Several hairline cracks in stucco

As we all know, cutting corners is both risky and costly, and it can hurt a reputation, especially because homes in a community are in full public view, day in and. It is very important to take care of stucco crack repair sooner than later to effectively take care of this type of stucco damage. This is only one fact of about 20 that is a factor often in new or existing stucco homes with multiple hairline cracking. Heres what you should be looking for, to identify the types of cracks you have in your stucco. Hairline cracks are arguably the most common type of stucco crack. Get the exterior stucco painted with an elastomeric based paint or similar material. Jun 29, 2018 hairline cracks in exterior stucco a hairline crack here and there isnt cause for concern. When the wall is pressurewashed beforehand, it will have a clean surface that paint adheres to easily. Mar 03, 2016 hairline cracks arent as serious as deep cracks. They ranged any where from 45 feet long to the length of my garage wall 16 plus feet between the front windows. Another contractor recommended a drvit efinish made to go over stucco that. Home improvement stack exchange is a question and answer site for contractors and serious diyers. Hairline cracks in this color coat are inevitable, but if the base coats are well cured, these surface cracks will not communicate water through the stucco.

As an example, water that gets behind stucco will soften the material it comes in contact with, eventually causing stucco. Common stucco or plastering problems how to fix, fixing minor stucco cracks and holes stucco walls duration. Stucco and dryvit walls are relatively low maintenance, offering a durable. Can anyone suggest a simple, cheap solution for it that doesnt require painting the whole house.

Only when cracks are larger and excessive is there a potential problem. Hello everyone, i have a 5 year old home that had a few hair line cracks the first year. Unfortunately, cracks are a reality in the stucco business. Jagged cracks, stairstep cracks and 45degree angle cracks generally signify structural movement or settling issues that are occasionally serious but usually harmless. Because of these serious risks that cracked stucco can entail, it is important to deal with it promptly. These cracks are usually about 116 of an inch wide or sometimes even thinner. However, they can provide a pathway for moisture and water to enter into a wall system. These cracks in your stucco look like spider webs, hence the name. We have several hairline cracks but one of them is about a foot up from the ground, very thin but several feet long and even wraps around to the other side of the exterior wall.

The width of hairline stucco cracks is usually anywhere from one sixteenth to one eighth of an inch. Common examples are at the corners of windows and doors. Direct and prolong summer heat expands plywood and osb sheathing which causes horizontal cracks in stucco walls. For example, a concrete wall can support tons of weight from above, but will crack easily if pushed sideways forcing it to bend. If its bigger, or youre not sure, check out worrisome cracks in stucco, which should only be repaired by a professional. Cracks caused by plywood are distinguished by the directions they take. Cracking in stucco or dryvit walls happens when there is more stress placed on the wall than the material can withstand. Attempted to repair hairline cracks in ceramic tile that were caused by hairline cracks in underlying concrete foundation. All you need to repair cracks in stucco is some highquality caulk, a bucket of water and an old sponge or rag. There are several types of cracks that will occur in stucco walls.

Portland cement stucco cracks develop for many reasons. Its important to remember that even though most of the time small stucco cracks or normal, there are some situations where a large crack can be a sign of a bigger problem. Mar 30, 2017 he is discussing hairline cracks on the stucco. We have hairline cracking on a new 3 coat system, we waited several weeks between coats for curing, seems to be getting worse but cracks are less than 2 question is what caused it, will it slow down and stop, too many to score and patch, can we use a heavy coat of polymer primer to fill in cracks then wait and do a final coat of paint. If youve noticed hairline cracks on the exterior stucco wall of your property, we can predict that you will be calling your local stucco crack repair contractor or you will be using stucco crack repair caulk in the near future. When is it time to repair stucco cracks in the walls. Stucco crack repair explained by professional stucco. Its the nature of the medium and some minor cracking is to be expected. If these hairline cracks must be repaired, they could be fog coated. Jan 20, 2017 this can cause stucco cracks, and other foundational problems. Stucco also has a low first cost and typically requires a relatively small amount of maintenance, making it a costeffective exterior finish.

