Stucco, as a construction material, can help to make your home more energy-efficient, less prone to noise pollution, and more fire-retardant. It can also add a great curb appeal to your home’s exterior because of the traditional smooth appearance that has made it a popular choice for most homeowners in Philadelphia and beyond.
Nevertheless, every good thing has its unique weaknesses. The rainy climate in Philadelphia causes several stucco problems. Read on to learn about these stucco problems and the straightforward ways to protect your home from them.
Staining of Stucco Exterior
While stucco is famous for its beautiful look, moisture can reverse this gain, especially if your wall is untreated. Rainwater can wash contaminants like paint from your roof and windows into your stucco wall. After a while, this can lead to severe deterioration of the visual quality of the wall.
Moreover, rain and varying weather patterns can cause other contaminants like rust. Philadelphia experiences a range of weather conditions, ranging from summers to winters. During the dry season, some fixtures in your home, like metal drainage pipes, rust and can eventually cause rusty water to leak onto your stucco exterior.
Do you think there can be another threat from rust under the stucco façade? Imagine you are using a foam board beneath a stucco fade. If the studs holding the foam rust, you could be at risk. You can experience the same if the wires beneath the stucco surface rust. At the same time, if the trees, shrubbery, and other foliage in this area toss dirt against your home or rub against it during strong wind, you can lose the curb appeal.
There’s a solution, though. You can contact your remediation experts to conduct a stucco inspection Philadelphia if you are living in a stucco home or are considering buying one. If necessary, the expert will remove the shrubs and flower gardens away from your home. Also, they can clean the stucco using a low-pressure water spray and apply a water-resistant sealer.
Mould on Stucco
When dealing with excess water retention, mould growth will always be an issue. You can consider this as more severe than the first point on your home’s beauty. Why? Mould can damage your home’s structural design and your family’s health simultaneously. Besides, it can grow on stucco, thereby degrading the overall quality of your home.
An excellent way to prevent mould from degrading your home is by stopping water from accumulating near the property. Remember, without a constant supply of water, these plants won’t grow. If excess water has affected the stucco, remove it. You should replace any potential structural damage with high-quality foundations and then ask a professional to install another stucco and a quality water management system.
As already indicated, proper planning is essential for avoiding mould growth. So, start your home modelling by seeking advice from an experienced team on the best way to destroy the potential sources of mould before applying stucco to your home. If you forgot to do this initially, you can do it now to avoid further damage.
Cracking of Stucco
Various factors, including inadequate attachment and improper installation, can cause cracking in stucco. Nonetheless, the expansion and contraction of materials is a significant cause of this problem in Philadelphia. Freeze-thaw cycles are typical here, and that’s responsible for this trend.
Since stucco cracks are often a red flag pointing to deeper structural issues, it’s essential to know the common types and their causes. The stucco hairline is one of the most common ones. These narrow fractures can run up to1/16th of an inch in diameter. Some of their leading causes are seismic movements, foundation settlement, improper mud mixture, and new home settlement.
Another one is the stucco trim cracks. As the name suggests, they affect the foam trim. This issue often indicates the engineers did not use fibreglass mesh tape. Otherwise, they implemented it incorrectly, resulting in two pieces of stucco failing to fit at the seam. If you leave these cracks untreated for a while, they can cause severe damage due to continued exposure to varied weather elements.
The next one is the stucco cross-patterned cracks, which resemble a grid with overlapping horizontal and vertical lines. It often indicates that the engineer improperly installed the lath, where the mud adheres to for stability. Repairing this crack requires you to remove and replace the lath. Given the sensitivity of the work, you should hire a professional to do it.
Stucco spider is another typical crack, and it resembles a spider-web pattern. Insufficient use of mud and overuse of water are the primary causes of the stucco spider cracks. Unlike the others above, it represents no severe threats.
Stucco diagonal line cracks aren’t like spider cracks. They originate around the window or door frames and AC units but often indicate severe foundation damage. So, once you notice these cracks, you should be concerned about the integrity of your foundation heave or settlement.
Summing Up
If you own a home in Philadelphia and are looking for ways to address these three common stucco problems, you should consider regular inspections and maintenance. In some cases, remediation could be the best solution. Also, work closely with experienced contractors who understand the unique challenges the local climate poses to your home and how to install and maintain stucco to ensure beauty and longevity.
