Question by mypips3: wHAT IS THE BEST EXTERIOR DESIGN FOR YOUR TUSCAN HOME?
I live in Maine and winters can be harsh, is stucco a good option? i sure love it. What other options do i have to make it look tuscan? Also how will the terra coota roof tiles do?
Best answer:
Answer by hrtonfire
According to thissite, stucco should be fine, even with cold winters.
What do you think? Answer below!
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
My husband and I are now building our custom dream home and we both LOVE the Tuscan / European / Mediterranean / French Country design. For us, the best way to gather ideas was to look at new house plan sites … like eplans.com or houseplans.com, then select the appropriate architectural style and look at the pictures. There are tons of ideas and many have color photographs. Eplans.com even has an area to match your plan to your location which should really help since you have concerns about your winter weather. We chose to go with a mix of stone and brick with lots of gables and arched windows. Another idea would be to do a Yahoo or google image search for Tuscan Homes — pictures really can speak louder than words! Good luck … or should I say ‘Buona fortuna’ ?!?
Stucco should be fine just be sure to make any necessary repairs immediately. Unfixed repairs in stucco exposes your home to mold very quickly. On the roof tiles – be careful going this route if your home currently has shingles. If this is the case you will need to confirm that the house framing can handle the extra weight. Tiles are a lot heavier than shingles. Good luck
Another option you might consider is an E.I.F.S. system. It stands for Exterior Insulated Finish System. It uses a foam substrate and textured finish coats to look like stucco while giving you better insulation. Some brand names are Termotex and Dryvit.