Best Way to Keep Stucco Walls Protected

March 24, 2025

Kickout flashing is the best way to protect exterior walls and prevent water-damaged stucco. Various water-related issues can occur when water accumulates in the intersections between vertical walls and sloped roofs. 

If you operate a building supply store, wholesale business or roofing company, you understand how important it is to help clients prevent water damage. Offering or recommending the right products is crucial for building trust and establishing a positive reputation.

You can help your clients or customers protect their stucco walls with durable kickout flashing and special waterproof sealants and paints.

What Is Stucco?

Stucco is a popular plaster-like coating for interior walls, exterior walls and ceilings. Traditional stucco is made of cement, lime, water and sand. Synthetic stucco is a modern alternative with additives such as polymers for enhanced flexibility and durability. Traditional and synthetic stucco are popular because they both offer the following advantages:

• Beauty and versatility: Stucco is a beautiful decorative coating that can dramatically enhance a home or commercial building’s appearance. It’s also highly versatile, making it easy to customize with various colors, finishes and textures.
• Durability and weather resistance: Property owners can depend on stucco to last a long time because it’s highly durable and weather resistant.
• Fire resistance: Stucco’s noncombustible nature can help slow the spread of flames in the event of a fire. It doesn’t melt or burn when exposed to flames, so it can help prevent fire from spreading quickly to other levels within a structure. 

How Kickout Flashing Helps Stucco Homes

While stucco is highly durable, it requires protection to retain its strength and beauty. Kickout flashing is installed at the end of a home’s roof and wall intersections, typically at the bottom of each roof corner where it meets a vertical wall. It diverts water, preventing runoff from pooling behind wall coverings such as stucco and siding. 

As one of the best ways to protect stucco homes and buildings, kickout flashing offers the following advantages:

Preventing Water Damage

Kickout flashing is a fantastic way to protect stucco from water intrusion. It directs water away from vulnerable areas, preventing it from running down the wall and seeping behind stucco. This precaution helps avoid water damage such as cracking, mold and mildew growth, and rotting. Kickout flashing significantly improves moisture management.

Enhancing Home Durability

You can significantly extend a stucco wall’s life span with kickout flashing. Installing kickout flashing on a roof helps prevent cracks, which reduces the need for repairs.

Long-Term Cost Savings

Enhancing a building or home’s water protection with kickout flashing increases property value. Homeowners and commercial property owners appreciate the long-term cost savings that kickout flashing offers. Rather than spending money on costly repairs and stucco replacement, they can save money and set higher asking prices if they decide to sell in the future.

Signs of Damage

Factors such as age, poor installation, water intrusion and thermal expansion can lead to stucco damage. These signs can indicate that stucco requires attention or replacement:

• Cracks: Poor installation, extreme weather or uneven structural movement can cause cracks in stucco. Water often seeps into cracks, so it’s vital to address them early.
• Staining: Discoloration can indicate that water has infiltrated stucco and seeped into interior walls or ceilings. Property owners may also notice peeling wallpaper or paint if water damage is present.
• Visible leaks: A leaking wall or ceiling is a sign that water is accumulating.
• Soft spots or indentations: Stucco and other building materials can start to deteriorate when water accumulates, leading to soft spots on walls and ceilings. Soft spots can also turn into indentations as materials deteriorate.
• Crumbling sections of stucco: Stucco may crumble easily if moisture damage affects its structural integrity. Property owners may notice chips or chunks of stucco around interior or exterior walls if crumbling occurs.
• Bubbling or blistering: Bubbling or blistering can occur when moisture damage causes the stucco’s finish coat to delaminate.
• Mold: Mold and mildew thrive in damp environments. When mold spores land on damp materials, they can grow and spread to other areas within a structure. Mold is not always visible because it tends to grow in hidden places. Property owners may notice more subtle signs, such as a musty odor or health complications. Mold growth can cause coughing, sore throat, congestion, eye irritation and skin irritation. Severe cases of mold can lead to neurological health effects such as brain fog and headaches.

How to Create a Waterproof Stucco Exterior

Water needs to drain out and dry behind exterior stucco walls so they don’t absorb moisture. In addition to kickout flashing, property owners should create a waterproof stucco exterior to increase protection and enhance durability. You can help customers increase stucco durability with additional products such as drainage matrixes, sealants and waterproof paint. The following steps help waterproof a building’s exterior stucco walls:

• Start with a weather-resistant barrier: A weather-resistant barrier serves as a structure’s first line of defense against water intrusion.
• Add a drainage matrix: 3D plastic drainage matrixes or rain screens help water drain away from stucco walls, preventing moisture accumulation.
• Add a second weather-resistant barrier: The second weather-resistant barrier is an additional protective layer.
• Install a fiberglass or metal lath: A fiberglass or metal lath creates a structural base for stucco layers.
• Apply three layers of stucco: Applying a minimum of three stucco layers creates a durable, water-resistant finish.
• Apply a waterproof sealant: Waterproof sealant is necessary for edges, joints and cracks. The entire stucco surface requires a clear concrete masonry sealer.
• Paint with waterproof paint: A waterproof elastomeric paint is the last product to fully seal the stucco.

Before applying sealants and paint, it’s important to check each product’s instructions. All of the products must be compatible with each other, and the installer should leave enough drying time between each one for proper adhesion. When customers request waterproof products for stucco, you can recommend compatible options and instruct users on how to apply them properly.

Protect Stucco Homes With Kickout Flashing by PBZ

Kickout flashing is essential for protecting stucco walls, ceilings and exterior walls. It diverts water away from roof and wall intersections, enhancing moisture management and preventing water intrusion. Kickout Flashing by PBZ offers durable kickout flashing for remodeling and new construction projects. 

Our flashing is made of aluminum and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, so it doesn’t become brittle or crack after installation. You can depend on our solutions to extend stucco’s life span, helping you please more clients or customers.

Kickout Flashing by PBZ offers expert advice and installation for your roof and stucco protection needs. Contact us to learn more about our dependable kickout flashing.