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If water or moisture gets behind it,you will have a MOLD problem.Can affect air quality in home.
Not true. All stucco breathes. That means water/moisture will go both ways through it. It is the nature of a natural product to do that.
I think it would ahve been more appropriate to say "if water or moisture gets behind it, and isn't provided with a way to escape or evaporate, you will have a mold problem. That makes it an accurate statement.
As described above, properly intalled stucco will allow any water to drain down behind it and exit the bottom of the wall via the weep screed. That's why it is there.
Stucco covered homes have been made for centuries without mold problems. They come from relatively dry areas, so maybe they're inappropriate for wetter, damper, more humid environments like some of those sweltering souther states. However, stucco homes have also done well along the coasts in the west and in Europe, so it simply might be a matter of degree.
Not true. All stucco breathes. That means water/moisture will go both ways through it. It is the nature of a natural product to do that.
I think it would ahve been more appropriate to say "if water or moisture gets behind it, and isn't provided with a way to escape or evaporate, you will have a mold problem. That makes it an accurate statement.
As described above, properly intalled stucco will allow any water to drain down behind it and exit the bottom of the wall via the weep screed. That's why it is there.
Stucco covered homes have been made for centuries without mold problems. They come from relatively dry areas, so maybe they're inappropriate for wetter, damper, more humid environments like some of those sweltering souther states. However, stucco homes have also done well along the coasts in the west and in Europe, so it simply might be a matter of degree.
I was refering to improperly installed job.Not blanket statement.
With so many people rebuilding here in S.E. Louisiana, many have decided to enclose their attached garages etc. leaving an area in front of their homes a blank slate. Many of these homes have brick facades and people are finding stucco an easy solution. I have found it scary because I can't stress how humid it is here and there is a mold problem with houses that were flooded. If we stuccoed only the front using the traditional method (non-synthetic) and were careful not to cover the weep holes do you think we'd be okay?
With so many people rebuilding here in S.E. Louisiana, many have decided to enclose their attached garages etc. leaving an area in front of their homes a blank slate. Many of these homes have brick facades and people are finding stucco an easy solution. I have found it scary because I can't stress how humid it is here and there is a mold problem with houses that were flooded. If we stuccoed only the front using the traditional method (non-synthetic) and were careful not to cover the weep holes do you think we'd be okay?
Florida is notoriously humid as well and you can find stucco houses throughout the state - new and old (plenty of them here in Jacksonville date back to the 20's, 30's, etc.).
I am surprised that concrete block houses are considered low income LOL. They are stronger than all those wood frame homes and will quicker survive a hurricane. In the Caribbean we build beautiful concrete block homes. All walls interior and exterior are concrete block with steel rods. I am looking to buy in Florida and am trying to find a well built home. I will definitely go with a concrete block one.
I live in Portland, Or and have a 1930s brick house that was stuccoed over. We have a huge problem with mold behind the furniture & in the cabinets. Is there anything I can do to FIX this problem?
Your problem may not have anything to do with the stucco. You may have a roofing issue and/or flashing issue.
There are so many variables that its really impossible to answer your question without having a lot more information, and being able to SEE the problem areas.
You should have a home inspector come and look at your problem and go from there.
Personally, I do not care for stucco. On the postive side, it is cheap, and requries less maintenance than wood. However maintence and repairs are very expensive. It you intend to live in the house a long time, it will settle a bit over time, and your stucco will crack and must be repaired. As the color fades or just gets cruddy, you will have to respray a coat of stucco, or paint, but the paint may not adhere propely and you can get eflourescence if the painters do not prep the surface properly(chalky looking stuff on the paint). I found stucco hard to keep clean. The rough surface collects crud and there is no easy way to clean it. Personally I think it is ugly, especially in parts of California where you have thousands of same colored stucco homes with same colored tile roofs. A development on a hill, looks like a big scab on the land.
In some recent construction, I have seen homes where they simply put up paper backed chicken wire and spray it with stucco. There is no backing and the chicken wire flexes during spraying. these homes often have many problems and then they call me (constructon lawyer).
Professionally I generally get involved when the homes have a problem (except where they need help with contract issues). Most of the problem homes are stucco, and most of the complaints involve the stucco among other things (window flashing, concrete, grading and roofing are also common). I rearely see problems with wood or brick homes, but then they are not very common in California, so it may just be the odds are greater that a defective home will be stucco because they are so much more common. In Michigan, stucco homes are unusual. Most of the times I see problem with Stucco homes in Michigan it is either mold, or freeze thaw cracking.
With tile roofs, the main problem that I see is when a contractor tries to save money by spreading out the spacing so that the fastener holes are not covered by the tile above. This is just bad workmanship. Normally, tile is great and will last a long time if you replace any tiles that break. I always wondered about having a heavy tile roof over your head in earthquake country, but hey if your roof collapses, you will probably be dead anyway, tile will just make you more dead. (note: it is very very rare for a single family home roof to collapse in an earthquake, in fact I have never heard of it happening) tile is a great rofing material IMO, however I think it looks awful when all of the houses in the neighborhood have tile roofs.
I just purchased a home from 1958 with real stucco. The one draw back is 40 years ago they just ran the stucco to the ground, didn't but flashings under it, so you have easy access for water and termites. Another drawback is repairing it every time you do something like replace a window....
I've been living in a Santa Fe style stucco house for 19 years, in central Oklahoma... flat roof and all! This house was not meant to exist in Oklahoma, and is now in terrible condition due to water damage/termites behind the stucco... house is frame. Its heart-breaking, but it will cost thousands of dollars for repairs and I'll be selling "as is" for tear-down or a major fixer! This place was a magazine-house in the early 80s and is now becoming uninhabitable... mold/falling ceilings with water running in. No one has been able to find where the water is coming in, even with obvious paths along the ceilings. Breaks my heart!
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