It is quite common to have stucco cracks. Anyone that owns stucco walls will usually tell you that have cracks in their stucco walls appear to be normal for them. Once you have stucco, you should be able to know how the cracks form and when is the best time to have them repaired. Check out the guide below what causes them, when you need stucco repair, and how to repair them:
Different kinds of stucco cracks
There are many kinds of cracks that usually take place in stucco walls. Basically, they happen because of various factors considered and the following will let you know how you can fix stucco cracks. Below are some of the things that you should pay attention to for you to determine the kinds of cracks you have in your stucco walls:
Foam trim cracks
Sometimes, the used foam trim on stucco develops some cracks. Once you can observe cracking here, it means that a fiberglass mesh tape was not utilized when they installed the foam trim. Shrinkage and expansion will then result in cracking eventually.
Hairline cracks
Hairline cracks are usually extremely thin with about more or less 1/16 of an inch. These types of cracks are the most typical forms of cracks that you will observe. The basically occur due to many various factors. Hairline cracks are most common in new houses while the plaster moves and settles during construction. Sometimes, construction work, shifting foundations, and drying timber will all result in hairline cracks to happen.
Spider Cracking
Spider cracks in your stucco is similar to spider webs in appearance, hence the name. Once you have observed this in your stucco, it is an indication that the base coat was not enabled to properly cure. This could be due to the reason that the temperature was not right when it was applied, it dried too fast or there was too much water in the mix.
Pattern Cracking
You might observe cracks that entail a pattern on your walls. It typically displays similar to a grid of vertical and horizontal lines on your stucco. Pattern cracking can occur since there are issues with the manner the lath was set up. Perhaps it wasn’t nailed on properly, which will result in more cracks eventually.
Diagonal Cracking
Diagonal cracks are naturally diagonal in shape, hence the name. Usually, they are seen around windows and doors. These occur because of the seismic changes in the foundation, which causes them to shift. Once these cracks appear wider compared to other cracks you have on your stucco wall, it would be best to pay attention to this type of crack first.
When should you have your stucco cracks repaired?
If you can observe any cracking in your stucco walls, the perfect time to repair them would simply be as soon as possible. Even if you only observed a tiny crack, it would be a wise idea to take action about it right away.
Recent Comments