Is Your Stucco Home Siding Rotting Away?

I love the look of Stucco home siding. Recently, I was looking through some pictures our company was doing on a deck replacement and noticed there was wood rot.  I asked my husband, “why there was so much rot”? He explained, “unfortunately, builders will sometimes cut cost and not apply a house wrap onto the home.  Thus leaving the home vulnerable to the elements causing wood rot”.

I was surprised to find out that it was common practice with stucco siding. Contractors will apply the stucco to a home with improper house wrap installation. In the pictures I was looking at had a tar paper for the house wrap. The tar paper was obviously not adequate. Water penetrated behind the stucco and tar paper through cracks, damaging the OSB/plywood. Ultimately, it damaged the wall studs as well.

Tyvek is the most widely used house wrap today. It is made of a synthetic material, flash spun high-density polyethylene fibers. Water can not pass through Tyvek, thus preserving the integrity of the wood behind it. Yet it allows water vapors to move from the interior side to the exterior side of the house wrap, kind of like a one way valve. As a home owner of a Stucco home, you may be asking yourself, “How do I know if I have wood rot? First of all, you would want to do is a quick inspection of your own home.

Check the exterior of your home windows, doors and siding for cracks. Furthermore, check to see it the caulking needs to be replaced. You will want to visually check all exterior siding to make sure there aren’t any cracks from heat/cool expansion. If you have decks, look around the area where the deck ledger meets the stucco for any signs of water damage.

If you are not sure if you have water damage, you can call CH Construction to do a home inspection. Our owner, Brandt Hall, will come to your home and inspect for water damage or possible areas that could allow for water damage. Once he has inspected your home, he will discuss with you the options and give you a written estimate on the damage needing repair. As always, CH Construction will help you save money with ideas you can do yourself. Most importantly, our goal is to help the home owner in any way we can.