STUCCO INSPECTION: 3 Things To Look

Stucco is a reservoir cladding, meaning It absorbs and holds moisture. Ideally, it dries to the exterior. If detailed incorrectly, we see MASSIVE FAILURE. Here's 3 things we check during our initial stucco inspections. 1. We ALWAYS check the way the builder handled windows and doors. If there were no corners, no opening, and it didn't rain, no one would mess up a wall. Any a builder adds a penetration to a wall, it's a potential for failure. There's non-invasive inspections that give us insight to how the last builder operated. 2. Stucco is simple. It's a cementitious, reservoir cladding. It should should NEVER change planes. You should assume that water exists behind stucco. How's it gonna get out? If you have to wrap a horizontal corner, it's IMPERATIVE that there's weeps detailed in. 3. The easiest way to check a stucco install is to look at ground level - there's no ladder work. How the builder detailed the foundation will tell you everything about how the builder handled the rest of the job. You're looking for drainage and flashing. Flashing and drainage. Always. 4. (bonus). Look for control joints. Large planes of stucco move - and the entire height of a building is too fall for water to wick out. Most modern codes dictate that stucco sections should be less than 144 square feet. This almost never happens. If you have a stucco on wood wall, MAKE SURE THERE'S CONTROL JOINTS. ------------ A Note From Philly Green Building: Thanks for checking us out. Our company is Subversive Building, DBA @GreenBuildingNetwork on Youtube and @PhillyGreenBuilding on Instagram. We’re a sustainability obsessed GC in Philadelphia trying to share our knowledge for your home improvement or renovation project. We explore low carbon building methods and practices to build a sustainable home. Our goal is to achieve passivhaus standards, but we often gravitate towards practical, achievable results! Make sure to subscribe to stay up to date on this project and many more! We talk about more involved upgrades like this, as well as diy projects and home improvement. ------------ Share This Video:    • Video   ------------ Do you have questions about this video? Join the conversation by dropping a message in the comment section below! ------------ Subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on our work, research, review, and mistakes. Help us fight the good fight! 00:00 Introduction 00:33 No Head Flashing! 01:27 What Head Flashing Looks Like 02:08 Stucco Changing Planes 03:33 Stucco-to-Foundation Transition 04:33 Bonus: Expansion Gaps 04:52 Bloopers/Outro