Stucco Siding - Pros and Cons (Chicago, Palatine: tornadoes, upkeep, work)

[Arun]

We like a house in Palatine area which has Stucco Siding. Just curious, what are the pros and cons of Stucco? I have seen lot of houses in CA with Stucco Siding but not many in Chicago area.

Thanks for your input!

[Booboy]

Originally Posted by Arun

We like a house in Palatine area which has Stucco Siding. Just curious, what are the pros and cons of Stucco? I have seen lot of houses in CA with Stucco Siding but not many in Chicago area.

Thanks for your input!

It looks good when newly done,but when it wears it wears.The four seasons here can be brutal on stucco.It shows the water stains,mold,and dirt easily.It need to be maintain(power wash yearly).You will have to paint it ever so often.

[JSmom23]

I agree with the previous poster. Also make sure it's stucco and not dry-vit. From what I understand, dry-vit can wear even worse than stucco and crack easier. Moisture can get in there and create mold and rotting problems. Could be a lot of upkeep to maintain whether it's stucco or dry-vit.

[NYrules]

Stucco is also not nearly as strong as brick and keep in mind that Chicago while isn't frequented by tornadoes, it can get them. While a tornado was not spotted in the city, Aug 23, 2007 proved why brick buildings are the way to go in Chicago. Winds howled up to 90 MPH only for a few seconds, but just long enough to cause tremendous damage throughout the area. Weak little sided homes and other buildings were the ones to receive the most damage while others (brick homes) came through the storm like troopers. Here was the storm. YouTube - Chicago Storm, Northside Which would you rather be in in a severe storm like that?

Lastly, while tornadoes are a rarity here, we are continually subjected to huge temperature variations, ice, high winds, and high humidity, all of which will wreak havoc on a stucco home.

[Glamona]

Stucco is used a lot in Europe and lasted for centuries. They do not paint houses every year but maybe once in 10-20 years. It is a matter of stucco application. While in Europe iit s always applied on brick (it is applied directly on brick, with no paper insulation between brick and stucco that can cause moisture penetration and air bubbles) here stucco is applied also on siding, which can cause cracks and easier penetration of moisture. You can talk about it with some general contractor (possibly from Europe and who understands how stucco is done there) who can give you advice.

I like stucco (more than plain brick). You can choose some creme or darker color (not white) and then you do not have to paint it so often.

[FormerStocktonian]

Not sure if this is true or not, but I heard that sometime ago, stucco was illegal in the city of chicago because some member of the city government has a family member that owned a brick company. Can someone confirm that?

[NSH]

Originally Posted by FormerStocktonian

Not sure if this is true or not, but I heard that sometime ago, stucco was illegal in the city of chicago because some member of the city government has a family member that owned a brick company. Can someone confirm that?

Untrue, stucco is a fine alternative to brick and is just as fireproof, completely acceptable to Chicago building and fire code. It is basically cement on steel lathe. It can last a century without a problem... Was a favored material of Frank Lloyd Wright. Some century old stucco homes in Chicago...

[Arun]

I have been told that its dry-vit. Is is better or worse?

[Paige65]

Originally Posted by Arun

I have been told that its dry-vit. Is is better or worse?

Unfortunately, I think most people would say it's worse than true stucco. There have been problems with some stucco alternatives, with regard to durability of the product, misapplication, and mold. However, that doesn't mean all dryvit homes have problems. If you are seriously interested in the house, I would make sure you have a great inspector and specifically ask him what he knows about dryvit and what he has experienced inspecting homes with dryvit.

Hope everything works out.

[irish setter girl]

Arun,
I think I responded to you in another forum about the same topic. Since you now say it is "dry vit" type material my only recommendation is to make sure of the warranty, do a "dry vit" inspection where they test for moisture (especially around the windows) and make sure that the windows were installed properly. I know that last suggestion sounds odd but if a home is to have "dry vit" type material on the exterior the windows must be installed a certain way to prevent moisture build up. I have been in many dry vit type homes that have visible water damage simply becasue the "window guys" didn't know the exterior material. This is a poor reflection on the "window guys" , not necessarily the building material, but in the end the homeowner has to deal with the problem if not caught early in construction. In the Chicago area dry vit type material is harder to sell on an existing home. Too many people are uneducated about it, have heard the "mold stories" or just don't like the look. As said by someone is a previous post, you will always find someone who doesn't like something (siding, stucco, dry vit....)but in my personal opinion dry vit can be a hard sell to the general public. Good luck to you.

PS Just want to add that mentioning dry vit in this post means any man made type stucco. Historic stucco (installed while wet with a long brush) is another story and a material that is often seen on older homes. In my opinion "true stucco" is far more appealing than the man made counter part.