Kirk Giordano Plastering

Stucco Plastering

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Learn fast stucco lessons, Xmas special

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Learn fast stucco lessons, Xmas special.
stucco applications, apply both scratch and brown stucco coats at the same time
We’re teaching you how to stucco.

Hello, our loyal viewers, Do you want stucco secrets on how to apply both stucco coats back-to-back simultaneously? Practice, that’s all.
With this video, we will teach you, how to stucco.

In this video, we explain stucco secrets on how to apply both stucco coats simultaneously.

They are not secrets but common sense in stucco applications, which comes from years of stucco applications on hundreds of walls.

You apply the first coat to absorb the moisture into the paper for about 15 minutes, or however long it takes, you double back and apply the second coat.
We applied three, but that’s another story.

Yes, we are having fun while playing in the mud. For us, this stuff is easy and fun.
We still can’t believe folks pay us to have fun and stay in shape. What a country.

below are a few more stucco videos we thought you might enjoy
https://youtu.be/Ehjtf2CyB10/ stucco knockdown dash finish or texture.
https://youtu.be/WkUaA_EHErg/ repairing a bad Plaster texture, stucco patch.
https://youtu.be/2eIkdeIBbMs/ Stucco large cracking, no problemo, easy to fix.
https://youtu.be/t9FbRK1VuPQ/ Plastering professionals weekend warriors plastering.

Together, my son and I have unconsciously created the most comprehensive encyclopedia of Stucco and Plastering videos ever produced online globally for your inspiration, entertainment, and education.
We wish to bring peace, love, and brotherhood back into plastering.

Now kick back, relax, and enjoy the show! 🍿
Oh yeah, don’t forget to save the world, like and subscribe. It’s not only good karma, but It also makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over.

https://www.StuccoPlastering.com/ My website and contact information
https://www.GiordanoPlastering.com/ Jason’s Website

Feel free to check out our recommended tools on our website below.

Tools of the Trade


Kirk Giordano Plastering Inc.
Kirk & Jason Giordano’s how-to show and tell videos.

Thanks for watching, and have a great day!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. There will always be those that think their way is the best way. I don't follow the sheep. If you do a job and you end up with a lovely finish, you put your best into it, the customer is happy, what difference does it make how you got to that end result. Use what tools work for you, everyone is different. I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year guys. Thank you for all of your superb videos and for taking the time to teach us. It's much appreciated. 🙂

    Reply

  5. Once again fantastic quality of work….thank you for your dedication to making theses videos they are as always educational and entertaining enough jay.lou and the rest of the gang my best wishes for a fantastic Christmas and a very very happy new year from the brit living in the states..take care my friend

    Reply

  6. A frying pan. Lol. My boss is Romanian and he uses a baltic scoop. Looks like a skillet, but that boy can put the mud on with it. To each their own i guess. Merry xmas giordano family

    Reply

  7. Merry Christmas and thanks for the information and encouragement. With your videos I was able to stucco my garage. You make it effortless , it isn't , but came out above my expectations.

    I am a professional industrial electronics tech customers want a quoted price your ability allows you to do it quicker than expected they want to pay less but if the unexpected happens and it takes twice the time they would never pay more that's the way business works.

    Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

    Reply

  8. Merry Christmas to your lovely family! Thank you for all the hard work and time you put into your videos. May the New Year bring tons of Blessing and Joy. Live long and Plaster!

    Reply

  11. Absolutely loved the $20 for new shoes comment!
    You’re work is worth every dollar you charge and more, it took a big set to alter an agreed to price. Should have asked him if you ran over, time wise can you raise the price, highly unlikely.
    Have a very Merry Christmas, enjoy your wonderful family. How come your brother the famous Lou didn’t have a matching cap?
    See you on the next one……

    Reply

  22. I think to many people get stuck on per hour price, and they forget about the cost of fuel to get your truck there and the material/ tools your using to do the job cost money. Every job wears our tools down. You gotta pay your insurance. The time it takes to go pick up materials to do the job is time spent on that job.

    Reply

  29. After watching some of your videos, I decided to try some stucco on my 2 screen porch walls. They are block walls and had some unstucco or something on them which came off during pressure washing. I used a bonding agent on the walls and managed to get a coat of stucco up. Either my mix isn't right or my technique needs more work – I didn't start on the neighbors house. I drop a lot of mud! Does the 3 second rule hold for stucco???? I'm hoping to get the next coat to look like bricks which is what was done to the lower part of the front walls in 1977. In FL, on these old houses, they stucco the front and leave the sides and back block. Thanks for your videos.

