Office: 949 716-0934 Cell: 949 981-6558 E-mail: seay@cox.net
Maintenance of Your Stucco Home
Your home requires certain maintenance items to be completed to ensure that
the stucco will perform properly. Various books have been published to provide
homeowners with a maintenance guide which helps them in understanding how to
care for their homes. We endorse the standards and guidelines as stated in the
publication titled “California Building Performance Guidelines for Residential
Construction” published by The Building Standards Institute. A careful reading
and following of the above referenced book will help each homeowner to
understand and provide the needed maintenance for their home.
Stucco Cracks. It is the nature of stucco to experience some cracking. Small
stucco cracks are normal and do not require any maintenance or repair. If a
crack exceeds 1/8 inch in width then the crack should be repaired. Repairing of
stucco cracks is made by adding a small amount of stucco to the crack. Do not
put caulking into cracks. If you experience cracks that are over 1/8 inch in
width, you should contact your builder so that the proper resolution can be
determined.
Items That Can Cause Stucco Damage
1)
Improper clearance between weep screeds and the finished grade. The metal weep
screed installed around the bottom of your home is to allow any water that gets
past the stucco to safely exit. There should be a minimum clearance of 4 inches
between the weep screed and the finished grade. If concrete walkways or some
other hard surface is installed up to the foundation of your home, there should
be a minimum clearance of 2 inches between the weep screed and such concrete or
hard surface. Care should be taken to ensure that weep screeds are not covered
by landscaping or concrete walkways.
2)
Attaching items to stucco walls.
The stucco on your home has been installed to stop water from penetrating into
the wall. If incidental water does enter through the stucco, there is a weather
resistant membrane (black paper) that has been installed behind the stucco. It
is essential not to penetrate the stucco wall or the weather resistant membrane
with nails, screws, staples or any other fastener. If it becomes necessary to
mount something to the stucco walls, a professional craftsman should be hired in
order to ensure that the proper fasteners are used.
3)
Sprinkler systems directed toward your home.
Sprinkler systems should direct water away from the stucco walls of your home.
The continual spaying of water onto stucco walls can cause damage to the stucco,
damage to weep screeds, create stains and allow green algae to grow on stucco
walls.
4)
Improper Slope of Finished Grades. The area around your home should slope or
drain away from your home at a 2% slope or more. You should be careful when
doing any landscaping work to ensure the slope of your finished grade is not
altered. If the finished grade drains back into the home it can cause water to
seep under the foundation. Wet soil can swell and expand which can lift up your
home, causing damage to the stucco as well as other areas of your home.
5)
Damaged Foam Projections. Foam projections should be treated with care. Foam
projections (add-ons) are purely decorative and should not be used to climb or
stand on. When using a ladder, care should be taken not to make marks in foam
projections
6)
Additions to your home. Adding on to your
home or attaching a sun screen or patio cover must be done by a professional
craftsman using proper materials and procedures. Otherwise you can damage your
stucco system and void your warranty. The stucco contractor.
Items That Require Maintenance
1)
Windows, doors and other wall
penetrations. Where stucco meets a window, door, electrical box, dryer vent or
any other wall penetration you may notice a small expansion gap. Gaps are normal
and should be expected since dissimilar materials will expand and contract at
different rates thus causing slight separations. Such gaps can allow excessive
amounts of water to get past the stucco and therefore should be caulked at least
on an annual basis. The best method is to obtain a quality tube of caulking (25
year) from your local hardware store and squeeze the caulk directly into any
gaps. You can use your finger or a putty knife to ensure that the caulking is
pushed into the gaps.
2)
Window weep holes. At the bottom of each
windowsill you will find several small holes that allow water to exit from the
windowsill track. With the passage of time, dirt, leaves or other items can clog
these weep holes causing the water in the windowsill to leak over the windowsill
track into the home. When you first move into your new home, all window weep
holes should be carefully inspected to ensure that they are clean. Sometimes
during construction window weep holes can be filled with stucco, paint, or other
construction debris. Cleaning window weep holes can be easily performed with any
small sharp object such as a pen or an extended paper clip.
3)
Stucco. Stucco should be cleaned and
inspected annually. Stucco can be cleaned with water, a brush and mild
detergent. Each year stucco surfaces should be inspected for any holes,
significant cracks or separations. If stucco repairs are needed, it is important
that such repairs be completed on a timely basis before damage can be incurred
to your home.
