How do I cure Stucco?

Just curious - about to stucco our oven. Should we cover it with plastic once the stucco has been applied or do we just leave it exposed the recommended 3-4 days?

Do we need to mist if with water - similar to when you pour concrete?

Great Question!

Stucco is a regional product and is not available in many parts of the country. If you are able to get your hands on a dry / powdered stucco (not the wet premix), you will be able to provide a rock-hard protective shell for your wood-fired oven.

After you have mixed the correct water-to-stucco ratio apply the stucco FROM THE TOP OF THE OVEN AND WORK DOWN THE SIDES / BACK of oven. Why you ask? Another great question! If you start your stucco from the bottom and work your way up, the wet stucco will slowly settle and there will be a large stucco bulge on the lower portion of your oven. If you start from the top and work your way down - no bulge!

Another quick tip - don’t try to get all of the stucco on in one layer. You only want to apply a light (but complete) layer of stucco on the first go-around. Once it is rock-hard, press any exposed chicken wire down with your thumb and then apply a second coat of stucco.

CURING: Stucco can cure quickly so you want to keep the stucco moist while it dries. There are two good ways to keep the stucco from curing too quickly. One, simply cover the stucco w/ wet burlap or large bath towels (guys, ask your wife which towels you can use before you just grab a bunch from the linen closet). The second option is to lightly spritz the oven with the mist setting on your water hose every 2 hours or so for 24 hours (no - not at night). And try not to use the word “spritz” - it’s not very manly.

If not applied and cured correctly, your stucco may get hairline cracks, but they can be covered with veneer or a handful of wet stucco that you press into the crack.