Stucco murals

[SteveB]

I saw the neatest house yesterday. It was southwest in nature. On the stuccoed exterior walls, there were murals of Aztec looking designs. One was about five feet high and twelve feet long. Several smaller ones. The designs were cut in about two to three inches. They were amazing.

Do you think they were made out of styrofoam that had been carved and then stuccoed over? Another way? I want to do some of this, and would appreciate any sites you could send me to. I'll put the photos on flickr soon.

Steve

[charlie]

that's the way that they did various bumpouts on my house. more layers of styrofoam under the chickenwire, then stuccoed over.

btw: it's not a mural, which is painted, but perhaps called bas relief.

[Oren]

Styrofoam is commonly used here on house popouts around trim and windows , you know that! :)

Cut and shape the foam, nail/staple - stucco as you desire and then paint.

-- Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

[RicodJour]

Paint? With all of the colors available in cementitious and synthetic stucco, why would someone want to paint it? Seems like that would be starting off planning for increased maintenance instead of decreasing it.

R

[Oren]

Barrier?

Not an expert here, but the owner used a tinted color for the exterior stucco in a sand finish. Same color for exterior paint. We paint stucco in the desert :-)

Don't paint the pics the OP posted...

-- Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

[Dottie]

I live in FL where there are concrete block houses covered with a layer of stucco, which is then painted. There is a house in my neighborhood that has a wall around the front porch ... it's actually a half wall. Someone has painted a flower design on the wall so that it looks like flowers growing there. It is very interesting looking and very pretty.

[Rudy]

In Arizona, they never use a color-coat..they PAINT..Why ? I dunno..

[Oren]

Once in Las Vegas, I've seen a color coat used and then painted the same color...image that. Every other house is just painted.

-- Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

[Kate]

Would love to see those phots Steve! I'm planning to terrace my back yard next year. I hope to put some rustic looking retaining walls out there.. this would be a fabulous way to decorate them.

[Kate]

I had painted stucco out on the west coast. I always wished they had not painted it. I like the look of the color coat so much more

[Oren]

Steve, where are these fences located? Local? These have to be the nicest walls I've seen (Southwest)

-- Oren

"My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."

[SteveB]

Go to:

[Oren]

They left out the Road Runner :-)) He should be on the wall!

I traveled that area many times, but no need now. When I get up that way I will look. I know where you mean.

We still don't know the method :-\\

I see some expensive homes, and the walls are not this nice.

-- Oren

Hofstadter's Law - It [a task] always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law.

[SteveB]

On Decatur, just north of NLV Airport. Go out Rancho, right on Decatur, then about a mile on your right. Go look at them. The whole house is awesomely southwest.

Steve

[Kate]

Those are fabulous! They gave me some great ideas, thank you!

Love the photos of the hummers too...

[SteveB]

Glad you liked them both. I was just in awe of the workmanship of the walls. They are just so precise, as if premade or made by someone who has a lot of talent. We found another house like it in Las Vegas, I guess you could call it total southwest, and it is similar sans the murals.

We bought a rural Utah home near St. George, and everything around here is done in southwest and stucco and red rock. Except for a lot of the new, and that's just modern stuff. But every time we see something interesting, we stop and take pictures.

We will be starting a major remodel this fall after the heat abates. Hope to get to use some of our own ideas, some from others, and think up some. I like the southwest style as if implies easy comfortable lifestyles.

Here's a new flickr page from yesterday and today. We went up to the cabin. Look at the pictures and see if you have any suggestions for remodeling there.

Steve