[caption width="480" align="alignleft"]Image Credit: www.mcgarryandmadsen.com[/caption]
This article was written by McGarry and Madsen Inspection and was published first on www.mcgarryandmadsen.com

Why Does Stucco Crack?

There are three types of stucco finish walls on Florida homes: stucco on concrete block, Exterior Insulated Finishing System or EIFS (also called synthetic stucco), and stucco on wood frame construction. Stucco over concrete block has limited problems compared to the other two, and EIFS already has well-known and documented moisture intrusion problems, along with lawsuits dating back to the mid-1990s. So let’s look at the defects found in the third type: stucco that is applied over a paper-backed metal lath on wood frame wall construction, which was especially popular in Florida during the building boom of 2004 to 2008.

When buckling, ripples and stains appear in stucco, like in the photo above, homeowners get worried. But the trouble begins with small cracks like the ones shown below, barely visible, that let water into the wall.

The inherent problem with stucco on a wood frame structure is that wood moves around—expanding, shrinking, and sometimes twisting—with changes in humidity. Wood is also somewhat flexible. Stucco, on the other hand, is comparatively stable and stiff, but it expands and contracts with changes in temperature more than wood. When you apply a stucco surface to a wood wall, there must be built-in details to keep the differing movement of the two materials from cracking the less-flexible stucco.

The Florida Building Code uses the ASTM C-926-06 specifications for the application of stucco, which refers to it by the more technically correct name of “Portland Cement-Based Plaster.” The specs are based on these five time-tested standards:The Florida Building Code uses the ASTM C-926-06 specifications for the application of stucco, which refers to it by the more technically correct name of “Portland Cement-Based Plaster.” The specs are based on these five time-tested standards:

1) THICKNESS
Stucco should be at applied in three coats, at least 7/8” thick (not including any texture) to resist cracking.

2) FLEXIBLE EXPANSION JOINTS
Placed at regular intervals along the wall, they absorb the expansion and contraction of the stucco due to temperature changes. These are also called control joints.

3) WEEP SCREED
A weep opening at the bottom of the wall lets any water that penetrates the stucco drain out behind it, instead of getting trapped and rotting the wall framing. When a wood-frame second floor is built on a concrete block first-floor structure, the weep screed will be a strip located at the bottom of the second floor level.

4) CASING BEADS
These wrap around anything that penetrates the stucco surface—such as windows, doors, and soffit returns—to provide a gap that can be caulked and prevents hairline cracks that will admit water into the wall.

5) DRIPS
At any change of plane from a vertical to a horizontal under-surface of the stucco, a drip edge lets water fall off at the corner and not migrate sideways due to surface tension.

All of this differs dramatically in complexity from the installation of regular siding, which depends on simple down-lapping of smaller pieces of building material for waterproofing, and movement is absorbed by the numerous overlapping joints, plus caulk around doors and windows.

If any of the five anti-cracking measures are ignored, you will have a stucco problem. Maybe not immediately, because it takes a few years for the initial small cracks to let in some water, which rusts the steel lath, and opens the cracks further, letting in even more water...and so forth. But it will happen.

Here’s a listing of how each one of the five can be done wrong:

1) THICKNESS
When the total of the three coats of stucco dips below 7/8-inch thick, those areas are more prone to cracking. Sometimes only two coats are applied, with not enough curing time between coats. Also, if the backing paper and lath is sloppily installed, it can create pockets of thin coverage.

2) FLEXIBLE EXPANSION JOINTS
The total area of stucco between expansion joints should not exceed 144 square feet, with the additional restrictions that the joints not be more than 18 feet apart along the wall and a length-to-height ratio that does not exceed 2.5 to 1. The expansion joints should be tied to the metal lath only, not attached to the wall sheathing underneath, so that the joints can move independently from the wall structure. Metal lath that is continuous behind the expansion, connecting both panels, defeats the joint. Expansion joints that are placed too far apart or attached directly to the wall sheathing will also not do their job. A crack along the side of an expansion is an indication that it was likely not installed properly.

