Thread: Bulging & Buckeling Stuuco

This 2001 dwelling has extreme bulging and buckeling stucco. Any ideas out there?

Dennis,
Photos are needed.

Darrel Hood
DILIGENT PROPERTY SERVICES

Originally Posted by Darrel Hood

Dennis,
Photos are needed.

Darrel Hood
DILIGENT PROPERTY SERVICES

Photos uploaded.

Is the construction complete for this building?

I would think the lath is not properly installed. Water penetration is almost certainly a contributing factor. Obviously, more info is needed, but I would suspect the flat roof has problems which enable water penetration to the walls.

Darrel Hood
DILIGENT PROPERTY SERVICES

Water infiltration produces swelling/ deteriorating wall sheathing. This problem will require destructive testing to confirm cause and probably a complete re-stucco job.
Buildings are like old folks, they all eventually leak.

Looks like the lath was likely installed ALL WRONG.

Likely the stucco was applied ALL WRONG too.

As West Coast Jerry said, sheathing is also likely gone - remove all stucco and lath, probably will also need most or all of the sheathing to be replaced too.

Expansion joints!!!!!!!

The following is from :
The Portland Cement Plaster/Stucco Manual, EB049, are based on ASTM C1063, Standard Specification for the Installation of Lathing and Furring to Receive Interior and Exterior Portland-Cement Based Plaster. Applications that use metal lath require three layers of plaster: scratch, brown, and finish coats.

The joint spacing should meet the following criteria:

• no length should be greater than 18 ft. in either direction
• no panel should exceed 144 sq. ft. for vertical applications
• no panel should exceed 100 sq. ft. for horizontal, curved, or angular sections
• no length-to-width ratio should exceed 2 ½ to 1 in any given panel.

Could the bilding be covered with a Dryvit-like product (synthetic stucco)? I remember about 11-12 years ago, there were major concerns with water being trapped in (and or behind) the exterior design panels (made of compressed fiberglass or styrofoam, covered with fiberglass tape, then the stucco), due to improper flashing, etc. The worst thing was that it tended to rot away the wall sheathing (plywood) before it became readily visible. Hope this isn't the case here!

I saw them framing houses like that down in Tucson a few years ago. They were bending OSB sheathing over 2X4 framing to get the curve in the parapet.

I'll bet the roof leaks, but only when it rains.

That place needs some rounds of firewood tacked to the walls above the windows, to complete the adobe look.

Wow, nice work guys, the usual suspects showed up on this one, Dennis.
They like to bluster and bloviate that " it all has to be removed and replaced, down to the foundation!!" That's what you get for posting pictures with no detail...

Looks to me like an elastomeric finish was put over a thin-coat stucco and has delaminated for what may be several reasons. I would start by trying to remove some of the cracked finish to see if it comes off in flakes or sheets. If it peels off like the skin of an orange, chances are that only the finish needs removal and replacement. If it flakes off in small pieces and reveals cracking in the basecoat, then other factors are at work here, and destructive testing is in order.

The wrinkles you see are probably the result of moisture between the base coat and the finish billowing out under pressure from the heated walls, and then escaping thru the cracks when the limit of elasticity of the finish is reached. The source of that moisture needs to be found and corrected. Since the house shows what appears to be a proper gap from the grade to the bottom of the stucco system(picture #3) the most likely source would be the parapet/roof connection. I don't see a lot of damage around the windows, so I would look for a proper reglet flashing at the stucco/roof terminations first, then look for cracks in the parapet tops next. If my theory is correct, you will probably find cracks in the finish there, leading to moisture infiltration throughout the walls.

Remediation would include stripping the finish, and reconditioning the base coat, before applying either a breathable acrylic finish coat or a standard sand finish and regular paint. Do not use elastomeric paint or finish.

If significant base coat cracking is found then the base coat may need removal to inspect the weather barrier, if one has been installed. If it is in acceptable shape, the sheathing should be ok, if it is torn or missing entirely, then the entire system may need replacement.

If you are uncomfortable with pursuing this further, I can make time to come up and walk it with you. Let me know,
j.
PS-Stucco Control (Expansion) joints are not the problem, tho Sedona is at an elevation where they may have been prudent, there are other factors at work here...