After you apply the caulking, it will look something like this. However, we should not condemn stucco because of tiny, hairline cracks that appear in only a few places. Why stucco leaks and how to prevent your stucco from leaking. Jul 17, 2017 cracking in stucco or dryvit walls happens when there is more stress placed on the wall than the material can withstand. In 1982 the california contractors licenses board published a set of workmanship guidelines that addressed cracks in stucco finishes. Stucco crack repair explained by professional stucco contractors. Concrete can support a lot of weight in compression, but is weak in tension.

An initial repair to seal some hairline cracks was performed at e side a few months after the wood framed wall was repaired and the 3coat exterior stucco wall was finished out. Plywood installation is probably the leading cause of cracks in stucco. In fact, its entirely possible to fix those annoying stucco cracks. Hairline cracks are typically around a 116 of an inch wide or smaller, if the crack is bigger than that, than chances are that some other element is the culprit. The underlying cause of the hairline wall crack may be due to problems with the walls framing, contraction or expansion of wood sheathing, settling, thermal expansion or contraction, rapid changes in temperature, weak areas in the wall or abnormal vibrations in the ground. Sep 15, 2017 4 steps for how to repair hairline cracks in stucco. Homeowners can fill these commonly occurring hairline cracks with new plaster and repaint the ceiling. I noticed in the past few months there are several hairline straight cracks appears in the ceiling of my dining room. Repair interior plaster walls hairline cracks caused by settling issues. If there are minor cracks in your stucco, this is a project that most san francisco homeowners can tackle if they want to.

Dec 18, 2017 there are a few types of stucco cracks. Learn how to identify the different types of common stucco cracks and. Identifying various cracks in stucco the stucco guy. These stresses can cause movement within the stucco, which can result in wider cracks than internally generated cracks. Multiple hairline cracks in stucco inspectionnews home inspection. If cracks exceed 332 it is unacceptable and should be repaired. The proper way to repair these problems depends upon their size. Jul 23, 2008 over the last few years, stucco has become a top exterior finish choice for housing giants. Small cracks will not accept material, and the resulting patch will detract from the natural beauty of the stucco and will serve no useful purpose. There are different kinds of cracks, distinguished mainly by their size and pattern on. Vertical and horizontal cracks in drywall or plaster walls typically indicate drying and shrinkage, which is normal after construction. Diy repairs many homes that have stucco as an exterior coating have cracking issues, but most of them can be repaired quite easily.

External stresses are due to the transfer of outside forces into the stucco assembly. Cracks that result from conditions requiring expansion joints to accommodate movement are replaced by expansion joints. Now in the winter i am seeing more and more hairline cracks and some spider cracks but still hairline. Stucco cracks are not normally a cause for concern, particularly when they are very fine. Caulking the cracks in stucco is obviously going to be the cheapest route to go as far as crack repair goes especially if you do it yourself, which i have a tutorial for here. Repair cracks in plaster or stucco walls by plastering expert with 40 years handson training duration. Hairline cracks are easily remedied with some stucco repair caulk if you know how and if you can pick the best stucco crack repair products. The most complete plastering encyclopedia or tutorial on video in the. I can see several cracks in the exterior stucco on my home. A crack in cement plaster is nothing more than stress relief on the stucco membrane. Mar 22, 2012 the typical type of cracks that occur in with traditional stucco are called hairline cracks. Most common exterior stucco cracks that we get to deal with on almost daily basis are. All of these are indicators of possible water damage and are signs of where water runs on or behind the stucco. Once moisture or water gets inside a wall, it will inevitably cause further damage.

These cracks are a result of the stucco brown coat shrinking during the curing process. For these small cracks, get a flexible, paintable, exteriorgrade caulk. While small cracks wont affect the integrity of the siding and can often be repaired without calling a pro. Fortunately, repairing cracks in stucco is a relatively easy job, requiring just a few basic tools.

