Stucco Repair
While replacing faulty or damaged stucco siding is rarely a homeowner’s priority when considering home improvement projects, inaction can seriously undermine the stability and safety of your home. Properly maintaining your stucco and scheduling timely repairs to alleviate damage can help your stucco last for years to come. One of the primary forms of stucco damage is the intrusion of moisture into walls that causes them to crack or deteriorate. Stucco repair involves identifying specific issues with the siding, fixing these issues, and replacing the damaged material with new stucco.
Stucco Repair Signs
If you own a home with stucco siding, you should regularly complete a visual inspection to look for hidden water damage. The following signs indicate that you should call Big Surf Painting immediately to schedule an appointment with our team:
- Cracks—A single small crack may not be a large concern, but numerous cracks that measure over ¼ inch wide suggest structural problems. Cracks can develop as a result of water damage, especially if stains are present at the cracks. They can also occur due to the gradual shifting or settling of your home, a lack of proper expansion joints, or extreme weather conditions.
- Stains—Black streaking in chimneys and window corners is a common side effect of moisture intrusion. Avoid simply painting over stucco stains, as this only masks the symptoms of the problem rather than addressing the underlying cause. Some stains can be removed with cleaning, while others involve water damage or mold and require more intensive repair from a professional company.
- Moss—Wet, shady areas at the bottom of your exterior walls can encourage the growth of moss. Typically, moss can be removed with a solution of water, soap, Borax, and bleach, but you must attack the problem directly to prevent water from intruding into your home. This includes removing nearby vegetation that creates an inviting area for moss to grow and replacing it with features like an ornamental rock to assist in drying the walls during wet weather.
- Crumbles—Stucco can crumble for several reasons, including age, stress, settling of your home, vibrations, impact accidents, water damage, and improper installation. As stucco crumbles, it reduces the siding’s structural integrity, causing increasingly worse problems due to the moisture seepage.
- Soft spots or indentations—Soft spots and indentations are the clearest signs of water damage to your stucco. This problem requires immediate attention from a professional to complete repairs and prevent the problem from getting worse and more expensive to fix.