Sand & Cement Stucco
Sand and Cement Stucco in Calgary
Drive through almost any part of Calgary and you’re looking at sand and cement stucco. It’s been the city’s default exterior for decades, and for good reason: it handles our temperature swings, sheds water, shrugs off hail, doesn’t burn, and done properly runs 40 to 50 years.
The catch is “done properly.” Traditional stucco is a system, not a coating — it only works when every layer is there: the weather barrier, the flashings, the lath, and three coats given time to cure. Skip a layer or rush a cure and you get a wall that looks perfect at handover and starts telling on itself by the fourth winter.
Stucco Wave installs three-coat sand and cement stucco on new builds, full re-stucco projects, additions and commercial buildings across Calgary and southern Alberta. We build the whole system to spec, and itemise every layer on the quote.
Why Choose Sand and Cement Stucco
Sand and Cement Stucco looks simple and is one of the most commonly botched trades in this city, for three reasons.
Most durable finish for this climate
Non-combustible
Genuinely low maintenance
Benefits at a Glance
- 40–50 year service life, correctly installed and maintained
- Excellent hail and impact resistance for Calgary’s storm corridor
- Non-combustible cement-based composition
- Seamless coverage over complex geometry
- Wide range of textures and integral colours
- Breathable, so incidental moisture escapes rather than being trapped
- Adds a meaningful air-sealing layer over the sheathing
- Repairable in sections rather than wholesale
- Strong resale perception in the Calgary market
Our Three-Coat Process
- Assessment and quote — On-site review of substrate, assembly, access and geometry; itemised quote covering barrier, flashings, lath, all three coats, finish, joints, protection and cleanup.
- Site protection and access — Openings, roofing, decks and landscaping masked; scaffolding erected and inspected.
- Weather-resistive barrier — Building paper or wrap with correct shingled laps, then flashings, weep screeds and casing beads. The least glamorous stage and the one that keeps the building dry for forty years
Frequently Asked Question
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It varies with size, height, geometry, access and prep. A simple single-storey and a cut-up two-storey are very different jobs at similar square footage. We give firm written pricing after a free visit.
Correctly installed and maintained, 40–50 years in Calgary. The colour fades well before the system fails — most homes get recoated once or twice, far smaller than replacement.
Sand float (fine, most common), knockdown, dash (forgiving of imperfections), smooth trowel (contemporary, least forgiving), and lace. We bring physical samples.
Sometimes, depending on the substrate. Over brick, often; over vinyl, generally not without removal. We assess your specific wall.