Jeff Doubet shares Spanish house exterior plaster tips. An insiders look at how plastering experts create a Santa Barbara style Spanish stucco finish on a variety of decorative elements such as decorative exterior door surrounds, corbels, eyebrow windows and iron grilles. Start to finish processes + techniques!
If new to my blog, this is Part 2 of an ongoing series photo-documenting the construction process.
I wanted to start with a couple of AFTER photos so as to put into context what the specialty trades were able to accomplish with their talents. See how these various Spanish Colonial Revival design elements were built during construction. They include a cement plaster window grille, and a pair of plaster “eyebrow” hoods (above iron window grilles).
Other design components reminiscent of another time: Twisted wrought iron spear supports flanking pairs of French doors. The colorful awnings provide decorative interest and functional shade. Antique wood shutters were installed on many of the windows.
In upcoming episodes I will share more photos + info on other aspects of designing and building this estate. This post will focus on the prep and plastering of the exterior front facade. Here, the framing is complete and wrapped in structural plywood. It provides strength to the framing, and additional support for connecting decorative elements like the window eyebrow hoods, iron grilles, etc.
Spanish House Exterior Plastering: Preparing Architectural Details
There’s a lot of prep that goes into the architectural details we love to look at. Spanish Colonial Revival homes are known for having a lot of detail. Scroll to see the men and women working to create this new local classic.
Here, the front door surround is weatherproofed and ready for exterior plaster. The window on the right is an “in-swing” that will have a decorative cement grille in front of it soon. This window will open into the room, allowing for ventilation and glass cleaning once the window grille is in place.
The main focus on this day was to get the decorative corbel bracket details just right. They will be installed above the front door. Here an Artisan uses a grinder to trim and edit the unwanted details.
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Spanish House Exterior Plastering Details for High Quality Spanish Homes
One of the telltale signs of a quality Spanish Colonial Revival home design is the exterior ornamentation incorporated into the facade. These details take a lot of extra time to design, plan and build.
Santa Barbara and Montecito, CA homeowners rely on local talent to craft the details they want for their custom homes. Here, an expert plasterer uses a Bon Tool for the intricate details he sculpting into the wet plaster.
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The plastering team work on more details at the front door surround. They have already completed the cement window grille to the right of the front door. See and learn more about plastering the exterior window grille.
How to Build Spanish-style Exterior Details
Be sure to visit my other How-To Articles showing how different elements of a Spanish home are designed and built. Below is a photo sequence of the important construction steps in building a plaster “Eyebrow” detail above a window or door.
To frame an eyebrow, the framers cut and shape common framing lumber. Structural plywood is also used to build other parts of the structure, including the hood swoop for the eyebrow. All of this provides solid support for the weight of the stucco.
This is the eyebrow after being wrapped in weatherproofing. The heavy decorative window grille is bolted to the underside. Micro expanded metal is formed over the top. The expanded metal and chicken wire is there to support the first coat of stucco.
This is how the eyebrow hood looked after a couple of layers of plaster were applied. You can start to see the details emerge.
The best plastering contractors in Santa Barbara assign the intricate details to the most skilled Artisans on their team. Spanish Colonial Revival style home façades often have a lot of high-end detailing. Here, a master plasterer at the top of his game.
Exterior Stucco Experts in Montecito, California
Photos had to be shared of these highly skilled experts in stucco, working the detail. Getting the final coat of plaster just right is an art form. Once the stucco plaster is mixed, there is only so much time before it sets up like cement.
Like any professional sport, each team member knows the others strengths. It is fun to watch the choreographed operation. Easy to say as a photographer, but the fact remains, these Artisans have to work the wet plaster around a lot of obstacles. No lollygagging allowed.
Windows, large iron work grilles, bullnose corners… look at all the areas they have to get just right. Stucco literally dries hard as cement, so you can imagine how diligently they need to work to make sure they finish in time.
Other Montecito Exterior Plaster Details
Spanish-style homes in Montecito and Santa Barbara are fun to look and study. For over a century, local artisan experts have been building and plastering elegant architectural details such as these.
ABOVE: Spanish Colonial Revival railings were custom designed for this 2nd floor balcony. The fiberglass reinforced cement railing sections are fabricated off site. Once installed, they receive coats of exterior plaster at same time as the surrounding areas.
Another intersection of beautiful shapes and textures. There are cement railings, and plaster columns with corbel detailing. The Dog House chimney is also a focal point.
Everything is coming together nicely. Here you can see the subtle undulation in the Santa Barbara mission finish. With time-tested steel trowel methods, these skilled Artisans are able to achieve this classic plaster finish on a daily basis.
For a parting shot, the guys are finishing up another successful day at this very special build. I am very proud of them! Deep down, I know they are also proud of what they are accomplishing with their individual talents. Please check in once in awhile, as I will add more photos of this team as they continue to build architectural history into Montecito!