Cracks in stucco finish coat

Repairing hairline cracks in exterior stucco a helpful tutorial. All stucco cracks are the result of stucco releasing stresses placed on it by. They ranged any where from 45 feet long to the length of my garage wall 16 plus feet between the front windows. It is a portland cement base product that can be recoated with stucco color coat in the future. Shrinkage cracks can occur very early on and cannot be seen after the finish coat is. Stucco is a traditional exterior finish material, typically three coats of portland cement plaster, applied over weather barrier to create a drainage.

The finish coat can be troweled smooth, handtextured, floated to a sand finish or sprayed. May develop as the excess water evaporates from the drying cement mix. Shop quikrete 80lb premixed finish coat stucco mix in the stucco mix department at lowe. The best option isusually a new finish with integral color and that will require cleaning the existing stucco well, applying an appropriate bonding agent and then applying a new finish coat in the color and texture the homeowner desires. 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. It is very important to take care of stucco crack repair sooner than later to effectively take care of this type of stucco damage.

For larger cracks, i mix up a stucco fog coat pigmented stucco without the sand and inject it into the crack with a large syringe. The finish coat may be either portland cement plaster or acrylic, typically 18. It is integrally colored with faderesistant pigments, and is economical with low maintenance. Stucco finish coat white is a finishing plaster that can be mixed with stucco color or mortar color to achieve a textured stucco finish on new construction and remodeling.

Shrinkage cracksmay develop as the excess water evaporates from the drying cement mix. Active versus static cracks both volume change and external stresses must be considered before one can take steps to design against portland cement plaster cracking. Hairline or egg shell cracking or checking in the finish color coat is also the result of a rapid dry out and most commonly occurs on. To save cost, the owner elected to simply color coat the garage rather than remove and restucco it. 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. 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. Stucco finish will not bond to stucco finish without an acrylic additive or bonding agent. The january 2007 article on stucco cracks dealt with myths, planning, caveats and suggested contract language when working with such systems. Mar 03, 2016 consisting of portland cement, sand, lime and water, stucco is a longlasting, lowmaintenance siding option.

Instead, wet the area and apply dry cement to the crack. If these hairline cracks must be repaired, they could be fog coated. Fog coat may be applied to stucco finish as soon as the finish has dried. Though sometimes regarded as poor mans brick because of its low price, a lot of modern buildings are constructed with this material because of its ability to withstand the test of time, elements, and the constant motion of the earth.

One common finish is a spattered texture achieved by dipping a large paint brush into fresh stucco that has been mixed with a little extra water. Wet walls with clean water and apply 14 inch of stucco. Hello everyone, i have a 5 year old home that had a few hair line cracks the first year. When the house was ready for the colortexture coat, the stuccocrew fiberglasstaped all the garage cracks and there were a lot and put an acrylic bondcoat on 100% of the existing garage stucco. This article will focus on the investigation of cracks and some suggested repairs. Step 2 following the manufacturers directions on the label, mix the appropriate ratio of stucco patch and water in an empty plastic 5gallon container.

Stucco crack repair explained by professional stucco. Below are some examples of some hairline cracks that have occurred. Portland cement stucco cracks develop for many reasons. Painting your stucco helps keep exterior walls properly insulated and protected by deflecting damaging. Filling in cracks on a smooth hard trowel finish stucco. When structural changes occur, they greatly impair the functionality of stucco.

It is integrally colored with faderesistant pigments, and is. Stucco that cracks diagonally most often has to do with movement of structure or shifting. I see a lot of cracks on the foam trim that is used on stucco houses quite often and. Small cracks will not accept material, and the resulting patch will also detract from the natural beauty of the stucco finish and will serve no useful purpose. Though cracks in stucco can occur due to different factors, including wrong mix proportions, insufficient mixing, poor workmanship, seismic. Though cracks in stucco can occur due to different factors, including wrong mix proportions, insufficient mixing, poor workmanship. If you live in a hot, sunny climate, ultraviolet rays can reduce the durability of your exterior stucco which can lead to structural damage and cracks in masonry. The industrys highest levels of 100% acrylic polymer ensures unmatched resistance to. Mar 31, 2017 how to fix cracks in stucco step by step a lot of houses are built using stucco. The set up so, you have installed a cement or hard coat stucco system. 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. The finish coat is applied last, creating a decorative texture on the wall surface. Other common repair methods may be better suited to active cracks.