[caption width="437" align="alignleft"]Image Credit: www.mcgarryandmadsen.com / Mark Cramer[/caption]

3) WEEP SCREED
No matter how carefully stucco is installed, some small cracks will appear over time. Trapped water wets the wood structure and starts rot when there is no opening at the bottom of the wall or the opening is obstructed. Some weep screeds have protective tape over the drain holes that should be removed after installation and gets forgotten.

4) CASING BEADS
Sometimes they are simply not installed. Without a groove to apply flexible caulk, cracked stucco along the side of a window frame is a common place for the stream of rainwater that runs down the side of a window to enter the wall.

[caption width="484" align="alignnone"]Image credit: www.mcgarryandmadsen.com[/caption]

It begins as in the photo above, but buckling stucco and staining follow over time. The photo below shows typical damage in the wall framing from this defect.

[caption width="437" align="alignnone"]Image Credit: www.mcgarryandmadsen.com / Mark Cramer[/caption]

5) DRIPS
They are not as aesthetically pleasing as a simple corner bead where vertical surfaces return back horizontally, but ugly water intrusion damage ensues if a 1/4” minimum drip edge is not installed. The photo below shows the rotted wood sheathing found under the stucco at the corner of an open porch with this defect.

[caption width="437" align="alignnone"]Image Credit: www.mcgarryandmadsen.com / Mark Cramer[/caption]

Other defects that can cause stucco cracking include: not enough fasteners securing the metal lath, undersize fasteners that do not penetrate deep enough into the wall sheathing, improper lapping of the building wrap to the weep screed, and not leaving the required 1/8” gap between sheathing panels. Because many of the defects that allow water entry are concealed by the stucco itself, they cannot be verified without digging into the wall. But their symptoms bloom and spread on the wall surface over time.

It usually takes five to seven years or more from time of construction to see clear signs of distress in stucco walls that are the result of defective stucco installation. But every stucco finish will develop a few hairline cracks, so we recommend checking for them at least once a year, and sealing the cracks with a masonry caulk.

Repainting the walls and touching up the caulking every 7 to 10 years is also a good idea, since paint and caulk are your first layer of protection from water intrusion. Because home builders occasionally claim that inadequate maintenance of the wall finish is a contributing factor in stucco failure claims from their customers, your diligent maintenance may have the added benefit of helping you secure your claim for damage to your home if it is due to defective stucco installation.

When the cracks multiply and get worse, in spite of your maintenance and repairs, we suggest calling a professional inspector for further evaluation. The one you choose should be familiar with the installation standards and have some experience in diagnosing stucco problems, plus carry a couple of moisture sensing tools, such as an infrared camera and an electronic moisture meter, in their tool bag.

If you are wondering why older homes with stucco walls don’t have the same severe cracking problems as outlined above, it is because most of them are stucco over concrete block. The block has a similar rate of expansion and contraction as stucco, and concrete block is more forgiving of a little moisture intrusion. It can absorb and dissipate through evaporation any small amounts of water that penetrate the stucco.

The thickness of stucco, along with sufficient curing time between coats, also makes a stronger surface, and older homes that are of similar stucco-over-metal-lath are more likely to have been done correctly.

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If you noticed any stucco crack on your home or commercial property and are in need of stucco crack repair contractor please do not hesitate to call Stucco HQ office located near you and schedule a free stucco repair estimate.

98d438fcf3b1f238b53a3bf4da71170f0889317bf5882856b36d7453d8bc457298d438fcf3b1f238b53a3bf4da71170f0889317bf5882856b36d7453d8bc4572POSTLINK98d438fcf3b1f238b53a3bf4da71170f0889317bf5882856b36d7453d8bc457298d438fcf3b1f238b53a3bf4da71170f0889317bf5882856b36d7453d8bc4572 was originally published on www.StuccoHQ.com