Thread: Odd stucco cracking

Came across this house the other day...

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Is it EIFS? Strange pattern.

No, not out here in this So calli area..

Looks like EIFS. Delamination of the insulation boards from the substrate.

Uniform horizontal cracks on stucco can be related to poor lath attachment, sometimes I have found they butt the lath and not lap it

I'm thinking stucco over wood lap siding, no lath.

The pattern is the height of wood lap siding with staggered ends.

wooden lath could be, the open rafters and plank roofing would age it to that era

Originally Posted by Joseph Ehrhardt

wooden lath could be, the open rafters and plank roofing would age it to that era

I'm thinking the boards are too wide for wood lath, but maybe that is what they used out there back then???

you never know until you open it, thats for sure...They had some good lumber back then

The walls could be sheathed with planks and the boards are cupping which profiles through to the cracks. most older homes I see only have 2 nails through the board into each stud.throw a little vapor in those cracks and some sun and they will react more.

Mark, you have a shot standing back a little?interesting wall.

when I zoom in and look at the 2x4's in between the rafters at the soffit, it appears half the thickness is covered by the wall cladding so that put me guessing at hardcoat with wire lath.

Yea weird.

It's hard to tell from the picture, but if it is CRACKS, I would say that the plaster was applied directly to wood planking (Jerry's train of thought). If it is not cracks, and simply lines, I would consider plaster (or even something like Thoroseal) applied over concrete that was poured into a form made of wood planking.

Like I said, it's difficult from a photo.

Likely wood planking based on the roof deck which is plank.

I thought planking too at first, but then saw that the cracks don't line up right horizontally and the vertical distance between cracks is too variable. I'm thinking now it's lath, we're just not seeing cracks on every piece.

I would hope they do not line up horizontally, they are staggered. They appear to be staggered from what I can ascertain.

They used to stagger them so that the planks didn't form rows??! That's nuts, it would be like putting puzzle pieces together, increase the labor enormously. (Not meaning you're nuts, the practice would be nuts)

Kristi

Thanks for pointing that out. I should have said vertical, not horizontal. The vertical joints are staggered. Bad me.

Even if...those are like 2' widths.

Hmmm...
Either way it needs to be reported as a possible issue and at the very least investigated for wood rot due to the fact there is no gutter.

We did...buyer didnt really care.

Well you did your job and thats all you can do.

All the best.