Stucco Archives - Quality Stucco Remediation, Siding, Stone, Painting & Basement Waterproofing Services

Why my Stucco fail over cinder block or concrete?

Jonathan Muñoz — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 02:41:00 +0000

Stucco problems often can be avoided if contractors do the right thing and use the proper repair and/or stucco installation techniques, in this post I would like to take some time to show you how we performed the stucco repairs of this basement. Stucco installation over a basement in Aston, PA . This stucco repair was part of a complete stuccoremediation, the stucco of this property was failing mainly because who ever did the stucco originally did not use enough concrete nails to attach the metal lath/ chicken wire to the basement’s concrete structure. While the stucco itself can be applied over cinder block and/or concrete, whenever stucco is applied over concrete or cinder block it is always advice and exactly our prefer method of stucco installation to make use of sheets of metal lath to ensure that the already embedded scratch coat will be mechanically attached to the concrete or cinder block structure, it is also very important to use the proper amount of nails per sheet , the stucco we are repairing failed mainly because original stucco installer used not more than 10 concrete nails per sheet of dimpled diamond mesh/ metal lath/ chicken wire. When installing metal lath, ALWAYS USE THE PROPER AMOUNT OF CONCRETE NAILS AND/OR STAPLES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M23DhHnTCtc&t=1sFeel free to contact us for all your stucco, stone and siding needs We always are looking to improve, pls let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. Good luck with your project!!

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Quality Chimney Stucco Repair at Media, PA 19065

Jonathan Muñoz — Tue, 28 May 2024 02:33:00 +0000

We often perform stucco removals due to water, moisture damage and stucco problems, in this post I would like to take some time to show you how we performed the remediation of this stone Venner chimney. Custom stucco texture and color match by Rene Munoz Plastering LLC. We’ve already talked about the eight reasons why stucco and stone fail in this case the chimney was finished with a manufacture veneer stone facade, unfortunately due to the weight the chimney was failing, venner stone had to be removed, the roof was properly supported and the framing was reinforced, even thought the stone was done properly and there was no signs of moisture damage, the weight of the stone was an issue we didn’t encounter before, lesson learned, so next time you know… Always check the structure and make sure the framing and the structure of your property is suitable for the type of facade you are trying to implement. Never underestimate the weight of stone on a wooden structure See how close the color and texture was matched to the exiting, keep in mind that the stucco at the time of the video was wet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZLVaGnrN2cFeel free to contact us for all your stucco, stone, exterior painting, basement waterproofing and siding needs We always are looking to improve , pls let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. Good luck with your project!!

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Should you rely on Tyvek Stucco or Home Wrap as your one and only water resistant barrier in a cement plaster stucco 3 coat system?

Jonathan Muñoz — Wed, 24 May 2017 05:05:25 +0000

The problems with stucco has been well-documented for years. Here in PA the lawsuits to builders and companies has become more and more popular over the past years. With the time and unfortunately bad experiences many contractors, builders and home owners have learn the wrong way.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. The basics of the stucco 3 coat system. As we all know traditional three-coat stucco is a mix of portland cement, lime and sand, generally installed over some type of sheathing materials such as plywood and more recently OSB (oriented strand board), a water resistant barrier paper is installed over the sheathing by using either nails or galvanized staples, traditionally it has been 15 lb. tar paper or any grade D building paper, but now materials such Tyvek Stucco Wrap is been used interconnected with flashings, window, door openings, as well as other penetrations of the building and the installation of a rain screen mat to provide drainage of water to the exterior of the building followed by the installation of metal lath mesh and a 3 coat stucco system. Stucco is actually a porous material and is designed to allow the absorption of water. The building paper or Tyvek (water-resistive barrier) acts as a drainage plane, and as the stucco dries, water flows down the building paper and weeps out the bottom of the stucco. We have seen many builders, contractors and home owners using Tyvek stucco wrap as their only layer of water protection but the question is, should we rely in Tyvek Stucco Wrap as our one and only water resistant barrier specially when used in a three-coats stucco system? Building Science Corporation Principal Joseph Lstiburek when tyveck issues developed said: “The rotten problem was due in part to the lack of drainage between the hardcoat stucco and the building paper drainage planes. Papers remained bonded to the hardcoat stucco. Water stayed in the system, and the building papers (as well as other things) deteriorated. It seems that the more recently manufactured building papers don’t work as well as the old stuff and that they don’t debond as easily. Note what he said “No drainage space means no drainage. No drainage means big trouble–Rot City”. Now let us replace the building paper (Tar paper) in a hardcoat stucco application with Tyvek. The hardcoat stucco bonds to the Tyvek. Water stays in the system, because there is no drainage. It passes through the Tyvek in vapor form as well as by capillary transport. The problem gets worse. The Tyvek loses it’s water repellency due to the surfactants in the stucco. At least with the impregnated or coated paper you stand a chance. Sometimes the paper debonds, sometimes it doesn’t. If you’re smart, you use two layers of paper and the system pretty much works. You stand no chance at all with Tyvek by itself. As you see DuPont’s StuccoWrap product isn’t much better. That’s because the hardcoat stucco bonds to the StuccoWrap and therefore the assembly does not drain. StuccoWrap was developed for exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS) where EPS foam separates the StuccoWrap from the synthetic stucco skin, I will talk about in depth about this subject in another post. In an EIFS assembly or when is used as a first layer of a 3 coats stucco or stone water management, StuccoWrap performs spectacularly. But put a hardcoat cementitious stucco directly over StuccoWrap and the drainage is compromised. Screen shot from the Dupont Stucco Wrap product page. Personally I actually love either Tyvek Home Wrap or Tyvek Stucco Wrap when is used as a first layer of protection in any stucco 3 coat or manufacture stone system. Tyvek is a great water resistant barrier, it’s very flexible, easy to work with, fast to get it installed, very resistant to pulling and abuse compare to a tar paper, no matter if is winter time or summer time Tyvek is a very flexible and strong paper to work with. I always use this paper when we have very uneven, possible old wood lath or siding style walls where other papers can easily brake or crack as a base for the system. We at Rene Munoz Plastering as part of our 3 coat stucco system we always install whether a layer of Grade D tar paper as a second layer of water protection or better yet a double felt tar paper such the super jumbo tex over the StuccoWrap in a portland cement stucco application, we get fantastic drainage between the back of the building paper and the front of the StuccoWrap. This is our approach of choice in my opinion for cement stucco applications. Over all, to have a better water management and drainage behind our stucco or stone I will really suggest the use of a drainage plane such tyvek stucco wrap , a double layer of grade D paper plus a rain screen drainage mat installed along with proper window installation, sticky window flashing, drip cap over the head casing of each window and door, proper flashings through out the system, Ez Bead around windows and doors, weep screed, expansion joints where necessary and finally one of the most important pieces of the puzzle, the kick-out flashing diverters. If we use the previous system and we follow manufacture specifications we should not have any stucco problems at all. Have you experienced any Tyvek Stucco Wrap problems?, do you have suggestions for a better Tyvek Stucco Wrap applications?. Let us know in the comments section below.