Stucco gives in to stress and movement and it is a normal occurrence. Similarly, a slab will crack if too much weight is placed in one spot, or if the soil settles unevenly, bending the slab. Depending on your locality you may find that its feasible to spray a paint finish over stucco, which can be by far the easiest and cheapest way to do it. Anybody can ask a question anybody can answer the best answers are voted up and rise to the top home.

My stucco sub wants to patch them with plastic stucco cement and. A better approach is to repair dead hairline cracks where the stucco is stable and the cracks dont change size or reappear by dusting them with premixed, pigmented stucco. Oct 29, 2019 youll likely see staining around the corners of windows or doors, possibly dark spots where at the roofline, and even hairline cracks. If you have wider cracks or sections of loose plaster, the lath system beneath the. By code, builders should provide at least 48 hours of curing time after the first coat is applied and wait seven days after the second coat before applying the finish. Learn how to fix hairline cracks in stucco from stucco. The stucco siding on my clients recently remodeled home has developed some small cracks.

Before beginning a repair, determine the cause of the crack and which components of the system have been damaged. I intend to have it painted and was looking at benjamin moore acrylic ultra spec but my painter offered me either romabio or kiem mineral paint as a better solution. Small hairline cracks, usually seen at the corners of door and window frames. Concrete is a nonmalleable substance that will develop hairline cracks over time from environmental changes in temperature and settling of the structure. Multiple hairline cracks in stucco i truely do hate to carry this on but i feel it a must. Since then, the modified bituminous flat roof has been overlayed with a duralast stretch membrane material over foam board. The decision of whether to tackle stucco repair on your own or hire a professional to do the job depends on several factors. Call ai restoration today to talk about stucco cracks. So when a house settles over time or shifts because of heavy winds or earthquakes, the stucco siding cracks. Repairing hairline cracks in exterior stucco a helpful. For hairline cracks in which the mesh cannot be seen, repair is generally by. For instance, if the crack is a hairline crack or a small chip, you may feel comfortable using a stucco repair kit to do the job yourself. There are quite a few reasons why each of these different types of cracks happen. This gentleman bought a home several years agiio and quite literally had problems with the exterior application and finish from the get go.

When stucco cracks it does not imply that the function of the stucco assembly has been degraded. Repairing hairline cracks in exterior stucco a helpful tutorial. I pour dry stucco powder into a cup, then use a dry 1inch brush to dab the powder into the cracks. Product did not imbibe easily into cracks, as it should have and, after overnight drying, was still sticky. Stucco and siding house repairing hairline cracks on stucco. However, along with its popularity have come several issues typically caused by cutting corners during the production schedule to save time.

There are different kind of cracks that appear and knowing how to go about fixing them is half the battle. In fact, independent testing on several stucco cement walls has demonstrated that tight hairline cracks rarely leak enough to cause a problem to the system. Many homes that have stucco as an exterior coating have cracking issues, but most of them can be repaired quite easily. The cracks can also blend in pretty well if done correctly with the right caulking and the right techniques. How to repair hairline cracks in stucco ai restoration. Jan 03, 2018 professional stucco contractors who have a lot of experience in how to fix hairline cracks in stucco remove dirt and dust from the stucco wall before they begin filling in cracks. Below are some examples of some hairline cracks that have occurred. Horizontal cracking on new homes, multiple hairline cracks. Ceramic insulcoat wall is a tough, highbuild, highperformance architectural coating. Hairline cracks are most easily handled, sometimes with a premade stucco patch material that has elasticity. I put the builder on notice and of course the warranty has. How to fix cracks in stucco, morflexx repair caulking. How to determine if the cracks in walls are serious hunker. My 9 year old house is all portland cement stucco and has several hairline cracks that i repaired with dap stucco patch.

Over time, even stucco on homes with firm foundations can develop hairline cracks. I see a lot of cracks on the foam trim that is used on stucco houses quite often and. Mar 20, 2007 a hairline crack in stucco also does not mean the stucco system will automatically leak. These cracks are very thin, usually about 116 of an inch wide, or smaller. Also, if you have experience or knowhow using these products will lower your stucco crack repair cost. They come about due to different factors, and these will inform how you repair stucco cracks.