Housing Giants - July 24, 2008 - (Page 17)

There are several different types of stucco installations. The most traditional and popular of these types is 3-coat stucco, in which stucco is applied in three coats over metal reinforcement. This stucco system consists of a scratch coat, brown coat and finish coat. The scratch coat is applied first to provide a strong base for the system. It’s embedded in metal lath, which strengthens and secures the coat. The brown coat is applied next to create an even surface for the finish coat. The finish coat is applied last, creating a decorative texture on the wall surface. Large cracks that are more than 1/16 inch can cause water intrusion issues and other damage. Quality Consulting in Pittsburgh, suggests placing control joints about every 144 square feet. “Try aligning them with windows and doors or evenly between floors in order to be more aesthetically pleasing,” he says. Baker has assisted housing’s giants with identifying, correcting and preventing construction quality issues related to stucco. Micro cracks are a normal occurrence and are mostly invisible to the naked eye. Small cracks that are less than 1⁄16 inch are common and can be easily repaired with minor filling and repainting, if needed. This level of maintenance is expected with stucco homes, and these cracks don’t undermine the integrity of the exterior finish. Large cracks that are more than 1⁄16 inch can cause water intrusion issues and other damage. Large cracks are typically the result of errors made during the stucco installation that cause the stucco to store stress until it’s forced to crack. cracking in 3-coat stucco Cracking is one of the largest complaints from homeowners with stucco homes. All stucco cracks are the result of stucco releasing stresses placed on it by shrinkage, expansion or other movement. Depending on size, cracks can run the gauntlet from invisible to unsightly to the cause of major water intrusion, if they aren’t addressed in a timely manner. Usually, stucco releases stress through a series of micro cracks spread over the wall surface or at predetermined locations where control joints are placed. Rich Baker, a building performance specialist with Ibacos Homebuilding www.Housinggiants.com 7.24.08.Housing giants 17 http://toolbelt.buildiq.com/topics/exterior-finishes/stucco-3-coat.aspx http://toolbelt.buildiq.com/topics/exterior-finishes/stucco-3-coat.aspx http://homebuildingqc.ibacos.com/ http://www.tsib.org/plaster.shtml http://toolbelt.buildiq.com/topics/exterior-finishes/stucco-3-coat/cracking.aspx http://www.cement.org/stucco/faq_spacing.asp http://homebuildingqc.ibacos.com/bios/rich-baker.aspx http://homebuildingqc.ibacos.com/ http://www.housinggiants.com

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Housing Giants - July 24, 2008

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