    Reply

    • Howdy Ken dude, applying plaster simply takes practice and help with mixing,
      I have not heard of a 3-second rule, however, if applied immediately after mixed works, as a rule, you don't want the mud to get stiff as it will take much muscle to apply, lastly It sounds like you may have had too much sand in the mix. Live long and plaster
      Mastering Plastering for the beginner

      Reply

    • G'day Kirk, love your work as always. The Three Second Rule applies to food. They say it's OK to eat something you drop off your plate so long as you pick it up again inside three seconds. Ken's question made me chuckle.

      Reply

  30. I'll relate a story from my field, doing computer support. It's an old ditty. A guy has a problem with his computer and calls in a tech as the computer won't start. The tech takes a hammer out of his bag and taps the computer on the side and voila, the computer starts and it's fixed. He hands a bill to the guy for $500. The owner says, I want an itemized bill, so the computer tech writes on the bill, $1 for tapping the computer with a hammer, $499 for knowing how and why. So it goes with plaster/stucco work too. Some people just don't appreciate experience and expertise.

    Reply

  35. Hi Kirk I am a plasterer/Roughcaster from Glasgow Scotland. I have been looking for your trowel for years and can’t find is there a specific name for it. Great vids your enthusiasm contagious and keeps me going when thing aren’t going well. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Good evening David dude, the towel I prefer is below, it's not on Amazon yet, I buy it at certain material yards or you can order through Curry.
      The easiest is to log on to bontools.com and copy and paste the name below in it should come up, it sells for about 50 bucks,
      I have contacted Curry a year ago asking for them to make a 16X5 instead of this 16X4 1/2 as a plasterer needs the extra width for flex as we dictate the mud wirth our writs and forarms to go wheere we want it.
      Live long and plaster
      Sharing the plastering knowledge
      POOL TROWEL – CS 16" X 4 1/2" – SHORT SHANK CAMEL HANDLE

      Reply

  36. Hello. Your videos are great. Could you please do a video on rendering a void above French doors which is also below a steel joist? The void is H0.35m x L3m and has got render over concrete blocks above and at both sides. I want the void to merge with the current render and make it look like the French doors have always been there. It is caused by doors being fitted where taller shutters were.

    Reply

  39. Hey kirk not spoke in a while I'm a plasterer /Renderer from uk still loving ur videos hope u and ur family have had a good xmas and all the best for new year

    Reply

  41. hey buddy quick question as amazon uk isn't the best for labelling things
    which of bons rubber float colures are medium density as I'm looking to add to my quite frankly ridicules size bon collection
    thanks Stephen

    Reply

    • done and ordered, I'm surprised there's not more bon tools on your site though as iv seen I'm many of your vids you heavily use bon iv just had a load of bon bits delivered from amazon uk I'm quite liking them at the moment

      oh something you may like there's a new style plaster finishing trowel just being unveiled over here it is less labour intensive especially on the joints than traditional steel trowel used mainly in the flattening and polishing stages its called nela max made in Germany , I'm not sure if there's a us distributor but the uk distributor is the plasterers 1 stop shop

      Reply

  42. H Kirk Dude.  Awesome work!   Are there any exterior materials like a  "structo-lite consistency" for exterior work. Cement based stuccos are heavy and harder to work with seemingly.  You make it look easy Dude!  Keep doing Great.

    Reply

  45. Consider an actor making $500,000 per episode of a popular TV show or an athlete making $1,000,000+ per game, and contrast this with a business owner who is a master of his trade charging $400 for a job. Each is at the top of his/her profession. Somehow society doesn’t question the entertainer’s income. It is too bad the business owner/craftsman has to explain the value of his work. People need to understand that there is a minimum fee just to get the truck rolling, and that there is tremendous value in the 30 years of experience.

    Reply

    • Good Afternoon Patcy, plastering is plastering weather or not a real Italian such as myself or an Iranian is applying it, what finish are you referring too?  
      FYI, most plastering finishes were originated in the UK, such as the veneer or venetian plasters not the USA. 
      This exterior stucco system is what we call portland cement plaster applied throughout the world.               
                   Live long and plaster
      Kirk Pierre Giordano
          Teaching the world how to plaster one video at a time.

