# Stucco Sprayer?



## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

Goes for about 290$ brand new...seems to save time and all you gotta do is darby right after...ideal for scratch and brown...fast and effective...whats the catch? why so cheap? and why noone is using it?

Any thoughts?


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## CrpntrFrk (Oct 25, 2008)

Do you have one in particular you are looking at?

Got a link?


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## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

http://www.mortarsprayer.com/


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## smuhhh (Dec 30, 2010)

That must suck to keep clean. Does the stucco material just get loaded into the hopper or is it actually feed through the hose. I should probably just go read the website but my brain is already turned off for the night.


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## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

smuhhh said:


> That has to suck to clean.


Nope..I am thinking muriatic down the throat once spraying is done. Rinse with water after.

If it saves 20 hours a project,I sure as hell can spare 2 hours on cleaning.


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## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

I am probably going to buy one just to test it out and tell you guys how it goes,just would like to know if anyone tried one.


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

http://www.mortarsprayer.com/stucco-videos/


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## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

lukachuki said:


> http://www.mortarsprayer.com/stucco-videos/


Oh I am not wondering about advertised application,I am more curious if anyone of you tried it.

They can advertise anything they want really,you agree?

Having actual tradesmen hold one is different from their "educational videos".


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

TheItalian204 said:


> Oh I am not wondering about advertised application,I am more curious if anyone of you tried it.
> 
> They can advertise anything they want really,you agree?
> 
> Having actual tradesmen hold one is different from their "educational videos".


Oh definitely. For a non stucco guy like me it was just informative to watch the videos and see how a sprayer like this would be used. It did look like to me though that at least a few of the videos were of real tradesman just doing their thing, not the propaganda that some companies produce.


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## Willy is (May 20, 2010)

I want one!!! It looks to me as though they would be good for parging.

It also looks as though it would pay for itself in short order. I'm assuming that the material strengths would not be compromised through dilution so as to make it easier to apply. What I saw on the film clips was that there could be a component in saved material/less waste.

You would need a larger compressor, I would guess, and it might be false economy to get _barely_ big enough. If you buy the tool you might consider renting a compressor to help you assess the size you need for your operation. Just remember that a larger one will equal more square foot accomplished per day. 

My rotator cuffs started flinching while I watched the full hopper work arms outstretched above shoulder level. I'd venture that using the system though will result in less wear and tear on your body over time than manual application

Looks awesome to me, but I haven't done production stucco work; more like repairs.

willy


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## jomama (Oct 25, 2008)

Willy is said:


> You would need a larger compressor, I would guess, and it might be false economy to get _barely_ big enough. If you buy the tool you might consider renting a compressor to help you assess the size you need for your operation. Just remember that a larger one will equal more square foot accomplished per day.
> 
> willy


That was my thought as well: The mortar sprayer is only part of the cost, unless you already have a fairly big portable compressor.


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## Willy is (May 20, 2010)

PS..... so far as cleaning..... (understand that I've not used or seen this equipment)

It looks to me that a drywall bucket fill of water might help slow the drying if you were to immerse the tool.....lets say during a break in warm weather.

I have a pressure washer and I would guess that a one minute shot with that 3-4 times a day would keep it sparking clean. You could even build a little stand out of rebar to hold it while you washed it. 

Am I wrong that some stuccos will be stickier than mortars and may resist cleaning better after they have cured? I think if you stay ahead of the curing you can keep it clean but you know what happens during a day......interruptions. On a hot day and a few hours it could really become a boat anchor if you aren't careful.

I've already got an electric air compressor that would drive that; hmmmmmm.

I look at the set up and think of what it could do inside an damp, dark, leaky basement w/ possible radon issues;
Power wash the walls, point (if needed), parge, paint. 

willy

willy


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## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

I think you can buy stucco sprayer and just change the nozzles...I looked into stucco pumps those are EXPENSIVE.

Stucco generally cures slower than mortar. And as I said,having small bottle of muratic handy just to clean nozzle and wash it after with water or what not will definetly help.

I think for 290 its great investment/gamble,esp since I already have fairly large compressor.


For instance(I calculated) one wheel barrow gets me about 200 sq ft and I can trowel it on in about 30 minutes. with sprayer you need a wheel barrow every 6 minutes.

You saving 24 minutes per 200 sq ft,but you would need 4 man set up to make it work perfectly.
One guy spraying
One guy troweling behind and scratching
One guy constantly loadng wheelbarrow/sprayer
One guy constantly mixing.

You can finish 2000 sq ft in give or take 3 hours..I can do 20 houses a week.


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## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

Willy is said:


> Power wash the walls, point (if needed), parge, paint.


I was taught not to paint the parge. IT(paint) weakens the substance.


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## Willy is (May 20, 2010)

TheItalian204 said:


> I was taught not to paint the parge. IT(paint) weakens the substance.


Yes, I agree. There are a number of issues, but masonry should be able to breathe. Second, in many situations in really wet environments the hydrolic pressure can pop paint and even parging off

First, I can see being hired to clean up a basement before selling; not what I would do but a realtor would tell you that the house would be worth "X" more dollars with a white coating, like UGL. I also meant the ceilings painted/sprayed. 

Where I live there is radon galore and virtually every basement of an old house is a leaker. The house next door sold subject to testing, and when it tested positive for radon the price came down 2500 bucks. If you could get a basement tight enough to pass a radon test and make it look great there would be money in many peoples budget; I'm just saying.

But yes.... no paint and instead white portland will make a basement a lot brighter, or even throw in some white silica into the mix. White ceilings and the place still looks much better; clean, dry bright.

I'm just suggesting that the tool could be used in a number of applications; the paint idea was an afterthought.

willy


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## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

Willy is said:


> Yes, I agree. There are a number of issues, but masonry should be able to breathe. Second, in many situations in really wet environments the hydrolic pressure can pop paint and even parging off
> 
> First, I can see being hired to clean up a basement before selling; not what I would do but a realtor would tell you that the house would be worth "X" more dollars with a white coating, like UGL. I also meant the ceilings painted/sprayed.
> 
> ...



Oh yea I know what you mean...you can try white portland or elastomeric coating...both should work fairly well.


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## aptpupil (Jun 12, 2010)

it's a glorified drywall texture sprayer from what i can see. i've used a drywall texture sprayer with stucco before and it works if you're looking for a sprayed/knockdown look. i only see it as viable for the texture coat. maybe if you really ratchet up the pressure it will work for the scratch/brown coats. let us know how it works.


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

I think it's pretty big in Florida. Everything is block and stucco down there.


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## Rockmonster (Nov 15, 2007)

I was thinking along the lines of Aptpupil, but then I was checking out that Spiderlath, and they have a link to Big Bamboo studios.......it looks like they use one of these to do a lot of their creations.......some of it is pretty cool. I've just got to check and see the air requirements for this sprayer, but I may dive in myself soon.....


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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

In Florida its skip trowel on the outside, and knockdown on pool decks. On pool decks and whatnot its sprayed on, you walk on it with a cleat shoe while you do it fyi.

So anyways, no one sprays it on the outside of the houses down there, they would laugh.


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