I was wrong about using stucco on the whole house

I always figured stucco was the only way to go here in Albuquerque, so I planned to redo my whole 1970s ranch with it. Then I was over in the Nob Hill area last weekend and saw a house that mixed stucco with some really nice, dark-stained wood siding on the front gable. It looked so much better than just a plain stucco box. The wood added warmth and broke up the big wall, and it made the house feel more unique. I talked to the owner for a minute and he said the wood was cedar and it's held up fine for over five years with our sun. Now I'm rethinking my whole plan. I might do a similar accent on my place to give it some character. Has anyone else mixed materials like that on an exterior remodel here?

2 comments

2 Comments

milarodriguez1mo ago

Mixing materials sounds nice in theory, but that wood in Nob Hill is only five years old. Our sun and dry air here are brutal. I've seen older places with that combo where the wood is all warped and faded to a weird gray, no matter the stain. It ends up looking patchy and cheap. Stucco might be plain, but it's a solid choice that lasts decades without that kind of upkeep. I'd stick with one material for less headache.

the_amy1mo ago

Yeah, @milarodriguez has a point about the sun wrecking wood. Drove past that new complex on Central last week and the cedar siding already looks sad and bleached out. It's not even that nice weathered look, just a bad faded color. Stucco might not be exciting, but you won't be out there every other year re-staining or replacing boards. Sometimes boring is just smarter for this climate.