      Reply

  48. I love your videos , because I have like 2 years working on that and your videos show me more than I do make, and I can get a more job and experience tks so much

    Reply

  49. Hi Kirk
    I think I have gotten a bad stucco job on my new house. The problems that I see right now is major bulges on 1st and 2nd story (couple feet wide)
    Also they have applied base coat to half of patio pillar leaving metal lath exposed for past 2 weeks (will this unfinished application cause stucco to crack in future?) Also they completed the other pillars but have not textured it yet.

    Reply

    • Good Morning Sanjeev
      FYI, with stucco the slightest movement and or vibrations causes hairline cracks, this does not affect the integrity of the waterproofing membrane, however, most folk panic as they have no clue why this happens it’s simply home movement, vibrations in stucco walls are sort like Kryptonite to Superman, not good.
      FYI, you should not notice bulges, this is due to sloppy plastering, however, they can fix these areas with skimming, when complete the stucco netting should not be noticeable.
      Lastly, they or you should hydrate the walls prior to the finish coat so that the walls will expand with added water, thus cause hair lining, then when the finish coat is applied this third coat it will cover the normal hairlines that happens with a two coat system.,
      Live long and plaster
      Teaching the world to stucco, one video at a time.

      Reply

    • Howdy Patcy, Venetian plastering is simply plaster mixed with marble dust, just as veneer plastering is plaster mixed with lime dust, I have many videos on veneer plastering, but did not film back in the days when we did a lot of Venetian plastering.
      FYI, if a person can spread one finish he or she can spread all of them.
      type in how to apply Venietian plaster, there will be lots of folks who have these uploads as old kirk is not the only fella who explains how to do stuff.
      Live long and plaster
      Mastering Plastering for the beginner

      Reply

  51. Hello sir.I want to ask your advice.I am a renovator ,and field of my activity is renewing apartments and condos.Usually I have to straightening walls and ceiling and i usually do it with structo-lite like basecoat and next layers with compound. The thicknes of first coat may vary from 1/2" to 2".Because of it basecoat is very laboriously if do it by hands. Could you give me advice by what machine I can use to apply structo-lite in my case? The are a lot of machines in Europe for these specializations, but not in USA. I will be very pleasent to hear your answer.Thanks.

    Reply

    • Good afternoon Peter dude, the best and fastest most accurate and least time-consuming machine I have used in all my years of plaster is my arm, without a doubt the quickest and the cleanest by far.
      You can use hand hoppers for a dash finish or even the Graco pumps, but unless your spraying large buildings and have at least ten journeymen who understand what they are doing, stick with your arm.
      Live long and plaster
      Sharing the plastering knowledge

      Reply

    • Howdy dust puppy dude, sort of he would have used a lot less if he were to have applied it to sheetrock then applid his mud, as it when the wood expands and it will the mud will pop off, unfornatly, there are some shohtcuts, but this is not one of them.
      Live long and Plaster
      Teaching the world how to plaster one Vimeo Video at a time.

      Reply

    • Howdy Tom dude, the fella, trying really hard but doesn't understand the plastering materials which takes about 20 years of training on the job, not in a classroom.
      Any bonding agent poured into plaster is rendered useless as the bonding properties are now too diluted for its purpose, except the Sika bonding product but this is used for tile, folks add the Sika instead of water.
      A bonding agent must be applied on a wall, that wall can be concrete that has set for at least 30 to 60 days or any of the 10 different drywall/sheetrock panels.
      Most would love to save the time and energy to not sheetrock. However, this is necessary.
      The OSB or plywood will expand then settle with heat, in time perhaps one year to probably ten depending on the weather in this fellas area, when this happens 80% of the newly applied Easy sand will just pop off. Eventually, they will have to use sheetrock and start again.
      I am not the plastering police so don't place my view on their site, I am an informative, positive channel and don't wish to break hearts.
      By the way, I did like the music.

      Live long and Plaster
      Teaching the world how to plaster one Vimeo Video at a time.

      Reply

    • Kirk, maybe video dude just doesn't believe in science? There is something called the "coefficient of thermal expansion" of materials. Simply put, it means that not all materials expand and contract at the same rate with temperature. I think it was my first year in remodeling when I learned not to put drywall mud, stucco, or plaster directly over wood. I recently had good luck gluing and pin nailing 1/4" drywall over OSB on a stud wall. Not a bad way to go if you already have a solid surface and don't need the extra strength of 5/8" drywall. Not sure about the building code as far as fire on that however.

