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Buying a new home and it was built in the late winter in Boise Idaho. I notice a few cracks in the stucco at first and more smaller hair line cracks as the weather warms up in my area. Is this something I should have the builder take care of before I move in or monitor before the warranty expires. Was the stucco applied correctly?
Thanks.
Built on a concrete slab foundation? If so, that is a settling crack. Have the builder fix it. It is "easier" to get them fixed now before you sign off on the paperwork than it will be after you move in. If you absolutely have to move in, your final paperwork will have a place to list any building deficiencies, (which the contractor/builder will have to fix "eventually").
My realtor told me to stay away from stucco~she said too much moisture here and she is a native of Treasure Valley.....she said you will have a mess, with cracks and trying to keep it up. Just what I was told when buying.
I'm not sure who your builder is, but stucco is a process that takes time and too many builders here don't want to take the time to let the stucco properly "crack out" meaning it takes 7-10 days from the time you scratch and brown coat to actually putting color on the house. Stucco takes more time to cure in the winter than it does in the summer, so you have to let it do its thing. Semi-custom and tract homes are notorious for being "rushed" so most don't give stucco enough time to crack. Stucco will naturally crack out, but you can eliminate seeing the cracks almost entirely by just letting the stucco cure properly and then putting an elastomeric color coat on the top (almost like a thick paint), thereby filling all the cracks. My home was built by a very reputable builder and my stucco was allowed to crack out properly and therefore, a year later, and I have no cracks (not even hairlines that I notice) in a very large home. I don't want to bad mouth anyone, but there are a few builders that cut as many corners as possible in order to produce a home the fastest and cheapest possible
My realtor told me to stay away from stucco~she said too much moisture here and she is a native of Treasure Valley.....she said you will have a mess, with cracks and trying to keep it up. Just what I was told when buying.
Your realtor doesn't know what she's talking about. She may be right to steer you away from it because some spec homebuilders don't know how to properly apply the stuff, but it sure as heck isn't too wet here for stucco - it's a desert here. If it's too wet here it's too wet anywhere.
I am new to the Boise Idaho area. We just built a home and it’s Stucco. The stucco is so wavy that I’m sure it’s not code. Having problems getting the builder to do anything about it. Not sure how I can post a picture. People stop in the neighborhood and say what did they do to your house. They say there is no way this is code. Please advise me
Thanks
Last edited by Dee scholten; 04-20-2020 at 01:16 PM..
Reason: Spelling. Also looking for way to post pictures
Your realtor doesn't know what she's talking about. She may be right to steer you away from it because some spec homebuilders don't know how to properly apply the stuff, but it sure as heck isn't too wet here for stucco - it's a desert here. If it's too wet here it's too wet anywhere.
Stucco is quite popular in the midwest.... where it is FAR more humid than the Treasure Valley! You don't listen to realtors for construction advice.... unless you ask your dentist to repair your car LOL
So latest poster.. how do you mean 'wavy'? Is it 'wavy' if you look along the side of the house and so the wall does not look flat? Or 'blotchy' in color? Maybe poorly applied, but I am not aware of any code requirements for appearance. A pix would be worth a thousand words....
My realtor told me to stay away from stucco~she said too much moisture here and she is a native of Treasure Valley.....she said you will have a mess, with cracks and trying to keep it up. Just what I was told when buying.
Yep, she's definitely a native if she believes there's too much moisture here! No perspective apparently
I've seen plenty of bad stucco here but a lot more good stucco. I think the problem comes down to application, like others have suggested. I was surprised how popular stucco became here compared to the other places I've lived in the West but I suppose it's because of the high dessert climate?? I'm not a fan as a primary siding. It's a pain to deal with afterwards whenever it's needed.
I had it happen to me on a new home built in Utah. The crap builder didn't "tent" the home when they stucco'd it in December of that year which it should have been. Also it wasn't properly screened. A year after we moved in it began cracking in multiple areas. When done right regardless of the time of year it can go many years without a crack. There is a right and wrong way to do it to be sure.
Aren't the homes suppose to be built with the proper materials to the types of weather the area is going to be exposed to?
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