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My knowledge is pretty much limited to everything I've already posted. I'd certainly hope an inspector would know the difference between real stucco and the synthetic stuff. When I was Googling, I was reading a lot about problems with mildew in the walls of the synthetic stucco houses. I do remember my old realtor talking about that.
In other words, I'd be VERY careful looking at stucco homes from that time period. And, honestly, I *think* I've only seen the real stucco on the coast. Since the Dryvit fiasco, I've seen builders go back to brick and siding. I think Dryvit was just a passing phase of the '80s and '90s.
Thanks. I know the homeowners of the stucco home in Covington that we had the contingency with were from Las Vega. They must have been "homesick for that look". We loved the inside of that home. It had the daylight entrance basement. But the permastone on the porch and around door was a turn-off to me, and I could not live with that. Permastone to me looks outdated. This particular home was built in 2003. I prefer the brick and siding, and that's what we have now.
There were a lot of houses built in the 50's and earlier that are stucco--those houses have real stucco too. Those houses are rock solid homes as well. The stucco issues were mainly in the 80's and 90's.
The stucco problems golfgal is talking about were due to synthetic stucco (EIFS) and the fact that many installers were not properly trained in its installation.
Masonry stucco is a whole 'nuther ball game. When applied correctly it is a very durable and care-free finish. There are buildings in Europe with stucco finishes that have lasted for over a hundred years or more. The best stucco finishes are called "three-part" due to the application process.
I see some nice stucco homes on the MLS listings. We were even in a contingency with a stucco home in Covington (but got out of it since we had not sold our home in Michigan and did not want to hold the seller in bondage). Can someone tell me the advantages and disadvantages of stucco exterior?
If it's a new house with stucco, during the settling period the stucco may have a few hairline cracks that need re-touching...not a huge deal, but higher maintenance than brick.
A lot of the houses where I am in Florida have stucco fronts and hardiboard covers the rest. It's a good mix as the hardiboard is pretty much zero maintenance.
how does the owner of a stucco home get rid of the moisture which penetrates into and through a stucco wall? That can lead to mold working its way into a home. With a well built brick home, good masons make sure there is a space between the brick and exterior sheathing. Then they create weep holes at the bottom of a brick wall to let water/moisture escape. Weep holes are essentially drain holes. If the moisture/water can't escape. here comes the mold growth!
sadly, I have seen many owners of brick homes pile mulch up high against their exterior brick walls and cover the weep holes in the brick. all they are doing is keeping the moisture in and creating a place for mold to grow.
Synthetic stucco was probably OK if it had been applied properly. The problem ws that almost no one applied it properly. The real problem was moisture getting behind it. It was almost never used on concrete block houses, because there was no point -- mortar stucco is easier to apply. I have seen it used recently on insulated concrete walls (ICW), where styrofoam forms are used to hold poured concrete, then left in place for insulation. Synthetic stucco sticks to styrofoam very well, and moisture is not as much of a problem with the poured concrete core.
The "pre-96" statement is misleading. Masonry stucco (mortar) is fine regardless of when it was used. However, application procedures can affect it. If it is used over concrete block or poured cement (without the foam forms) (the most common methods in Florida), there are almost no problems if it is applied in 3 coats. The first is called a "scratch" coat and is used to promote adherence to the concrete. The second is the "brown" coat and provides the bulk of the coverage. The third is the finish coat, and is used for appearance. Depending on the desired look, this may not be a complete coat -- dabbed on for a stippled look, knocked down for a Spanish look, etc. This type is unlikely to crack unless the underlying concrete wall cracks.
Years ago, colors were often blended in to the finish coat, and the house never needed painting -- unless one desired a color change. Today, most stuccos are applied with a natural finish and then painted.
If the stucco is applied over a wood frame house, there is a different set of conditions. Stucco is a cement product and is not flexible; wood houses tend to move and bend. The best applications are over wire lath that is nailed to the house. In this case, the application may only be two coat -- one to fill out the lath, and one for the finish. The stucco is held by the lath, not be adherence to concrete. This type is prone to cracking no matter how well it is applied, because of the dissimilar materials.
The majority of houses built in Florida are CBS (concrete bliock & stucco). Hardiboards or Hardipanels are rarely used on concrete block because it's difficult to fasten unless furred out first. If you see a house with Hardiboard, it's probably a wood frame house. I'm not sure why some builders might use stucco in the front and Hardiboards elsewhere; in my experience it's usually the other way around,, because Hardiboard is a much more attractive material. There are some two story houses with the first floor in CBS and the second floor in wood frame; many of these tie the front facade together with stucco and use Hardiboard (or more likely vinyl siding) on the sides and rear of the second floor. My personal opinion is that is cheap construction.
So many houses in Florida are stucco, frankly I'm bored with the look. My new house will be Hardiboard. That's the second most often used siding in Florida, but the difference is like 80% stucco and 10% Hardiboard and 10% everything else. I should qualify that and say it is for South Florida; in North Florida houses sometimes take on a more northern appearance, including brick.
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Advantages of stucco
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