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Justina's Jungalow

From Cinderblock to a Mediterranean Mood in one afternoon

After sharing our backyard update on social and here on the blog last week, we got A LOT of questions about stucco’ing the wall and transforming it from the cinderblock to a kind of Mediterranean mood (what you see above). So I asked Jason to jot down the DIY instructions for you all and we’re sharing them here today. The above photo is what the wall looks like now (this is still a progress photo — we still have more plans for this area back here (namely it needs about 100 more plants ;).
This is what the wall looked like before. And here are the DIY instructions and resources from Jason:
The product we used was  Quickrete Quickwall. There is a 4 minute video on that product page, and thats basically how I learned. In the video, they stack a cinderblock wall without mortar, and simply use quikwall to create a stucco shell around it. In our case, the cinderblock / mortar wall was already compete, and we just used the quickwall as a finish for the look.  The material can be stained if that is your preference, but we kept the default white. (We *may* paint a mural on it and do something fun later, but for now we’ll keep it white).

The Process

The process is pretty simple. The first step is to clean the wall. It’s best to use a pressure hose to do this if the wall isn’t new. Next you mix the material with water in a mortar tub with a hoe into a manageable consistency, and then apply it to the cinderblock wall with a trowel. It’s basically that easy, though mixing the mortar and applying can be a bit of a workout.
A bigger trowel makes faster work, but a smaller trowel is useful for smaller spaces, details and corners. You should probably have both. Also, you might want to get an edger if you want clean angles. As you smooth the Quiquwall material onto the wall, you can create different textures depending on how you apply it. We wanted a more smooth look, and made it as smooth as we could, a more experienced hand may be able to make it even more smooth. It’s also, of course depends on the desired effect.  For a more consistent look it is best to complete the project before it dries. We did it in three stages and if you look closely to can tell where we stopped and started.
Happy DIY’ing!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Abby says

    Did you do the same on the other side of the wall or is that a neighbor? We have a similar set up and wondering if it would be odd to only do this on one side.

    Reply

  2. Katy says

    Justina, THANK YOU so much! I was one of the people asking how you did it and wanting the deets so I could do it myself, so I appreciate this so much! Your space is goooooorgeous, I can’t even believe it’s the same space.

    Reply

  5. Kelly Newcomer says

    If you want to be sure the stucco doesn’t crack and flake off, give it something to grip onto. Stucco contractors recommend using a hammer drill to attach hardware cloth (like heavy chicken wire). Then apply your stucco (quickrete quickwall) to the cinderblock with hardware cloth screwed on. It will last longer.

    Reply

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