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Old 10-01-2012, 09:42 AM
 
30 posts, read 52,739 times
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i am about to sign an offer on a house. we went to re-check it out (just my family) and saw these cracks on the same side of the house. one on top where left side of the house (when you are entering the house) meets the back end of the house (the L shape).

i am not sure what to make of it. please help. i have not had taken any step to put down an offer and do not want to deal with the headaches after putting an offer. so i am writing here.

pls help!
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cracks in stucco - something to stop me from buying?-img_7171.jpg   cracks in stucco - something to stop me from buying?-img_7169.jpg  
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Old 10-01-2012, 09:53 AM
 
Location: The Lone Star State
8,030 posts, read 9,048,730 times
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It depends on the cause of the cracks. Did you have a home inspection done as is standard in home buying? If so, what were the conclusions?
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Old 10-01-2012, 10:30 AM
 
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no i have not yet. i wanted to get some opinions before i waste a lot of time.
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Old 10-01-2012, 11:01 AM
 
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In addition to a home inspection, you should hire a stucco specific inspector to perform a stucco inspection. There are lots of problems with poor stucco installs in Austin, and it can be a very expensive fix if it was originally installed improperly, so it's worth spending the money on the expert inspection up front.
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Old 10-01-2012, 11:51 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 49,046,364 times
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Those looked extremely minor. If the house has been there for years and that is all the cracking you see, I would not worry about it. Especially if it is a real stucco exterior, not something like Dryvit stucco. There have been a lot of problems with improper installation of Dryvit exteriors. Dryvit is a thin stucco coating over foam insulation. Dryvit | Residential
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Old 10-01-2012, 12:01 PM
 
Location: Volcano
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That was my reaction too. Frankly, if you have stucco you're probably going to have cracks, but patching good quality stucco is simple and effective. It's just part of normal maintenance.

In other words, don't freak out because it's probably minor, but do check it out.
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Old 10-01-2012, 12:40 PM
 
Location: Dallas, TX
254 posts, read 433,482 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OpenD View Post
That was my reaction too. Frankly, if you have stucco you're probably going to have cracks, but patching good quality stucco is simple and effective. It's just part of normal maintenance.

In other words, don't freak out because it's probably minor, but do check it out.

I agree to this!

This stuff here will work wonders for filling the cracks.





I guarantee concrete to do two things: Get hard and Crack.
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Old 10-01-2012, 12:42 PM
 
30 posts, read 52,739 times
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thank you

the builder is standard pacific
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Old 10-02-2012, 08:43 AM
 
Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
3,067 posts, read 8,405,839 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ephi144 View Post
i am about to sign an offer on a house. we went to re-check it out (just my family) and saw these cracks on the same side of the house. one on top where left side of the house (when you are entering the house) meets the back end of the house (the L shape).

i am not sure what to make of it. please help. i have not had taken any step to put down an offer and do not want to deal with the headaches after putting an offer. so i am writing here.

pls help!
Stucco cracks can be easily repaired. However there can be other potential issues with this installation. Those issues are not clear from the very close-up pictures that you have provided. As was pointed out by AustinGuy you should have a stucco/EIFS specialist Inspector (not connected to any stucco or EIFS company) perform a full evaluation of the stucco installation. You can start finding a specialist here Exterior Design Institute - The absolute best in EIFS Inspector training. .

The Dryvit that CptnRn was referring to is called Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS) and commonly called "Synthetic Stucco". There is nothing inherently wrong with EIFS or stucco as long as it is properly installed and maintained. Unfortunately there are many improper installations and poor maintenance of both EIFS and stucco.
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Old 10-02-2012, 11:57 AM
 
3,787 posts, read 6,997,228 times
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That first picture looked like something I saw on our house. I freaked out thinking it was the foundation. I posted here and found out from replies the cracks I saw were on one layer of cement that was on the foundation. It wasn't the foundation itself but a very thin layer on top.

I also found out some settling of the house is normal.

Can't say for sure but that first picture sure looks like the same thing.
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