Stucco Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Kickout Flashing? A: A critical location where moisture entry can do considerable damage is where a lower roof cornice stops in the middle of a stucco wall. Kick-outs should be fabricated with watertight seams and be big and broad enough to handle water run-off from various roof pitches. Another critical element is the use of gutters to evacuate the water away from these sensitive locations. Installing the kick-out after the installation of the shingles is a very difficult procedure for the lather or stucco contractor to perform. This "kick-out" flashing will help keep water from running down the new stucco wall and add life to the original appearance of your stucco.
Q: What is white-wash? A: Getting your home "white-washed" is similar to getting it painted. Typically, when stucco is applied to an existing home, there is a two-part process: a wash coat and a texture coat. The problems with only white-washing your home are the shortened life of the job and the cost of future stucco repair and finishing. The reason stucco lasts so long is that the cement is mixed with sand, which resists wear and weather for years. A "white-wash" is just watery white cement brushed over the wall, which begins to chalk and wear within one year. Like painted stucco, it must be sandblasted off when a restucco is desired.
Q: What are the signs to look for to determine if my home has a problem? A:
On the interior, if the bottoms of windows are discolored, the base trim is warped, or the carpet is wet, these are indications of a leak. If there is a moldy smell in the house, there may be leaks into the wall cavities that may not show other signs of leakage. On the exterior, if there are brown streaks below the corners of windows or where window units are joined, it is likely there is a leak at that location. Intersections of walls and roofs are also susceptible to leaks, indicated by brown streaks.
Q: What causes the problems? A: Window leaks are the cause of the majority of the damage, but the causes may be many, including:
- Incorrect installation of paper around windows and other openings
- Lack of head flashing on windows
- Use of only one layer of paper
- Leaking windows
- Lack of kickout flashing at wall/roof intersections
- Unflashed deck ledger boards
- Moisture from rain during construction or wet building materials
- Interior moisture permeating into the wall
- Lack of drying capacity
- Solar drive pushing moisture from a wet stucco wall into the wall cavity
- Type 15 felt acting as a vapor retarder trapping moisture in the wall
- Oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing acting as a vapor retarder
- Staples collecting frost or condensation and dripping within the wall cavity
- Excessive force driving staples into the lath, cutting the paper and creating leaks
- Wind-driven water getting on the wall through soffit vents
- Lack of weep screeds at the bottom of the stucco
- Stucco installed below ground, preventing trapped water from draining
- Landscape trees or bushes contacting the stucco, introducing and holding moisture
Q: What should be done if there are signs of leaks on our house? A: There are several steps that can be taken or places to call for help:
- The contractor shall warranty the house for one year against defects and ten years against structural defects.
- The State Commerce Department may provide assistance with contractors or information on the availability of the state builder's recovery fund.
- Your State Building Codes and Standards Division may help resolve homeowners' stucco problems.
- Your insurance company may participate in the cost of stucco repairs.
- Private home inspectors may help identify problems.
- Licensed contractors can make necessary stucco repairs.
Q: I own a stucco home, and I don't see any symptoms of leaks right now. Is there any preventative action I can take that will keep problems from occurring? A: Most of the problems we have seen are caused by leaks around windows. Caulking the sides and bottom of the window will help prevent water infiltration. There are different schools of thought on caulking the top of the windows. One is to caulk the top to prevent water from getting in, and the other is to not caulk the top so water behind the stucco but on the tarpaper can get out. A moderate position is to caulk the top of the window but leave some small openings in the caulk to let any water on the tarpaper out. Additional openings and penetrations such as doors and vents should also be caulked.
Q: Are there tests that can be done to determine if there is a moisture problem, even if there are no symptoms right now? A: Yes, there are a variety of tests that private inspectors may use. They range from passive tests that use instruments to take relative moisture readings in non-conductive solid materials such as wood and masonry, to intrusive tests where openings are made to allow a probe inside the wall cavity to measure moisture. These tests may be helpful in providing information that may indicate whether there is a moisture problem. The only way to be certain, however, is to remove either the sheetrock on the interior or the stucco on the exterior of the home.
Q: If there is a problem with the stucco on my home, what will be required to correct it? A: A building permit is required for stucco repairs. The building code requires that all wood with mold or rot be removed and repaired. Areas that do not show signs of leaks, mold, rot, or deterioration may remain.
EFIS Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is EIFS? A: EIFS stands for Exterior Insulated Finish System. It is a relatively new product that uses plasticizers to modify traditional cement stucco, making it more flexible. This allows for a thinner coating, saving time and material. The modern EIFS system consists of a moisture barrier, foam insulation, a plastic-cement base coat, fiberglass reinforcing mesh, and finishes
Q: What is the problem with EIFS? A: Prior to the late 1990s, most residential EIFS did not incorporate a moisture barrier or drainage track, leading to potential moisture intrusion and substantial damage. Even with improvements, EIFS can still be sensitive to proper installation.
Q: How do I know if my EIFS is leaking? A: All EIFS systems leak to some extent. The important question is how much. Problems occur when water comes in faster than it can dry out, leading to rot, mold, and structural damage.