      Reply

    • Evening tom dude, I learned this the old fashioned way myself, I tied it, then a year later redid it the proper way, shit happens, a fella should not make the same mistake twice.
      What do you tell a guy with two black eyes……………?
      Live long, and plaster
      Mastering Plastering

      Reply

  53. That story about the customer who sent you the check for$200 hit a nerve. I refinished some cabinets for a guy and priced it to him for $400, even though it was probably a $600 job. He called me a couple of days later all pissed off because some idiot said he'd have done it for $85. I wound up settling for $200 and telling my best customer not to call me any more.

    Reply

  54. Hi Kirk, We recently opened up a wall between our living room and kitchen. I'm now at the point where I'm putting up drywall on top of the beam we put in and over about 10" of wall on either side of the beam. My main concern is joining the new drywall I'm installing with the old plaster walls. I got 1/4" plywood and 1/2" drywall to build it up to the 3/4" thickness of the old plaster walls so that part I have figured out. Most of the points where the new drywall will meet the plaster will be the corners but at one place the drywall will meet the plaster in the middle of the wall (we removed the kitchen wall but that kitchen wall only went about 3/4 of the length of the shared living room wall). I've been searching the internet to try to figure out if there is anything special I should do to join the drywall to the plaster but have read mixed answers. For example, some say to just tape and mud like you would for drywall while others say to use plaster-weld first and then tape and mud and some just say to tape and mud but first wet the plaster? In your expert opinion, what would you do if you were using drywall to patch up this wall and join it with existing plastered walls to ensure the bonds well? Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    • Good Evening Matt, I would apply a bonding agent to all the walls in question such as plaster weld, I would than apply a 20 minute drywall compound myself, these come in 20, 40 60 etc, this means how much time you have before this drywall compound sets,Home Depot sell either Wespac or Easy sand, you can apply coat after coat untill you get the desired thickness.
      Taping mud takes forever to set so I don't use this product.
      Live long and plaster
      Plastering tips and techniques

      Reply

    • Thanks for the reply, Kirk! I started tackling this before I saw your response. Ultimately I ended up using plaster weld, paper tape, and premixed joint compound. The end result was great after 3-4 coats. As you mentioned the premixed joint compound took 24 hours to dry between coats which wasn't ideal but I had enough projects going on that it gave me time to work on the other projects in between coats which was nice…most of the time. Also, this meant I didn't have to worry about mixing it up myself. If I had to do it again, I'd probably buy a dry mix as you suggested to speed up drying and curing process in-between coats but the final result came out better than I expected with the method I took so I can't complain.

      Reply

    • Howdy Matt dude, the weld creat is a must, then simply plaster with whatever mterial you want, it takes paratice to blend or feather in interior as well as exterinor transistions, hanh in there.
      Live long and plaster
      teaching plastering to apprentice's or DIY homeowners

      Reply

    • Howdy Yuda dude, we're doing great, had a couple weeks off for the holidays, and Jason is busy on his own jobs trying to make ends meet, I'm only half a show. Actually, it's no show without his video skills.
      I'll see if I can drag him off his job tomorrow to help and film us.
      Live long and plaster
      Mastering Plastering for the beginner

      Reply

    • Hey Kirk. My old man's been plastering for 1000 years and reminds me a lot of yourself. Hes a giant stucco nerd. You guys talk the same, work the same and are both gingers. I've worked with him my whole life, not at the same rate you and your boys work together, but Ive done my time (Im 32yrs old). I had 2 questions, did you and your boys always get along on the job? It was pretty rocky with me and my dad when I was a kid. I wondered if it was similiar for you. And #2, Can you please do a video about the back end of the business (How plasterers get jobs in the beginning, the lead up to having a crew, etc). That'd be great. Live long and plaster.

      Reply

    • Good afternoon Brandon dude, your dad sounds like a cool man, I will try and think about the back end of the business video. I can basically explain this in a video.
      As far as a family getting along together always, no family can do this.
      My sons and daughters realize I love them unconditionally and if I snap it's because of working at full speed as cement waits for no man, it's for a reason or being overworked and or exhausted.
      At the end of the day in our trade, it would be tough to say was all saints, but easy to say we all love each other no matter what the circumstances, just like growing up and home life, we all have our ups and downs. Hopefully, the ups are 98% of the time.
      This is a typical family working together towards the same goal, making a few bucks, trying to have a good workout with a bit of fun involved, then admiring a project well done by the "whole team."
      A fella who tells his kids and wife how much he loves them often is indeed blessed, this has never been easy for me, but I feel it 24/7

