FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 If your home has a Stucco facade and has not had a stucco test carried out in the last 2 years, you should consider getting a stucco test. If you are buying or selling a stucco home, a stucco test is highly recommended to uncover any hidden problems and avoid costly lawsuits. 

 Visually it is impossible to see the hidden problems beneath failing stucco applications, although in some instances, if the problem exists for long enough before being addressed, signs start to become evident. Dark staining on the facade, damp interior drywall, mold spots appearing on internal walls can all indicate a serious stucco failure requiring remediation to be carried out. 

 The stucco itself is usually the last thing to show signs of failure. When water enters behind the concrete stucco and gets absorbed into the sheathing and framing, vast amounts of hidden damage can occur, leading to the eventual collapse of the supporting wooden framing.

Stucco problems come from the failure of the application and/or inadequate construction materials and techniques, including the lack of an adequate drainage system that allows the stucco to purge itself. Homes built between 1993 and 2006 have a much higher failure rate, estimated as high as 90%, due to incorrect building codes during that timeframe.

 The moisture content of the substrate indicates the health of the building envelope. A resistance probe determines the integrity of the substrate and the framing behind the stucco. This is accompanied with a visual inspection to determine the existence or lack of building details such as expansion joints, weep screeds, flashings and kickout diverters along with the existence and health of caulk joints and sealants around penetrations. 

Besides stucco failure, real estate transactions are one of the most common reasons buyers and sellers have stucco inspections conducted. It is wise for a buyer or seller to have a stucco inspection done so that any issues are known and disclosed before any contracts are signed. A stucco inspection by an EDI Certified stucco inspector, in addition to a traditional home inspection, is the most advisable decision when considering buying or selling real estate. 

 Our certified stucco testing specialists use a combination of Thermal Imagining camera and  state of the art Delmhorst  moisture meters with hammer probes. The Delmhorst gives a much more accurate moisture reading than the typical cheaper probes used by many companies. The Delmhorst reads moisture content from 1% to 100% versus a scale of 1-40 on inferior meters. This eliminates any guessing games on just how much moisture the substrate is holding.