It’s not complicated to understand why most homeowners love using stucco as a finish material. First, it is relatively cheap compared to brick siding, vinyl siding, and even stone siding. Then, it has a long-life span of up to 50 years or more while under proper maintenance.
The benefits of using stucco as your finish material are many. However, stucco needs maintenance and simple repairs for it to last to its lifespan. Thus, it is essential to know signs of deterioration to ensure that your stucco finish does not get to the point of severe damage.
Let’s look at the signs you need to check on your stucco to identify if it needs immediate repair. Click here to learn more about it.
Check for Water Damage
Being a porous material means that stucco does not trap water as it penetrates its surface. This is one reason why it is often hard to notice water damage on these kinds of sidings.
To identify water damage on your stucco, you’ll need to look for brown stains or streaks. You need to check these on the corners of the windows or at the intersection of walls and roofs. In this way, you can address all possible water damage issues in your exterior or outdoor living space that can extend indoors, and save more money, time, and effort in the long run.
Other signs of water damage might include mold, dampness, or discoloration of the base and corners of your walls, windows, and doors.
Cracks and Other Cosmetic Issues
Although stucco is a durable siding material, it doesn’t mean that it is not vulnerable to cracks and other occasional issues. You need to check on such issues before they develop into bigger ones and cost more for repairs.
Common causes of stucco cracks include accidental hits, heat, or damage by animals if you live in areas with wildlife populations. Other stucco cosmetic damages include weathering, chipping, or fading.
Hairline stucco cracks are not as serious as stucco deep cracks. But they let moisture and water enter into your home’s wall system. When this happens, the damage is inevitable. If water gets behind stucco, the material will soften, eventually causing the stucco to separate and fall off. Moisture and water inside the walls can cause other problems, such as wood rot, paint failure, mold growth, swollen drywall, irreparable damage, and musty smells.
These damages are not usually costly as they often involve removing the affected parts and redoing them. When cracks are beyond repair, however, you’ll need to install a new one to preserve your home’s exterior beauty, which means spending more money.
Consult Stucco Repair Experts Near You
Maybe you are busy and don’t have the time to analyze your stucco siding for damages. Well, if this is so, the only option you might have is consulting a local stucco repair expert.
To do this, you’ll have to type ‘stucco repair near me’ on the internet and choose one from the results provided. One advantage of consulting such experts is that they can identify such damages with ease and accuracy.
Stucco repair experts near you will also be able to tell if your stucco was installed inappropriately and take the necessary immediate attention. Another advantage is that these experts can conduct yearly inspections on your stucco siding material for damages.
Stucco is a great aesthetic element in every home because of its appealing design. This decorative material is usually made of fine plaster to coat wall surfaces or mold into architectural decorations. However, if your stucco is beyond repair, you might want to install a different material that can mimic the look of stucco without breaking the bank.
You can seek the services of reputable siding installers in your area to install fiber cement siding. By upgrading your home with fiber cement siding, you’ll make your house more durable and versatile while retaining the aesthetic effect you want.
Gaping on Window and Door Edges
Although this does not occur often, it is necessary to look out for gaps in your windows and doors. These are pressure points and might cause damage if your stucco is not installed correctly.
This issue will most likely not be visible immediately, but over time, it becomes more prevalent. The problem with stucco gaping is that it can cause a large portion to be affected, thus requiring more money on repairs if not immediately attended. Thanks to anewleafpainting.com for consulting.
