Exterior

Stucco Colors With Integral Pigment

Feb 22, 2023 Justin Richardson

Stucco comes in gray and white because that is what Portland cement comes in. Add pigment and you can have any color you like — and unlike paint, it will not need redoing every few years. The color wraps around the cement particles and runs right through the mix, so chips and scrapes show the same color underneath.

A beach house finished in integrally colored stucco.

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Note on results: stucco mixes vary in cement content, and only the cement and lime take color. Weigh what is actually in your mix before calculating, and sample before doing a whole elevation.

How to color stucco

You do not need a professional to do it, and in the story below the stucco contractor did not charge extra to add it. Whether you are mixing your own or using pre-bagged, all you need is the weight of the Portland cement in the mix.

1: Weigh the Portland cement in your stucco mix
2: Open the Portland cement pigment calculator
3: Enter the base color — usually white for a white-cement stucco
4: Enter your target color and the cement weight
Worked example: A 94 lb bag of white Portland cement, colored Peacock Blue, needs 5 lb of pigment

Step 1: Choose your Stucco Base Color - Gray or White sets the foundation for your transformation

Step 2: Envision your Dream Shade - Explore the color options and select the one that matches your vision

The calculator, step by step — base color, target color, cement weight.

Masonry wall — Before — plain masonry stucco.

202 blue Senergy pigmented stucco — After — 202 blue through the mix.

Protecting the color

Outdoors, finish with an acrylic or penetrating sealer. The color itself is fade-resistant, but a sealer protects the surface from weathering and keeps it looking new for longer.

Colored Concrete Stucco — Integrally colored stucco on a home exterior.

A beach house, and about $4,000 saved

Jim wanted his beach house exterior to survive a harsh ocean environment without repainting. He used a gray-based stucco with Tarnished Brass pigment added to the final mix. His stucco contractor added the color at no extra charge, and the job was finished inside a week.

Base: Gray-based stucco
Pigment: Tarnished Brass, added to the final mix
Time: Under a week
Saved: Almost $4,000 by not painting the exterior
Bonus: Damage does not show a different color underneath — it runs all the way through