Stucco is extremely durable and requires little maintenance when compared with some other exterior materials. The most complete plastering encyclopedia or tutorial on video in the world, with. Application of the brown coat before the scratch coat has properly cured, and failure to make the additional trowel. However, they can provide a pathway for moisture and water to enter into a wall system. Now that you know why stucco cracks, lets find out how serious a stucco crack can be. Stucoflex elastomeric acrylic finish provides a protective weathering membrane in a precolored, extremely durable, fade and mildew resistant coating. Stucco is a common finish material used in residential and commercial construction, both for interior and exterior settings. Dec 18, 2017 stucco usually cracks mimicking exterior wall pattern when stucco lath below was not nailed down correctly during stucco installation or loosened up because of settling of foundation or soil movement. Fog coat may be applied to blend the color of textured stucco color coat finishes or revitalize older stucco finish with the same color. Learn how to fix hairline cracks in stucco from stucco. Repair cracks in smooth to mediumtextured finish stucco by applying a fog coat of the same material. Stucco usually cracks mimicking exterior wall pattern when stucco lath below was not nailed down correctly during stucco installation or loosened up because of settling of foundation or soil movement. How to fix cracks in stucco, morflexx repair caulking with sand for most stucco finishes duration. Now in the winter i am seeing more and more hairline cracks and some spider cracks but still hairline.

Why new or existing stucco cracks, movement by rain thus lifting settling duration. If a smooth application is required, multiple coats and skillful application techniques will be required. Meets astm c926 standard specification for application of portland cementbased plaster. Fixing 10 mediumsized cracks takes about 15 to 20 bags of stucco. Quikrete 80lb premixed finish coat stucco mix in the stucco. This is caused by either drying too quickly, too muck water in the mix, or mixed. Once the crack has been filled, fogcoat may be used to even out the color around the repaired area. This will remove old stucco, paint, and other debris from the cracks and will allow the patching material to bond tightly to the damaged area. Howto repair a crack on exterior stucco surface behr. Shrinkage cracks can occur very early on and cannot be seen after the finish color coat is applied.

Cracking in a stucco walls, stucco shrinkage cracks. Jul 23, 2008 the brown coat is applied next to create an even surface for the finish coat. I put the builder on notice and of course the warranty has. Once moisture or water gets inside a wall, it will inevitably cause further damage. Let the new patch cure for approximately one week before painting to match. This type of cracking is basically a sign that the base coat did not cure properly. Only when cracks are larger and excessive is there a potential problem. If the unpainted stucco has a rough texture, or patches than would leave the surface with ununiform in porousness or texture, a basecoat or bonding coat may be desired before applying the finish. Cement plaster or stucco sandfloat finish duration. When is it time to repair stucco cracks in the walls. If cracks exceed 332 it is unacceptable and should be repaired. Plywood installation is probably the leading cause of cracks in stucco. When the building moves, then one part of the foundation goes a bit up, down or sideways relative to another part, and then the stucco cracks. Diamond mesh used along corners and other higher stress locations.

And if you seldom have to repair stucco or masonry, or work with cement, its. If a float finish it to be applied, we recommend a rubber float or a plastic foam float. Mix of portland sand and fiberglass for a long lasting resistance. The two base coats of plaster are either handapplied or machine sprayed. The standard way to color classic stucco is to include the colorant in the final coat during the installation process. But just like any other construction material that includes portland cement, stucco is prone to cracking. Is awaiting application of the brown coat and finish coat.

