Stucco Siding - What can be the disadvantages?

[K'ledgeBldr]

Originally Posted by Arun

I have been told that its dry-vit. Is is better or worse?

"Dry-vit" is a brand name of eifs. So, refer back to my first post.

[K'ledgeBldr]

Originally Posted by sue32033

I cannot stand stucco. the worst problem is CRACKING!! I can't stand looking at all of it, but if you try and patch it and paint you still can see the repair. Brick is the best!

Lots of cracking- usually means eifs, but it could also be a poor foundation. And the house is moving alot.

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

I own a 1922 Bay Area Craftsman Bungalow with lots of charm.

It is stucco and the stucco is as hard as a rock! I was installing a dryer vent and my chipping hammer just bounced of the stuff.

I put a dryer vent in a neighbor 3 year old home and you could literally rub the stucco off... it was just like powder... It was so soft that I could gouge it with a car key.

NO CRACKS in the 1922 home by the way.

Some of the high end homes are using a stucco appearing product that is sold in 5 gallon pails... I've heard good and bad... so the jury is still out as far as I'm concerned.

1922- I can assure you thats hardcoat stucco- back then it was about
1 1/2" thick.
The buckets you refer to, are the finish color coat. Its basically a latex vinyl base with color and sand.

[Ultrarunner]

Thanks for the info... yes, the 1922 Stucco is 1 1/2" thick.

I think I could take away all of the wall framing and the walls would still be standing.

[recuerdeme]

I'm buying a stucco house (at least I hope I am).
I've always liked the look of it specifically Spanish/Mediterranean style homes (what I'm buying).

I just hope the long standing structures that have made me fall in love with this style are a good example of what to expect... i.e. something that will stand the test of time.

[lovelongboatkey]

Originally Posted by Arun

I have been told that its dry-vit. Is is better or worse?

There were a lot of problems in VA with synthetic stucco like Dri-Vit.
We've moved a few times because of work and one thing that was always spelled out in our relo paperwork was that the company would not buy back synthetic stucco houses. That made our decision easier, brick!