Many homeowners have had to deal with the wrong installations of stucco. In the west, you can get away with just slapping stucco on a home but in PA, the installation process has to be different. So how can homeowners fix their stucco problems? Smucker’s Exteriors has spent years honing their skills and gaining experience in roofing, siding services, and stucco remediation. We serve Lancaster County, Chester County, and the surrounding counties. Working on Greg’s home was a pleasure and we are blessed to have had the opportunity to help him improve his home.
Originally introduced to the American southwest by Spaniards, stucco boomed in popularity with the mass production of dry cement in the early 1900s. Stucco siding was a massive hit in the early 2000s and entered a new era. Unfortunately, introducing stucco to the north and east had mixed results. Because of the wilder climate, humidity and rain, the stucco did not perform well. Causing damage and rot in the process.
IS IT WORTH IT TO INSTALL NEW SIDING?
Simply put, stucco can’t withstand the climate of Pennsylvania. When the stucco boom happened in the north and east, there was no research or knowledge of how it would perform. So when contractors installed it as they would in the southwest, homeowners came upon an ugly truth. Unless installed with a weep screen, which allows for moisture evaporation, stucco was basically useless. They put stucco on thousands of houses and most people don’t even know that it is probably leaking. Your home might be affected by improper stucco installations as well.
When moisture from snow and rain build up and get behind installed stucco, your home is in jeopardy of rot, mold, and damage. That moisture will eat through every layer of your home until it goes deeper and deeper. Take a look at Greg’s home below, and see how the moisture affected the structure of his home.
INSTALLING NEW VINYL SIDING IN CHESTER SPRINGS
Greg took advantage of our free home estimate and got in contact with us to discuss the failing stucco on his home. After meeting with him and hearing about his problems, we worked together to create a thorough plan to completely remove the old and improperly installed stucco and put in beautiful new vinyl siding. It’s not just a simple process of removing and reinstalling, we also worked to repair any damage caused by moisture seeping through the stucco.
GREG’S DEFECTIVE STUCCO REMOVAL IN CHESTER SPRINGS
This is a fairly straightforward and simple process. Our trained, expert contractors get to work removing the damaged stucco exterior. This process usually takes a few days to do. Depending on how your stucco exterior was installed, we might be able to pull off large chunks at a time which will cut down on removal time. We were able to successfully remove the damaged stucco on Greg’s home, take a look below.
UNDERLYING ISSUES AND DAMAGE REPAIR
Once all the old and damaged stucco was removed, it was time to get to the real remediation. This includes mold remediation and replacing any wet insulation which is normally a breeding ground for mold. Depending on how long you’ve had the shoddy stucco, the studs in your walls and wall panels might also have to be remediated. If you’ve had a leak for a while, it’s possible that your window and door frames might have gotten affected, we also check for this. See below how Greg’s house was affected by the moisture seeping through the stucco.
HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION
On this project, in particular, we used Benjamin Obdyke’s HydroGap housewrap. One of our favorites to install, this housewrap is one of the best-performing moisture management products for houses. What makes HydroGap so special is the one-millimeter space that is spread across its surface. It allows 100x more water to drain from the walls of a house compared to a regular housewrap. This layer goes over the repair work that was done and the new vinyl siding will be installed over this.
FROM STUCCO TO VINYL
Vinyl siding is a gorgeous option for homeowners and has lots of pros. Vinyl siding’s color is “baked-in” which means that you can’t scratch or chip off the paint on it. It’s also a lot more affordable compared to fiber-cement siding or other options. Greg wanted a low-maintenance and affordable option that would complement his home and after planning, he decided vinyl siding was the right choice for him.
DOES YOUR HOME NEED FULL STUCCO REMEDIATION AND NEW SIDING?
No homeowner deserves to deal with damage and rot from improper stucco installation. The longer you leave the siding of your home untreated, the worse it will be in the long run. We offer free home estimates for everyone. All you need to do is fill out a free estimate form and a professional from Smucker’s Exteriors will reach out to you and respond via phone call. We will then confirm a good time for an appointment and look over the project and discuss how we can help you!
The stucco problems that PA residents are facing are so severe that people are in danger of losing their homes completely. Don’t wait to contact us for a free estimate. We want to help you save your home and make sure it is a safe place for you and your family to live.
MORE PICTURES FROM THE VINYL SIDING IN CHESTER SPRINGS PROJECT
