Written by Stucco Champions — Southern California’s Authority on Exterior Plastering.

The Texture Guide: Defining Your Home’s Stucco Finish

Stucco is not a "one size fits all" material. The texture you choose defines the architectural character of your home, impacts maintenance costs, and determines how easy it will be to patch in the future.

In Southern California, we see everything from the glassy smoothness of a Santa Barbara finish to the heavy, rugged look of Spanish Lace. This guide demystifies the industry terminology so you can tell your contractor exactly what you want.

1. The "Big Three" (Most Common)

1. Spanish Lace / Skip Trowel

The Look: The classic "California Stucco" look. It features a base coat with flattened "islands" or "clouds" of texture skipped over the top.
Best For: Hiding imperfections. Because the texture is irregular, it camouflages slight waves in the framing or patch repairs.
Maintenance: Very forgiving. Ideal for homeowners who plan to paint their stucco eventually.

2. Sand Finish (Float Finish)

The Look: A uniform, gritty texture that looks like sandpaper. It is crisp, modern, and clean.
Aggregate Types:

• Fine (20/30 Sand): Tighter, smoother look.
• Coarse (16/20 Sand): heavier grit, often used in commercial buildings.

Best For: Modern or Craftsman homes. It bridges the gap between traditional and contemporary.

3. Smooth Finish (Santa Barbara)

The Look: The "Ferrari" of stucco finishes. It mimics the look of interior plaster or old adobe, smooth to the touch with slight undulations.
Best For: High-end modern estates and Spanish Revivals.
The Risk: Smooth stucco will crack. Without the aggregate (sand) to relieve tension, hairline spiderwebbing is inevitable. It also shows every imperfection in the wall.

2. Specialty & Custom Textures

Dash Finish (Knockdown)

The Look: A rough, pebbled texture that is sprayed onto the wall using a hopper gun.
Application: Often used in tract housing or commercial buildings because it is fast to apply.
Pro Tip: Dash is the easiest texture to patch because the spray pattern breaks up the eye, making repairs blend seamlessly.

Cat Face (Montalvo)

The Look: A smooth surface interrupted by occasional rough "inclusions" or "peeks" of the underlying coat. It looks like a smooth wall that has been weathered.
Best For: Custom Tuscan or Mediterranean homes where "Old World" charm is desired.

Worm Finish (Swirl / Putz)

The Look: This retro style (popular in the 70s and 80s) uses large pieces of aggregate. When the float is rubbed in a circle, the large stones drag through the wet cement, leaving worm-like grooves.
Status: Rarely installed new, but often encountered during restucco projects.

3. Material Matters: Acrylic vs. Traditional

The texture you choose dictates which material we use:

• Traditional Cement (LaHabra/Omega): Best for Lace, Cat Face, and Santa Barbara. It allows for depth and "mottling" (color variation).
• Acrylic (Synthetic): Best for Sand Finish. Because it is a consistent polymer, it creates a perfectly uniform, stain-resistant sand texture. However, Acrylic looks "plastic" if you try to make it look like old-world plaster.

4. How to Choose?