Painting over unrepaired cracks wastes the paint job
Paint is a coating, not a repair. Rolled over an open crack, it bridges the gap for a season — then the wall moves, the film splits, and the crack telegraphs straight through your new paint. Now the crack is back, the paint around it is compromised, and water gets behind both. Every repaint on cracked stucco should start with the stucco, or the money is half spent.