Stucco Painting question

I have a beach house where the 1st floor is traditional stucco. We are residing the house in a different color, and want to change the color of the stucco. I also have a number of repairs to be made to the stucco -fixing cracks - some big and some small, and I have to patch the stucco where a door was removed.

I'm not thrilled with the texture of the stucco on the house either. What are my best options?

1 - Patch and paint the stucco using a good quality stucco paint or elastomer based coating system?

2 - Is there a way to skim coat the existing stucco with a different top coat - Dryvit or something like that? I think the issue is the existing texture would need to be knocked down before I could skim coat it - might be a lot of work.

3 - Rip out and replace - lot of work/cost

If I paint the stucco - how long could I expect this to last - remember this is a seaside house, so it gets a lot of wind driven rain, and salt spray?

I appreciate your opinions!

 

#1 - either use a high quality latex house paint or elastromeric coating. Be sure to neutralize any chaulky surfaces prior to painting.

#2 - yes but.... not really a diy project, could be costly.

#3 - you already know the answer

It would be best to talk to your local paint rep as to what coatings would be best for your needs. He can also let you know about how long his coatings will last.