Compare the finishes
Five bagged finishes, each with its own characteristics and uses — side by side, to match their attributes with your requirements.
Side by side
Every attribute, finish by finish — match them to your requirements.
| Attribute | Stonecoat | Marblecoat | Arcus Plaster | Lime Plaster Fine | Lime Plaster Medium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made out of | Crushed limestone | Crushed marble | Crushed limestone | Lime & marble powders | Lime & marble powders |
| Bag | 50-lb | 50-lb | 50-lb | 30-lb | 30-lb |
| Nominal thickness | 3/16″ – 3/8″ | 1/8″ – 1/4″ | 3/16″ – 1/4″ ³ | 1/32″ – 1/16″ | 1/16″ – 1/8″ |
| Strength | 5,800 PSI ⁴ | 5,800 PSI | 4,200 PSI ⁵ | Not weight-bearing | Not weight-bearing |
| Standard colors | 12 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 24 |
| Custom colors ¹ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vertical application | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Horizontal application | Yes | Yes | Overhead only — not for traffic, water features or wet locations | — | — |
| Interior / exterior | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Exterior seal required | Yes, in the conditions listed ² | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interior seal recommended | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Coated foam shapes | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Unlimited textures | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Polished finish | Yes | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| Venetian finish | — | — | — | Yes | No — see Fine |
| Marmorino finish | — | — | — | No — see Medium | Yes |
| Hand-trowelled | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sprayed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apply to hardcoat stucco | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apply to EIFS basecoat ⁶ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apply to cement board | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apply to vertical / horizontal concrete | Yes | Yes | Yes, vertical | Yes, vertical | Yes, vertical |
| Apply to drywall | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apply to wood | No | No | No | No | No |
- ¹ Every one of the five can be custom color-matched to virtually any color.
- ² Arcus Plaster, Marblecoat and both Lime Plasters must be sealed. Stonecoat requires the seal in extreme freeze/thaw, high or constant UV, high altitude, high humidity and subtropical or tropical locations, in wet locations, on water features, countertops and all exterior horizontal work, and is strongly recommended to be sealed on other exterior work.
- ³ The architectural specification gives a nominal 3/16″.
- ⁴ Stonecoat tests at 5,805 psi compressive at 28 days, ASTM C-109 (7 days: 4,316).
- ⁵ Arcus Plaster is rated 4,200 PSI and tests at 4,102 psi at 28 days, ASTM C-109 (7 days: 3,659).
- ⁶ Over the EIFS basecoat only — never over an EIFS finish coat.
- — Not listed for that finish.
- Strength figures are compressive strength. Every guarantee covers the full Arcusstone system — primer, finish and sealer together.
Where they differ
The rows that matter most when choosing between them.
- Traffic and water
- Arcus Plaster's data sheet rules out horizontal surfaces with vehicle or foot traffic, water features and wet locations such as shower surrounds; the Lime Plasters are listed for vertical work only.
- Wet locations
- Stonecoat and Marblecoat both go into wet locations such as shower surrounds and onto water features such as fountains.
- Weight-bearing
- The two Lime Plasters are not weight-bearing: they are thin finishes, 1/32″ to 1/8″.
- Venetian or Marmorino
- Venetian is Lime Plaster Fine's finish and Marmorino is Lime Plaster Medium's; each points to the other grade for the other style.
- Polish
- Stonecoat, Marblecoat and both Lime Plasters take a polished finish. Arcus Plaster's look is mottled, aged stucco with a warm patina.
- Foam shapes
- Stonecoat, Marblecoat and Arcus Plaster all coat foam shapes; Stonecoat also has its own specification for pre-coated and cast EPS shapes.
- Coverage
- Stonecoat 15 sq ft per 50-lb bag at 3/8″ · Arcus Plaster 20 – 25 sq ft at 3/16″ – 1/4″ · Marblecoat 20 – 40 sq ft at 1/8″ – 1/4″ · Lime Plaster 160 – 210 sq ft per 30-lb bag.
- Never on
- Wood — and GFRC, PVC, ABS, urethane and other plastics, asphalt, EIFS finish coats, and sheet metal or steel. All five can sit in direct contact with metal lath, grounds and reglets.
True of all five
- Installed by
- Trained applicators, connected to you through local distributors.
- Coats
- Two coats or two passes.
- Bonding Agent
- Required for most applications of Stonecoat, Arcus Plaster and Marblecoat; recommended for the Lime Plasters over new non-porous surfaces or where adhesion is a concern.
- Climate
- Applied above 40°F and rising and below 100°F, never on frozen or thawing substrates, with sun shades and wind screens during the initial cure, and not if rain is expected within 48 hours.
- Water
- The amount of water changes drying and curing time, and with it the final color — the same amount goes into every batch.
- Mockup
- Where the Arcusstone architectural specification applies (Stonecoat and Arcus Plaster), a 4 ft × 4 ft job mockup is installed and accepted for color, texture, pattern and workmanship before the work starts.
- Shelf life
- One year in unopened bags from the stamped date of manufacture, stored on pallets under cover, no more than two pallets high, cool and out of direct sunlight.
- Warranty
- The product conforms to current published specifications at the time of shipment, and every guarantee covers the full Arcusstone system — primer, finish and sealer together.
The two liquids
The table covers the five bagged finishes; the two liquids are what make their bond and their seal.
- Bonding Agent / Primer
- A re-emulsifying vinyl-acetate bonding agent complying with ASTM C932; it prepares the substrate before the finish goes on. 5-gallon pails.
- Penetrating Water Repellent Sealer
- The seal behind the exterior-seal row — the required sealer for Arcus Plaster, Marblecoat and both Lime Plasters. 5-gallon pails.
Bring it to your project
Arcusstone is installed through local distributors.
Bring Arcusstone to your market
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