hardcoat stucco expansion/control joints

[Michael Vasquez]

I came across a new construction home with hardcoat stucco siding and at some of the windows, the expansion/control joint is installed below the windows but not above the windows. Is this a problem.

Thank You

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[Jerry Peck]

Is this a problem.

Probably, but we need to know more information.

Such as: how long is the wall, how tall is the wall, what is the distance between control joints, etc.

[Michael Vasquez]

Jerry,

The wall is the length of a two car garage; it is a 10ft wall and the distance between the two control joints below the window is about 2-3ft and the distance to the other control joints on the same wall that run the full height of the wall is approx. 6ft.

Thanks, hope this helps.

[Jerry Peck]

Michael,

Fill the blanks in from the drawing to figure out what is allowed, still do not have enough information to know.

[John Carroll]

A full garage wall should be between 21-26' give or take.
It sounds like there are at least 2 full ht. joints already in that wall since you used the plural to describe the distance in your post. Although it would have been prudent to install the joints above the windows, it seems there are enough joints in the wall as described to meet the 144 SF maximum. While it might be a cheap fix to cut out the stucco above the wins and install the joints, unless there is cracking evident now, it probably should only be listed an area to watch.

You didn't say how new the construction was, so if it's less that 2 years old, a note to monitor the area should suffice, if it's older than that, it may never crack, so concern is probably bordering on paranoia at this point.