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We like a house in Chicago area which has Stucco Siding. Just curious, what are the pros and cons of Stucco? I have seen lot of houses in CA with Stucco Siding but not many in Chicago area.
The biggy usually if well done it can be on the expensive side. In this case that is moot because it already exists.
Can be a good choice if done well originally. Fireproof, seamless, can change the color, fairly easy to repair. Looks good and ages well. Very weather resistant in most climates. A very good choice between low maintenance and good looks and long life. Is fairly easy to change the apperance and update it without tearing it all off.
I would prefer it. Like a nice stone veneer but stucco might be second or so on my list.
I live in Tucson, AZ and stucco is the standard out here; after reading your post my only concern would be the cold weather affecting the stucco so I did a little digging.
Most of the information I found basically followed the following rule:
"For best performance, the temperature of newly applied stucco should be maintained at a minimum of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In many cases, this can be achieved by heating the structure and covering the exterior surfaces. As temperatures drop lower, plaster ingredients can be heated before mixing the stucco.
Most importantly, the stucco should not be allowed to freeze during the first 48 hours after placement. Excess water in the fresh stucco mixture expands as it freezes, thereby compromising the strength and durability of the finished product."
The other interesting tidbit I found:
"In cold weather, we recommend that white stucco be chosen, instead of colored stucco, because of white efflorescence leaching out to the surface of the stucco from the cement."
How old is the house?
This will make a big difference in the "good" or "bad" determination.
There is stucco that is referred to as "hard coat" and then there's e.i.f.s.
But there is still the question of, was it installed/applied correctly? There are tell-tell signs- give some more detail about the house.
The website wasn't much help.
And the year may put it on the good side (?)
Back in the late '90's a major out break of stucco problems became headline news here in the southeast. Especially in NC. To this day, people are still gun shy when it comes to stucco.
The majority of problems was with the "eifs". Its was basically styrofoam nailed to the house with a thinset coat, and then the finish coat. The problem, moisture. Everything inside the walls was rotting. The problem was extermely bad around doors and windows. Mainly because they were not sealed/flashed properly.
Hardcoat stucco, is an entirely different beast. It consisted of a vapor barrier over the exterior sheathing, metal lath, portland cement scratch coat, portland cement finish coat, then the color finish coat. The vapor barrier was the big difference.
There has been refinements made to the eifs system- the styrofoam board has channels on the back for moisture drainage. Lessons were learned about the doors and windows, as far as sealing and flashing.
I hope the house is hard coat- that's my prefrence. If the exterior walls feel really hard- don't have any flex to them- they're probably H/C.
As with any home purchase, hire a private home inspector. He can probably tell you for sure what type it is. He can also pay special attention to the door and window openings for possible water intrusion. Ask if he has a moisture reader, and take reading from the exterior and interior- at both stucco and non stucco areas.
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!
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.
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Not many disadvantages
