Crack in Stucco

[mart johns]

See attached photo

I am thinking about purchasing a house and it has stucco in the front and hardi plank (or some other plank siding) on the sides and back. Built in 2002, my first question was why the different siding. So I looked at an older picture and I see a vertical crack above the center of the garage door. I have an older picture where the crack is clear, and a recent picture after the home was painted and it looks like the crack is there still.

I don't know if they covered something up. It doesnt seem big, but would there be problems behind the stucco and how do I find out?

[ROBERT YOUNG]

That's a w...i...d...e span in the wall assembly.;)
You sure it's not a control joint:confused:
Defection may make hard surface crack.

[Jerry Peck]

You sure it's not a control joint:confused.

While that is not a good photo (a bit out of focus), I agree with Robert - looks like a control joint.

A control joint should NOT be caulked in the control joint (it's 'caulk' there as there is nothing to 'seal').

[Gunnar Alquist]

Mart,

To try and answer your other question. Typically cost determines the type of siding on a house. Around here, plywood T-111 was very common in the '60s-'70s. The front would often be some other type of siding (typically more expensive) and the plywood was on the sides and rear. Fast to install and inexpensive to purchase.

Lap siding takes longer to install than panel (plywood or OSB), so I can't say for sure why the builder installed lap siding.

[Jerry Peck]

The front would often be some other type of siding (typically more expensive) and the plywood was on the sides and rear. Fast to install and inexpensive to purchase.

There is a good example of this in my neighborhood - a large house which looks like a brick castle, with large front turret for the the stairway to the second floor ... really quite nice looking house ... on three sides ... the right side (which no one sees) is cedar board on board going up two stories (not cheap by any means, but less expensive than two-stories of brick on that side).

Once I noticed it, no matter how nice the house looks from the street (that side is almost not visible from the street), when I think of that house I think of that cedar board on board siding instead of brick on that one side ... and 'cheapo' comes to mind.

[ROBERT YOUNG]

Built in 2002, my first question was why the different siding.

Gunner made a realistic explanantion.


I looked at an older picture and I see a vertical crack above the center of the garage door. I have an older picture where the crack is clear, and a recent picture after the home was painted and it looks like the crack is there still.
Expansion joint.


I don't know if they covered something up. It doesn't seem big, but would there be problems behind the stucco and how do I find out?
Moisture meter or/and infrared thermal camera.
Without IR. Look for,at cracks, penetrations, protrusions, for color and texture changes in the paint, substrate on the envelope and inside the garage drywall.
I see mechanical damage on the trim at the lower left hand side to which I would be paying particular attention to due to the damage at plane changes and intersections.
,

[ROBERT YOUNG]

There is a good example of this in my neighborhood - a large house which looks like a brick castle, with large front turret for the the stairway to the second floor ... really quite nice looking house ... on three sides ... the right side (which no one sees) is cedar board on board going up two stories (not cheap by any means, but less expensive than two-stories of brick on that side).

Once I noticed it, no matter how nice the house looks from the street (that side is almost not visible from the street), when I think of that house I think of that cedar board on board siding instead of brick on that one side ... and 'cheapo' comes to mind.

In my neck of the wood traditional hard coat/two/three coat stucco is mixed with planks in dimensional patterns. Western European. Wood lath was used prior diamond lath and chicken wire. Thousands of years old.
Daniel covers some examples. All the best Mr. Friedman.
Stucco Wall Methods and Choices - Best Practices Guide (http://inspectapedia.com/BestPractices/Stucco_Wall_Method_Choices.php)