STUCCO REPAIRS – best practices are?
toolbear
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STUCCO REPAIRS – best practices are?
Folks,
Have some door and window replacements coming up. Stucco (3 coat) is the siding material. Some chipping and stucco removal will be needed to install the flashings. I’ve been reading the stucco threads (diverse views) and would like an update.
@@ What are the best practices for removing the stucco and repairing it afterward?
@@ What materials do you use? (Last stucco repair I was handed mortar mix – but it was under a deck.)
The ToolBear
“Never met a man who couldn’t teach me something.” Anon.
Replies
Bear,
@@ What are the best practices for removing the stucco and repairing it afterward?
Depends.
If the opening required is small enough that trim can cover it, cut it out carefully with a diamond blade. Otherwise let me know and I'll type out a page of instructions with 47 glossy 9 x ll prints with paragraphs on the back.
@@ What materials do you use? (Last stucco repair I was handed mortar mix - but it was under a deck.)
Same as originally used, applied the same way as originally. 3 coat is 3 coat.
SamT
Sam,
These are '80s California condos and there is not a lick of face trim to be seen. Don't see much caulk in the gap between stucco and door either. Just windows and doors in stucco. The doors are trimmed out with stucco mould.
How to prevent the patch cracking on the saw line? Bonding adhesive work?
I am considering a fine Craftsman circ saw for all of $30 with a diamond blade. Hate to stuff my 77 full of grit. Better depth control than with my 4.5 grinder.
SonInLaw has an attachement that turned his circ into a wet saw, but I don't think putting water in the wall cavity is a Good Career Move.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
I saw a circular saw in JLC or Amazon or FHB, I think, which is designed to cut concrete or stucco, or at least that is what I got from glancing in passing. It had a dust removal/guard of some type.Les Barrett Quality Construction
Bear,
I used to work with an ole-timey stucco contractor in La Habra. He told me, and I followed his advice on every stucco repair I ever did with no problems.
Stucco will crack badly at a saw cut. If you have to sawcut, use an expansion strip of some kind.
If you don't want cracks:
Break the stucco back to the next stud. A hand ax works good to start the line. Use channel locks to crush the bits and pieces so you can clean the stucco wire. You want a nice ragged edge with parts sloped in towards the wall and parts sloped out towards the sky and lots of existing wire saved.
Pull all the wire fasteners/nails so you can slip the paper behind the existing stucco. Add new wire under the old as much as possible. Twist the loose ends of the old wire to the new. Renail.
Use a big right angle grinder with 20-30 grit sandpaper to sand off all the color coat texture around the opening in a wavy pattern far enough out that the stucco guy will be able to float/scree his brown coat level with the old stucco. You don't want any straight lines anywhere. If this is a textured wall, skip trowel or otherwise, and you sand any part of a high spot, remove that entire high part.
1/2 hour before applying stucco, thouroughly wet the edges of the existing stucco. If the day is hot and/or dry, rewet it 15 mins later. When the stucco is on the Hawk, apply adhesive admix to the existing edges. Repeat for the brown coat.
Keep the stucco damp 24/7 for a week between scratch and brown and brown and color coats. Use burlap and plastic to get you thrugh from morning till evening and eve to morn, but apply water at least twice a day. If you can delay the color coat for a month, wetting the repair every evening till that time, you will greatly improve your chances of no cracks.
Don't trust the HO to do this for you. If they want to save the 28 Hours charge, call them daily and remind them. Educate them as to the utmost importance of this step in preventing cracks. If it drys out it will crack!
A three week job, I SWAG less than 10% chance of a crack showing. A 6 week job SWAGs at less than 2%.
If you follow these tips, you can confidantly give a 1,2, or 5 year garuntee that it will not crack because of your workmanship.
On the other hand, if you use a saw, you can garuntee that it will crack.
Sorry, I forgot the 8x10 glossy photos with paragraphs on the back.
SamT
Edit: I estimate this prep work at 7 mins/linear foot. Give yourself 10 mins. st.
Edited 11/29/2004 8:52 am ET by SamT
Sam,
Tnx for the procedure. It goes in my stucco notes. Saws only for demo and such, eh?
Now the issue is to reconcile the correct procedure with the employer's desire to get in, get it done, get on to the next, you're not done yet?, you're slow! (Shall we say, "Blow 'n go!)The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
Don't like to mention another magazine but the June issue of Journal of Light Construction has a very complete article by Don Thorvund on replacing windows in stucco walls. The main points he mentions are the careful removal of the existing stucco with the use of the claw of a hammer in order to not damage the existing paper. Once you cut through the paper it's a hard mistake to fix. The article is seven pages with illustrations. He doesn't show an e-mail address but is the owner of TNT Plastering in Fremont, Ca. If you can get hold of this article it pretty much shows you everything. And just in case Fine Homebuilding is listening, I have issue #1!
June 04 issue of JLC?Thanks much for the tip.I take JLC and FHB. How did I miss that issue? Travel? Postal forwarding? In June I migrate up to the NorthWet. I will have to get the 04 issues out and see if I can find it. The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.