Big stucco problems! What are my options?

Question

Ed B. · Answer

You need to find an independent stucco person who will do it on the weekends or is hungry and will give you a good price. Offer to pay him by the square foot and you buy the materials. That way he doesn't have to pad his bid in case materials cost more than he anticipates. Can even rent a stucco mixer if you need to.  Simply post an ad on Craigslist and you will get many replies.  You need to get at least six bids before you consider walking away.

Also, take photos of the house, measure the square footage,and send this  to all the guys interested in the job.  No sense in wasting their time and gas going to see the house beforehand. Do it all on the computer and e-mail.

Mitch VanDeveer · Answer

California stucco systems are different than any other area in the country.  That being said for the size of house your talking about it seems high.

As a contractor, when i see stucco that has enough damage that needs sand blasted off i would suspect additional problems.  The lathe is not securely fastened to the structure, potential moisture  problems, foundation movement, etc.  It may only be that the stucco mixed in the correct ratio but i would want to be sure i didn't have additional problems.

All that being said I would offer what i thought the property was worth taking into consideration the estimated repairs.

Good luck!

Manolo D. · Answer

@Aaron R. Inspectors here won't pass you on a coat when done wrong. Sand blasting alone will cost a little, then for stucco issues, you might need 2-3 come backs. It's also hard to tell how bad it is, given that it is a ton, maybe its 70% damaged, who knows.

Charlie DiLisio · Answer

Bonnie, I am very familiar with stucco here in south Florida and without more information it is not possible to advise you properly.  I suspect that the house is a wood frame or possibly covered over asbestos shingles.  If it is a block house it can be re-coated in two days.  It sounds like they did not install the wire lath properly and that may be the problem why it is cracking so much in which case it can be removed and redone by a qualified lather (paperback lath).  If you can tap on the wall and it seems hollow I would say it is loose wire lath.  If its cement block it should be firm if bonded to the block.  The age of the home can be a factor as well. The price is high for sure for that small of a house but not so much if they are quoting to remove the stucco and lath and re-do it.  We have lots of 1920's homes and they were wood frame and stucco but overtime and termites it can be lots of structural damage underneath.  I wish you well and if its not that old of a house and block it should be in-expensive to re-stucco.  Best regards.

Frank Hinck · Answer

@Bonnie Low

Removing the stucco and adding new vinyl siding would be the way to go.  That way there’s no bad issue for the new owner that they could come back at you later for knowing about and covering up.   Getting a demo company to remove the stucco will likely be cheaper than having the siding guys doing it.   For the siding, maybe talk to a neighbor or 2 with bad siding and see if they’d be interested in a replacement too for a discount and get the siding guys to throw you all a discount.

Pat L. · Answer

Saw an interesting job where they coated the old stucco with a spray on cork finish..very impressive.

https://buyspraycork.com/

Account Closed · Answer

Stucco is always an interesting one. Stucco and roofs are typically what most regular people don't have a ton of expertise in. That's why it's always important to vet your contractors thoroughly.

Chris Low · Answer

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback. Yes, costs in California are generally higher than most places. And this is a major repair job with lots of tedious taping and repairs before the new stucco can applied. We are not interested in sloppy repairs that last just long enough to off load the home so it becomes someone else's problem - that's just not in our business model. I like the suggestion of looking for an independent stucco contractor but absolutely only use licensed contractors in good standing. I'm still hoping some stucco contractors will be on this BP thread who can tell me if it's possible to completely remove the existing stucco (as opposed to trying to repair it) then applying a new coat that has proper lathe behind it.

Aaron R. · Answer

@Manolo D. Good point on advice from outside California. My experience is in Arizona where I'm sure labor is less expensive and construction methods are different.

Big stucco problems! What are my options?

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