      Live long and plaster
      Sharing the plastering knowledge

      Reply

  58. I started watching this Kirks videos to learn how to do a home stucco repair. Lets just say im renting a house and cut a doggy door into it without the owners approval, well…….he actually flat out said no to the dog door but hey I work all day and my lab needs to drop a deuce here and there and I prefer it on the grass and not in my bed so a doggy door was created. I patched the stucco with kirk's instructions and it turned out perfect. I now watch his videos because this dude is effing comedy great story about the shoe size this is now just free entertainment plus he is a kick ass tradesman. Great job Kirk

    Reply

  59. kirk don't stop making videos, i being plastering for 15 year in Boston and i still learning every time i watch your video, trowel it doesn't matter 10 or 20in its the experience that counts

    Reply

  60. That's like my buddy used to say you aren't going to catch any fish because your using the wong fishing reel. Give me a stick some fishing line and a hook and I'll catch you a fish.

    Reply

  61. How many sacks of cement am I going to need for 160yards to plaster? What is the coverage for 1 sack of Portland cement?

    Reply

  62. I have a question, i have a manufactured home and has metal panels on the outside. Would i have to remove them and put plywood before starting paper?, and whats the difference betweem paper and foam?

    Reply

    • Howdy Javier dude, if your manufactured home is set on piers, I don't recommend doing this as many have done this, but the stucco has cracked like an egg as most manufactured homes are constructed sturdy enough to hold the extra weight of stucco, so if it settle just a tiny bit, no good, sorry.
      Live long and plaster,
      Sharing stucco secrets, or common sense tips

      Reply

  64. Hi Kirk, Thanks for all your videos.
    I'm rebuilding a decorative column, square, 16" in a side, with areas that dip in to 12" square every 3'. I have installed expanded metal diamond lath over the whole thing, bending it in at the narrowed areas. The diamond mesh was unfurred. My question is whether the diamond mesh should sit up against the paper, or should be pulled out to leave a gap behind. Also, given that it is not part of the house, is one 1/2" base coat adequate rather than 2 x 3/8" coats (I will be adding a cementitious colored top coat). Thanks!!

    Reply

    • Good morning Hussein, on columns or small decorative work, the fact that it's a litle too flat won't matter much. on a whole house this wouldn't be good.
      The worst that can happen is it will spider check, small hairline cracks which can be covered with apnt or a colr finish.
      I would not waoory about it.
      best wishes,
      Sound advice for plastering issues from your favorite stucco geeks

      Reply

    • Good evening Greg dude, absolutely, this system is light years advanced from traditional apply a scratch coat, wait a few days then apply the second coat.
      No matter the depth, for a half inch to 4.
      Peace love and happiness to all
      Bringing Plastering tips to the world on YouTube Video

      Reply

    • EveningJohn, no worries, will do a video on that,
      When I was in the apprenticeship programs it was held every Monday night, during Monday night football.

                    Sound advice from the plastering messengers of youtube

      Reply

    • Thank you Matthew, thanks for setting me straight but I sort of gathered that.
      Merry Christmas to you and yours also.
      Happy holidays and New Years to all, from Kirk Giordano plastering and Family
      Plastering tip’s for beginners or experts.

      Reply

  73. People think they are the deciding factor in how much your time is worth. I'd like to ask those type of people how much their company charges in order to pay for their paycheck and overhead. People in my area think I'm ripping them off for charging $100 for 2 or 3 hours or more of time. You don't tell me what I charge, that's communism.

    Reply

  74. I just want to say thanks for doing all of these videos. If you guys were local to me I'd surely hire you – like many others I'm sure, I've been watching hours and hours of your work because I need to do stucco repair on my home due to previous work being subpar and causing structural damage.. and I'm going to be doing all the work myself. What I didn't count on was how, for lack of better words, relaxing your videos are – which right now is truly a Godsend. So I want to say thanks for not only showing me how to deal with the stucco component of what I'm about to do, but really helping me get through the stress of my situation that's been weighing on my mind since discovering these problems and being unable to even find a contractor willing to even give me a quote once I mention the word 'stucco'! You really never know just how you do your work will impact even someone you'll never meet. God bless you and your whole family!

    Reply

  78. You DA man! Luv the vids. The tip about how to squat for example….invaluable to a guy or gal who actually works for living. The plastering stuff is useful for my next project but it is not why I am here. You have charm brother!

    Reply

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