Trowel the finish coat on, following the technique that will produce a finish similar to the finish of the old stucco. Plastic or wire mesh lath, attached with nails or screws to the structural framing, is embedded into the base coat to provide stiffening for the stucco. Smaller projects with a smoother finish that wont need a base coat to be applied before the stucco is recoated cost a few hundred dollars, if not less. Finish coat stucco is a blended, decorative, water resistant, portland lime cementbased, finish coat stucco for use as a decorative finish coat stucco for vertical and overhead application. Once the cracks have been properly filled, a twocoat application of the elastomeric coating can be applied to the clean, solid stucco substrate. Stucco cracking in portland cement plaster base coats. Twocoat stucco is used on concrete, brick, and block walls. The brown coat adds strength and acts as a base for the finish coat, which can be handtroweled to create a custom surface texture. Quikrete finish coat stucco is designed for use as a decorative finish over portland cement base coats or quikrete one coat fiberglass reinforced stucco. Cracking is one of the largest complaints from homeowners with stucco homes. If theyre larger or more complicated than you thought, then call in an expert to take a look at them. Cracking in a stucco walls, stucco shrinkage cracks youtube. In this case, a skim coat of new stucco finish from corner to corner or from control joint to control joint would be the correct way to repair the stucco cracks and avoid the perceptible.

Some fine cracking can still occur in the upper coat. One method often used to help conceal the smaller surface cracks that may appear is the application of one of a variety of premixed acrylic finishes. In 1982 the california contractors licenses board published a set of workmanship guidelines that addressed cracks in stucco finishes. May 24, 2018 if you live in a hot, sunny climate, ultraviolet rays can reduce the durability of your exterior stucco which can lead to structural damage and cracks in masonry. You could trowel more wet stucco into the cracks, but that quick repair tends to show. This way, youll keep your stucco in good condition for years to come. This is a traditional threecoat stucco installation not acrylic over selffurring wire mesh 2x2 wire spacing. How to apply stucco over old stucco home guides sf gate.

With stucco cracks, its always best to tackle them as soon as you see them. The stucco installer said the tyvek installation appeared to be adequate with good over lap and good coverage. Mar 20, 2007 the january 2007 article on stucco cracks dealt with myths, planning, caveats and suggested contract language when working with such systems. You can achieve this by running the material through a mesh paint. Consult the stucco finish manufacturer or contractor for recommended repair methods. Stucco crack repair explained by professional stucco contractors. When painted, it is very weatherresistant and does not have the rotissues of wood. As with any cementbased material, stucco must be reinforced to resist movement cracking.

A fog coat is a lightly tinted coat of stucco that matches the same existing color to enhance uniformity. Mar 14, 2016 filling in cracks on a smooth hard trowel finish stucco. The traditional application of stucco and lath occurs in three coats the scratch coat, the brown coat and the finish coat. Cracks caused by plywood are distinguished by the directions they take. The brown coat is applied next to create an even surface for the finish coat. Jul 17, 2017 repair cracks in smooth to mediumtextured finish stucco by applying a fog coat of the same material. Crack fixing on smooth hard trowel finish stucco youtube. This is why the final coat is called the color coat. If you want to avoid painting, then look into a fog coat traditional cement based finish or an acrylic finish that was used on your home custom color matched that has the aggregate taken out of it. Cracks that are bigger than hairline cracks must be filled with a knife grade elastomeric and spread out properly across the surface in order to prevent a mapping image from occurring.

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. Cracks normally occur in the base coats and simply transfer through the finish. Identifying various cracks in stucco the stucco guy. Repairing hairline cracks in exterior stucco a helpful. The scratch coat, applied by trowel, has been applied. This article will give you some helpful advice on how to properly mix stucco. When stucco cracks it does not imply that the function of the stucco assembly has been degraded. How to fix cracks in stucco step by step a lot of houses are built using stucco. Plaster cracks form when a stronger force exceeds the restraint capacity of.