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  1. #1
    Gerry Wang's Avatar
    Gerry Wang Guest

    Arrow any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    Likely I will have to do stucco and stone for exterior walls in Dec (temp is ~0C). I heard from some contractors there is no problem to do so as they do this every year. However, also heard from someone don't do it in winter unless you REALLY have to.

    I want to finish the exterior and move to indoor for the rest of winter, but if the quality risk is high then I might have to just work on interior first, and work on exterior walls next spring.

    Decision need to make soon. Appreciate all suggestions!!

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  2. #2
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    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    Check the manufacturer's specifications, and that includes whatever adhesive (cement) being used. Most manufacturers recommend 40 degrees and rising (for 24 hours).

    If the water in the mix freezes you could have an adhesion problem.

    Last edited by Steven Turetsky; 10-29-2012 at 09:12 AM.
    Steven Turetsky, UID #16000002314
    homeinspectionsnewyork.com
    eifsinspectionsnewyork.com

  3. #3
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    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    If you can wait ----- then wait till spring.

    Cement and winter really do not mix well. You can make (force) it to set up (additives) but then it has to cure. The curing is where I see the issue in freezing weather.


  4. #4
    Gerry Wang's Avatar
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    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    Thank you all for the replies. Seems I should wait for the Spring for stucco.

    Can I just go ahead with plumbing, electrical, dry-wall, painting, etc? anything I need to pay attention if I skip exterior and jump to interior?


  5. #5

    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gerry Wang View Post
    Thank you all for the replies. Seems I should wait for the Spring for stucco.

    Can I just go ahead with plumbing, electrical, dry-wall, painting, etc? anything I need to pay attention if I skip exterior and jump to interior?
    Are you talking about the whole house? If you can find a contractor who is willing to do the whole house, paper, lath and flashings and scratch coat before its seriously cold (+4 C) then lucky you. The contractor may hoard and heat sections but that would sure up the price! You can have the finish coat done in the spring once everything has had a chance to stabilize again. I've always advocated waiting as long as possible after the scratch coat is applied, but it ups the price if the contractor has to come back and set-up scaffolding and such again. Significantly reduces cracking vs the "get the whole house done, all three coats in a week" that is more typical here.

    Then the only thing you have to worry about and pay attention to is plumbing, electrical, dry-wall, painting, etc.

    Egbert Jager
    Diamond Home Inspection
    http://www.diamondhomeinspection.ca

  6. #6
    Gerry Wang's Avatar
    Gerry Wang Guest

    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    by +4C you mean lowest temp or mean temp? If lowest, for sure I cannot make it in Dec in Toronto. The maybe I have to just wrap the house with paper or something and work on interior.

    Also, do I need to heat it up when I do interior?

    Quote Originally Posted by Egbert Jager View Post
    Are you talking about the whole house? If you can find a contractor who is willing to do the whole house, paper, lath and flashings and scratch coat before its seriously cold (+4 C) then lucky you. The contractor may hoard and heat sections but that would sure up the price! You can have the finish coat done in the spring once everything has had a chance to stabilize again. I've always advocated waiting as long as possible after the scratch coat is applied, but it ups the price if the contractor has to come back and set-up scaffolding and such again. Significantly reduces cracking vs the "get the whole house done, all three coats in a week" that is more typical here.

    Then the only thing you have to worry about and pay attention to is plumbing, electrical, dry-wall, painting, etc.



  7. #7
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    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gerry Wang View Post
    by +4C you mean lowest temp or mean temp? If lowest, for sure I cannot make it in Dec in Toronto. The maybe I have to just wrap the house with paper or something and work on interior.

    Also, do I need to heat it up when I do interior?
    Yes, you need heat to do the interior properly. Drywall must be finished in a controlled environment. If it is too cold the drywall mud will crack and little holes/bubbles will appear, if it is too hot the drywall mud will crack. The DW manufacturer will have specific installation guidelines that you should follow.

    Scott Patterson, ACI
    Spring Hill, TN
    www.traceinspections.com

  8. #8

    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gerry Wang View Post
    by +4C you mean lowest temp or mean temp? If lowest, for sure I cannot make it in Dec in Toronto. The maybe I have to just wrap the house with paper or something and work on interior.

    Also, do I need to heat it up when I do interior?
    Yes, the temperature should be above 4 degrees until the mortar has cured sufficiently. Ice crystal formation is NOT a good thing.

    And Scott Patterson is (of course) correct. Drywall mudding, painting, even cementing (glueing) your ABS drain lines all require temperatures above 4 C. You could do your electrical rough in, maybe metal ductwork and furnace installation but not sure how flexible PEX piping is when its -30, and glad I don't have to find out!

    Last edited by Egbert Jager; 11-03-2012 at 08:10 PM.
    Egbert Jager
    Diamond Home Inspection
    http://www.diamondhomeinspection.ca

  9. #9
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    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    And if it can be avoided, don't pour any concrete in cold temps, either. Frozen conditions permanently ruin Portland cement's ability to hydrate, and result in the frozen concrete having a unique smell that lasts for years. Cold (but not freezing) temperatures will slow down the hydration/strength gain process considerably.


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  11. #11

    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    Quote Originally Posted by BC Ready Mix Concrete Association
    Placing insulation over frozen ground for a few days can cause it to thaw.
    The concrete guys from Vancouver have it pretty easy..lol

    Egbert Jager
    Diamond Home Inspection
    http://www.diamondhomeinspection.ca

  12. #12
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    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gerry Wang View Post
    Thank you all for the replies. Seems I should wait for the Spring for stucco.

    Can I just go ahead with plumbing, electrical, dry-wall, painting, etc? anything I need to pay attention if I skip exterior and jump to interior?
    Paper and lath the exterior.
    If you wire the interior, get the electrical inspection done and get the drywall boarding done pronto.
    Metal thieves are everywhere.

    John Kogel, RHI, BC HI Lic #47455
    www.allsafehome.ca

  13. #13
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    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    Well it's great to be back on line; my internet just came back on.

    Anyway, back to the subject:

    If it were my house, I would apply a liquid moisture barrier first. Make sure you do the seams with trowelable material along with the fiberglass tape.
    Put it on heavy (multiple coats). If you can spray it on, that works too.

    Do all your flashings.

    You can apply a freshener coat after the winter.

    You will forever be happy you did this.

    Steven Turetsky, UID #16000002314
    homeinspectionsnewyork.com
    eifsinspectionsnewyork.com

  14. #14
    Gerry Wang's Avatar
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    Default Re: any quality issues with stucco and stone being doen in winter (Toronto)?

    It is not that cold at Toronto in Dec. It could be ~5C during day time and ~0 at night. And it will reach -10C in Jan and Feb.
    If I wait till the spring, then the work will be delayed to April, likely. so is my stone work on one wall. I am still debating... If I am lucky, next year there might be a warm March. But who knows?

    The wall which I will put stone on won't have exterior insulation during the winter, so will increase my heating cost any way.

    Maybe I should make the decision based on the temperature at the time I complete framing? Say if temperature is lower than -10C at night I need to wait till next spring, otherwise just heat it up etc.. It is really a hard decision to make.


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