go ahead  and use them!!

1 COAT SYSTEM

-- this is the cheapest and  less expensive mouldings on the market "" after home made or site made"". You have some factory waranty i guess!!-- they mostly are made by extrusion machines and ready to use in hours , They are so soft that you can punch them thru with your finger.Very difficult to talk about any  IMPACT RESISTANCE !!, They are so light weight that you can hold a 8 foot piece with your little finger!!. Coating itself is a company secret!!. Good for very budget demanding jobs  EXAMPLE  WILL POST SOON

2 COAT SYSTEM

  Larger part from moulding producers have 2 coat system. They wait first coat to dry and they apply seccond coat-- This gives the moulding more strenght and they are  havier than one coat system. Usually these mouldings stay on the table between 1-2 days before ready to use. This  is mid to mid-high. quality-  good for budget demanding and "normal" stucco projects.They are still soft  when pressing them hard, but defenitelly harder than one coat system..The plaster is company secret,. I would use them in some ocasions ,, You will have company waranty that is making them. I would describe them - as good quality..Note that  the plaster covering is very important what ingredients it has when mixed.

3 COAT SYSTEM

   ONLY VERY FEW   companies put their efford to make 3 coat system mouldings

Each coat is applied after complete dry the first one.. This way moulding stays on the table for 4-5 days before ready to use.The plaster is thick , moulding is defenitelly hevier and more robust. These mouldings are  good when price is out of concern  - the quality is the only one concern. I  used them in all my projects except  2-3 where i used 2 coat system . These mouldings  can handle allot of abuse  ,

SECOND---Mouldings PLASTER

Mouldings plaster is made of, cement, silica send,, fibers, resins,Glues, and other components which are  SECRET for the companies.These is very expensive and long time consuming experiments to find the right plaster , because after every change mouldings have to be tested to see effect from that change.. So in order to find that right mix  takes YEARS.

THIRD ----Mouldings final  color coatings

there are 2 types mostly used.. 1) BRUSH COAT-  special paint , or SPRAY (like a popcorn), -all these materials are supplied from EIFS suppliers only!,,  home depot type stores  do not have any of our materials

Colors are limitless- customer chooses all colors and profiles and textures from sampe books. I apply always 2 full heavy coats of paint, in some acasions 3 coats,, when spray l pass spray gun twice- so you have nice and thick covering .. on some simple profiles as retangle, square  or round columns  some times we can use fine grade stucco  finish coats with hand trowl  if requested-- these finishes are impossible on complex curved profiles..

SHAPES ,SIZES,

There are allot of different sizes starting  some time from 2-3 inches up to  4-5 feet tall!!. Normal size for residential is  4-12 inches , but  we  have sample books with all samples shapes, sizes,prodused by  certain company..Colunms , bases  and ornaments  many many many to choose from. Just for those never seen a mouldings here is a 3D simple corner and cut profile to have a basic idea 

Now after reading this article you will know how to ask your contractor or may be you will know more than him on the subject!! he he  and remember, ALL MY ESTIMATES ARE FREE OF CHARGE

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