My façade was old & cracking. Chunks looked like they were close to falling. I removed all the loose bits and re-rendered with new concrete. I did the proper bonding steps with polyvinylacetate (#PVA). That previously cracked part of the #façade seems relatively strong and water resistent now (i.e. the color remains light colored and slightly shiny even after rainstorms).

There were old parts of the façade that I did not touch because there were no significant cracks. But these old untouched areas appear to absorb water. They are always wet looking. They only appear dry if there is a quite long stretch of no rain. I think it takes several weeks of mid-summer dry weather before the water evaporates. I think the constant moisture will shorten the life of the affected areas and the moisture is apparently getting into the house as well.

anti-stucco paint school of thought

Painting #stucco is controversial. Some people insist on it, and some say stucco is meant to “breathe” and should never be painted.

I’m personally in the anti-paint let-it-breathe camp. However, I think my situation is a bit exceptional. Perhaps the original stucco was not the right stuff. It’s too porous. Re-rendering seems to have a high cost/benefit.

As a hack, I am tempted to prime and paint the part of the façade that appears to be holding water. I would like opinions on this as well as alternatives. I would also like to know if any exterior paint will do the job or should I look for paint with waterproof properties.

Note that I do not care much about cosmetics. I just want to reduce the water ingress but ideally without suffocating the wall too much, if possible.