Housing Giants - July 24, 2008 - (Page 20)

process stresses in the coat, which are released as a series of micro cracks. These cracks aren’t deep enough to undermine the integrity of the stucco system and are covered up by the next coat. In contrast, when a coat is insufficiently hydrated, it can’t cure properly. The coats act as a single coat, placing greater stress on the system and causing larger, deeper cracks to form. For example, if the brown coat is applied to a scratch coat that hasn’t sufficiently cured yet, it will cause the scratch coat to absorb water from the brown coat and continue to cure. The two coats, which are curing, drying and shrinking at the same time, will act as one coat, doubling the amount of stress they place on the stucco system. The excessive stress is released as deep cracks, which may run through both coats and even shear the metal lath. To prevent insufficient hydration, the answer is simple: adequately hydrate each of the coats. To hydrate a coat, the wall surface should be flooded three times with a gentle stream of water that moves from the bottom of the wall to the top until the water runs off in sheets. The second and third passes on the wall require significantly less water to reach the sheeting stage, because with each pass, the stucco will accept less water. Each exterior wall should be hydrated at least once, but up to as many as three times if the wall continues to absorb water. The stucco should retain moisture for the first 48 to 72 hours after it’s applied to cure to full strength. What’s the Lesson Learned? Even though stucco is versatile, durable and cost-effective, it isn’t a simple process to install it correctly. However, it remains a great material to use as an exterior finish, as long as your construction teams have the right knowledge and right quality assurance procedures in place. Making sure your homes’ stucco finishes are installed correctly will help you keep those hundreds or even thousands of dollars per home in warranty callbacks in your pocket. HG Michael Dickens is the CEO of BuildIQ, which provides online information, tools and training in home building best practices to help builders take their homes and businesses to the next level of quality and performance. 20 hoUsInG GIants.7.24.08 WWW.hoUsInGGIants.com http://toolbelt.buildiq.com/topics/exterior-finishes/stucco-3-coat/cracking.aspx http://www.housinggiants.com

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Housing Giants - July 24, 2008 Contents Viewpoint News & Moves Process Critical Management Series: Part II

Housing Giants - July 24, 2008

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