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Eight reasons why stucco & stone installations fail.

Jonathan Muñoz — Thu, 18 May 2017 19:03:53 +0000

Water problems or rotted wood is created over the time because of continuous trapped moisture, this issues are caused by deficient window flashing and installation, inadequate installation of a water resistant barrier, lack of kick out flashing diverters, stucco installed below grade, this along with other factors are some of the common causes of most stucco and stone water damage. Let’s start with General construction It all start at the begging right? A builder buys the land, get the blueprints for what supposed to be your dream house and start to build it. When we talk about stucco, stone failures, mold and water damages, most of the times in general we talk about poor construction practices. Most of this issues could have been avoided if builders and contractors in general not only know their trade but also the needs of others when installing their construction products or doing their work preparing each area the way it should be prepared for the next contractor. The best way to know if an stucco or stone cladding are failing is by doing an invasive moisture stucco and stone test, inspectors come to the property do a visual inspection, test for moisture, document everything and put everything together for you as a home owner, your realtor for those selling and buying scenarios , your lawyer in case of a litigation and finally to us remediation contractors in what is called The invasive stucco or stone report. If you are experiencing stucco or stone issues you may or should know that when an stucco inspector is hired to do moisture testing around a property they have specific targets on where to drill and test for moisture levels, but what are those targets and why are they so critical? This specific targets we are about to mention could be less or more depending on the age, over all construction and shape of the property. The list below contents the most common reasons why stucco fail. Each corner of a window sill Each corner of a door sill Where a vertical wall meets the end of a roof ( Kick Out Flashing Diverter) Where a chimney wall meets a roof Below the chimney shoulders/hips Below a dryer vent, electric outlet or any other possible water penetration. Below an installed deck Proper transition between stucco and any other dissimilar material such siding, stone, brick or concrete. 1. & 2- Each corner of a window sill & Each corner of a door sill In new construction when a house is build normally either the builder, the framers or the window & door companies are the ones that are in charge of installing the windows and doors, all windows eventually may leak there is no doubt about that but is the window’s installer duty to make sure that the installation of the window or door is properly perform by installing the necessary materials and do it in a manner that the water will be discharge out of the building and in the event of a window leak the water will not penetrate the sheathing and wood structure resulting in mold damage. Water most be able to drain when a window and door is properly installed. Is also the stucco contractor duty to notify the builder if they see something wrong with the window or door installation. Windows are one if not the main reason why stucco and stone installations always fails. Is the stucco & stone contractor duty to properly install the construction paper below the windows and doors. When a window is not properly installed or the construction paper is not properly install below the window, the water resistant barrier (paper) become useless mainly because every time the wall gets wet, water that is coming from the top will run behind the paper and not on top of the paper like it should in order for the water to drain properly and the paper to do its job , resulting in water not able to drain becoming trapped and later with the time a moisture problem causing mold and deterioration of the sheathing. 3.-Where a vertical wall meets the end of a roof ( Kick Out Flashing Diverter) Missing kick out flashing diverters are the second main reason why an stucco or stone system fails, this molded one piece of plastic or welded one piece of metal most be installed where a vertical wall meets the end of a roof near the fascia board where the gutter later is installed. As the name suggest Kick out Flashing Diverter helps to kick and divert the water out When a kick out flashing diverter is installed, water that is coming from the roof will be diverted towards the gutter and not into the adjacent walls. Is the builder’s duty to make sure that either the roofers or the stucco contractors properly install this key construction product at the beginning of the roof’s aluminum L flashing row to guaranty a successful stucco, stone or even siding installation. 4.-Where a chimney wall meets a roof As far as the chimney flashing goes is the builder’s duty to make sure that the roofers install a flashing that is tall enough to actually protect the chimney from the rain and the constant water that is coming from the top of the roof and protect the wood sheathing during winter time when the snow builds up. Flashings in general are very important for a successful stucco and stone system When roofers prepare this wall to roof joints, roofers and builders most take extra steps/precaution in terms of flashing this critical spots to make sure that the flashing does what is intended to do and work properly. Is the stucco contractor duty to notify the builder or roofer if the chimney’s flashing does not meet criteria. 5.-Below the chimney shoulders/hips Until today chimney shoulder hips are always under estimated when stucco metal lath crews install the water resistant barrier, the personnel at Rene Munoz Plastering LLC is aware of the damage that can be

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