The cooling temperatures are sending outdoor critters in search of warmer locations, but you can still create a spooky Halloween look with webbing sold in party stores. The trick to creating a gossamer outdoor effect is to use the right technique for your stucco texture. We’ll teach you how to decorate for Santa Barbara, cat face, 16/20, 20/30 and Spanish lace/heavy textures.
So what does a small crack, large hole, and damaged stucco have in common?
The answer is all three of these can be sources of water intrusion into the framing of your home. The possibility of water leaking in through stucco and damaging the wood framing of your homes is highly likely if you have leaks coming from large holes in your stucco walls, small cracks in the stucco around doors or windows, and especially in areas where the stucco has been damaged. If water gets behind the stucco and can’t get out the wood sheathing behind the stucco starts to rot. The rot is fungus running into the wood framing of the house causing Algae, greenish black stains under the windows, often referred to as “stucco tears”. To see an example of one homeowner’s nightmare, see this report here.
20/30 is a slightly finer sand finish than the heavy texture, but it still has a lot of rough nooks and crannies. If you run your hand across the surface, it feels like popcorn. Tear the batting into large, stretchy sections and rub them into the stucco. The texture should allow the web to cling from multiple sections. Bunch small pieces together to create egg sacs for an extra-creepy effect.
16/20 is a much finer sand finish than the other two textures, so it’s important to tear your webbing into thinner sheets and rub them into the stucco to make sure they take hold properly. In general, the finer your stucco texture, the lighter your webbing should be. This finished effect will be slightly gauzy and delicate.
This unique texture combines the smoothness of Santa Barbara with patches of rougher stucco and creates the opportunity for a vintage effect. Stretch your webbing as thin as you can and weave it in between the ‘cat faces’. You can also pull long strands away from the rough stucco and attach them to other parts of the webbing. The smooth face of the stucco will also attach light strands of batting with careful rubbing.
The completely smooth face of Santa Barbara stucco makes it difficult (but not impossible!) to decorate with webbing. The key is to stretch your batting into large, thin sheets and carefully rub it into the edges of your home. As long as the edges remain secure, it’s ok if the middle of the webbing doesn’t cling to the house. This texture will produce a wispy, hair-like effect that mimics a black widow’s web. If you want more volume in your webbing, very carefully layer extra strands of webbing in long, stringy pieces.
Updating your home for the holidays? The process doesn’t have to be frightful. Whether you’re looking to make minor updates to existing fixtures or complete a major renovation, our experts at Stucco Boy will assist you every step of the way to make sure your project turns out the way you envision. Give us a call today at 877.410.3406 to schedule an estimate and find out how we can help you treat yourself to a new look for your home. Or, visit our showroom at 1741 Cherry Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90813.
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