I have stucco on my house here in Alberta, and there are many of them here, it is a great favorite. My stucco is 60 years old and has been repointed (refinished by a stucco company) once. I would have nothing else (can't afford brick or stone except as trim).

Re-pointing is much better than painting, which has to be redone every few years.

Temperatures here get to 30 below in winter and 85F in summer.

Rotting here is seldom a problem, since the climate is semi-arid. The main place to watch here is roofing- if water gets between the shingles and the wood of the roof. The wood can deteriorate if re-roofing is delayed too long.

Talk to a couple of stucco company workmen, they can diagnose problems. Make sure that the workmen are licensed by the province and not fly-by-night handymen.