Q: How can I tell if water buildup is in the walls? A: Only with a comprehensive moisture intrusion inspection. There are many different methods and tools that can be used to identify potential trouble spots. But regardless of how suspect areas are identified, you cannot know exactly how much moisture is trapped without penetrating the EIFS and directly measuring the moisture content of the building materials inside. There is just no other way. This has been established by a number of nationally accepted test protocols, including the one we follow. You can see our test protocol by visiting the GAHI web site. Their protocol states in part, "The advent of the Tramex Wet Wall Detector has eased the process of inspection. This tester will indicate areas with high or elevated moisture content. This tester will not provide specific moisture content information. An intrusive probe is required for the determination of specific moisture content."
Some other inspectors are touting their "non-invasive" inspections. Be very careful before deciding on this type of inspection. Almost Home also uses the non-invasive scanner (A Tramex Wet Wall Detector, or WWD) to identify wet areas within the walls, but only as a part of the complete moisture evaluation service. The manufacturer of the most popular scanner (Tramex) indicates in their user's manual that, "When the WWD has been zeroed correctly on a dry area and set on the correct range for the EIFS thickness, a higher than zero reading normally indicates higher moisture content." Read this statement very carefully.
In order for the meter to behave "normally," the test technician must know the thickness of the EIFS and the moisture content of the wall behind it. There is no way to know these critical pieces of information without penetrating the EIFS for the calibration step. If the meter was accidentally zeroed over a wet area, then the technician would miss ALL other wet areas on the house. In addition, the manufacturer says that higher readings "normally" indicate higher moisture levels. It is common for metal inside the walls to provide a false positive reading, indicating that moisture is present when in fact, there is none. We often encounter high readings with the WWD and find satisfactory moisture levels inside the wall with an invasive probe. The manufacturer also recommends in several places in their user's manual that the WWD results be checked using a penetrating probe.
There are also EIFS inspectors who rely on Infrared cameras to determine wet areas behind EIFS. Just like with the Tramex WWD, the camera can be fooled. The cameras are very sensitive to weather conditions (the best images can often be taken only for an hour or so after sundown), and to normal wide variations in field conditions. They are prone to both false positives and false negatives. IR cameras can be a very useful scanning tool, but again, you only know for sure how much water and damage may be behind the system by inserting probes and measuring it.
The bottom line is that the very smart Engineers at Tramex and the camera companies have not yet been able to find a way that their equipment can accurately measure the moisture content of the walls independent of invasive probing. What do the other inspectors know that the manufacturer's own Engineers do not? Use of these tools is an important part of a comprehensive moisture intrusion inspection, but it cannot alone give the complete and necessary information you need to properly understand the scope of any moisture problems the house may have. A house is a big investment, and EIFS problems can be expensive to repair. Do yourself a favor and hire someone who performs a complete and proper inspection.
Q: When you talk about "penetrating the EIFS," just how big a hole do you make? A: The moisture meter uses two narrow probes that require holes the size of an ice pick. Many people in the industry refer to this as a "snakebite." After testing, the holes are sealed with an appropriate caulk that is compatible with the color of the EIFS. Because of the texture of the material, the patches are generally invisible.
Q: Are there other problems beyond structural decay? A: Yes, some molds can cause health issues. Air currents can carry mold into living spaces, so it's important to clean up any known mold sites and eliminate moisture problems.
Q: If my walls are wet, do I have to remove all of the EIFS? A: Not necessarily. It depends on how wet they are, how long they have been wet, and how much area is affected. Corrections can range from simple caulking and sealing to partial removal and repairs.
Q: Is there a solution for the leakage problems? A: Yes, modern EIFS products that drain are available. These systems provide a drainage plane behind the EIFS to allow any moisture that penetrates the outer barrier to drain away.
Q: If I have EIFS drainage, can I still have a problem? A: Yes, even drainable systems can have issues if not properly installed. A comprehensive moisture evaluation is the best way to know how well your system is performing.
Stucco Methods
Old Method
- One layer of type 15 felt was common. Less than 10 percent used 2 layers of type 15 felt. Grade D paper not available
- Flanged windows were considered to be self-flashed
- Paper was installed over the window flanges
- Paper was not sealed at the windows.
- Paper stopped at the soffit line.
- Kickout flashing was mostly an unknown term.
- Weep screeds were not used.
New Method
- Two layers grade D felt are required by the State Building Code. ...........
- Flashing is required over all windows and doors
- Paper is required to be under the sides and bottom window flange.
- Paper must be sealed at the windows with tape or caulk..
- Paper is required to the top of the wall
- Kickout flashing is required at wall intersections where the roof line does not extend past the wall.
- Weep screeds are required.
Our services
At Anything Stucco, we specialize in installing new stucco, repairing old stucco, providing stucco additions, insulation holes, dormers, and restuccoing older homes. Our reputation as professionals, combined with our technical application experience and business acumen, offers distinct advantages over other companies in the stucco business.