Exterior Stucco Services
Commercial & Residential Stucco Repair
Cracks in stucco often happen due to water penetration, floods, or physical forces. But they can also occur for a variety of different reasons, such as:
- Wrong mix proportions
- Insufficient mixing
- Poor workmanship
- Seismic movement
- Seasonal changes
- Environmental factors (rocks, baseballs, etc.)
- The house settling process
- Shrinkage-induced stresses
Types of Stucco damage
Cracks from environmental sources cause micro-fractures that may not be immediately visible. But they can slowly develop into structural damage over time. Structural damage can cause water to spill through and compress and expand the wall when exposed to different temperatures.
Structural damage
The most apparent structural damage types come from vehicle impact, massive hailstones, fire, and even floods. They all undermine stuccos structural integrity to a point where repairs are required.
Poor workmanship
These types of cracks often develop during the construction period. It's essential to check your stucco walls post-construction period thoroughly.
Harbor Stucco follows all manufacturing standards. We have an inspection period to ensure the settling and curing periods are up to par.
Different forms of stucco cracks
We've listed the different forms of stucco cracks that tend to occur.
They happen for many reasons, but they're going to tell you how you can repair stucco cracks.
Pattern Cracking:
If you see cracking that fits a similar pattern. Most of the time, it appears like a grid of horizontal and vertical lines. This cracking occurs if there were issues with the lath when mounted. It was likely not nailed, which raises the chances it will lead to even more cracks in the future. Because of this, you need to hire the right contractors when in need of stucco repair.
Spider Web Cracks
These cracks throughout your stucco wall look like spider webs. If you see this in your stucco, it's a sign that the contractors failed to cure your stucco base coat.
Hairline Cracks:
These cracks tend to be thin, usually about 1/16 inch wide or shorter. They will be the most frequent form of cracks you'll discover. Usually, in new homes and buildings, plaster settles and shifts during construction. Stucco shrinks as it hardens and gains strength. This shrinkage, when restrained, can create hairline cracks.
Foam Trim Cracks:
Foam trims will often develop cracks when fiberglass mesh tape is not used upon installation. Cracking here indicates poor workmanship. The main concern with this type of damage is that it will lead to expansion and shrinkage of the surface area, allowing for cracks to develop over time.
Diagonal Cracking:
As the name suggests, these cracks are diagonal and can found near windows and doors. These cracks tend to occur because of seismic shifts in the foundation.
The Bottom Line
Repairing & Patching Stucco is labor-intensive. It involves extensive training and knowledge of the different stucco problems that arise.
Because of this fact, It is wise to seek out experienced professionals when in need of stucco repair. Harbor Stucco has extensive knowledge and experience repairing different stucco problems that arise. We do the work according to manufacturing standards. It is a very affordable long-term siding solution.
Repairing Stucco
There are as many ways to repair stucco as there are different types of stucco cracks. But generally speaking, these are the most common stucco repair methods used.
- Apply caulking into the crack
- Mesh over cracks
- Entire wall reapplication along with recoat and finish coat
"What happens if I don't repair my stucco?"
Like any other issue, if left unattended, before long, it has the potential to turn into a much bigger and expensive problem to fix.
So the simple answer is, as soon as you can.
It is wise to attend to even the most minute cracks right away; small cracks can develop into bigger ones over time, usually because they are not noticed.
Medium cracks can also turn into nightmares. Water could get in and cause mold and moisture problems. They're hard to fix if you don't find them in time. The sooner the cracks are repaired, the less likely they will cause significant problems in the future.
"When do I have no option but to call a professional?"
If you notice pattern cracks, the underlying lath is damaged and in need of repair. Many try to attempt to do this themselves, especially if the damage appears to be minimal. Call a professional to inspect severe structural damage. Harbor Stucco will repair it according to industry standards.
If you notice wide or diagonal cracks, there is likely a problem with your house's foundation. Usually, it's caused by seismic shifts.
In such cases, it is best to call Harbor Stucco. We will first deal with your home or building's structural problem. Then do the exterior repair. If you avoid this, you're going to continue to develop more cracks over time. Cracks have the potential to get water into them, which can turn into a health hazard if mold grows.
