Stucco Color

There is stucco that comes in a bag and there is stucco that comes in a bucket.

The stucco that comes in a bucket is more commonly known as synthetic stucco.

Bagged stucco comes with a color already tinted in it so all you do is add water and mix. While it may seem to be good practice to use a measured amount of water for bagged stucco, it is not often seen in the field. Water is added until stucco becomes workable. Too much or not enough water can cause the color to become lighter or darker. Color selection of bagged stucco is very limited compared to synthetic stucco.

Synthetic stucco comes pre-blended in a base white color. Most of the time you are given a color cup with the tint in it. The tint cup contains a measured amount of formula to achieve a specific color. This tint cup gets poured in the bucket and gets mixed until the color is uniform. Sometimes that manufacturer will mix the tint in the bucket for you in order to ensure consistency with their color for all their clients. Similar to paint, almost any color can be achieved with synthetic stucco. Manufacturers can transfer the formulas of paint colors to stucco colors. A lot of the Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore colors are already transferred by the stucco manufacturers.

Stucco color is mostly used in earth tone colors. Brighter or darker colors are more commonly used on commercial projects. These brighter and darker colors are a lot harder to tint and usually come with an expensive additional tint charge.

CLICK HERE to View the Pre-Blend Stucco Color Chart

CLICK HERE to View the Quaker Stucco Color Chart

CLICK HERE to View the STO Color Chart

Stucco Patch

What is the deal with a stucco patch?

It is very difficult to perfect. Why? Because a stucco patch will never match.

When installing the stucco finish, you can’t stop until you reach a terminating end or dissimilar surface (terminating ends can be inside & outside corners). This is because when applying stucco on a wall, you only have about 20 minutes of working time. You don’t want to stop and start allowing enough time for the stucco to dry because you will see a noticeable difference in stop and starting points.

Consistency in mixing the stucco is crucial because if you add too much water or not enough, that may make the color of the stucco a shade lighter or darker. Once the stucco dries completely, a patch will be noticeable. The older the stucco, the worse the patch won’t match.

Trying to patch older stucco is difficult because the stucco has probably faded and the pores of the stucco has probably collected some particles from vegetation, dirt, rust, & run-off causing stains or discoloration.

A common stucco patch is around windows and doors because the only way to replace a window or door surrounded by stucco is tear off the stucco around the window or door. The best solution for this is to patch the stucco around the window or door and then put stucco trim around it so that it will hide the patch. If stucco trim is not an option to hide the patch, then the only way to make the patch disappear is to resurface the entire area using terminating ends or dissimilar surfaces. This helps better ensure blending of color and texture with the rest of the building.

If the texture matches but the color doesn't then instead of adding an entire new layer of stucco, you can possibly paint the area to get a better match.

Stucco Remediation: Procedures

Table of Contents: 

I. Weep Screeds

    a. Drip Caps & Drip Edges

II. Building Paper

    a. Older Building Paper

III. Wire Lath 

    a. Fasteners

    b. Thermal Bridging

IV. Stop Beads, Caulks & Sealants

V. Kick-Outs

VI. Cement & Stucco

VII. OSB vs. Plywood

VIII. Window Flashing

This article is outlined to provide detailed technical information and procedures regarding stucco remediation, EIFS remediation, window flashing with stucco and EIFS, and the building envelope as a whole.

By definition, cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes. It is best to design and install a cladding that can manage and control water infiltration. Nobody should rely on caulks and sealants because over time, caulks and sealants always tend to fail from either movement, degradation from sunlight, or from temperature. Water is always bound to get behind the exterior cladding of a building. It doesn't matter if its brick, vinyl siding, stucco, stone, or EIFS, water will find a way through it. If you install a drainage plane and flashing with this type of mentality, you will never have to worry about water coming into the building.

I. A weep screed is a vinyl or metal track acting as a flashing to allow for drainage at the bottom of the drainage plane. It is the starting point of every drainage plane. Drainage planes begin at the framing foundation junction, above roof lines, on top of decks, porches, and sidewalks. It provides an exit by allowing the moisture that is draining down the wall to escape away from the wall. Many people think that the holes in the weep screed are weep holes to allow for moisture to drain out when in fact that is wrong.

Weep Screed Repair (At Grade)

 The edge, or lip, of the weep screed is what allows the moisture to drain out. After the cement and stucco are applied on top of the weep screed, the cement will shave away slightly on top of the drip edge of the weep screed and that becomes the exit for moisture. In the past, stucco has been furred off of the foundation by using wire lath to make it flush with the stucco that’s on the framing. This made the framing foundation junction invisible. Even though this may seem aesthetically pleasing, nobody knew that this was a big mistake in installing stucco. When moisture is traveling down the wall, it is looking for a way out, and when there’s no way out, it will get stuck at the junction and continue to look for a way out.

Weep Screed Repair (Installation)

What winds up happening is the moisture will wick back up the wall behind the building paper and may even start to rot the building paper and the sheathing. This may even cause people to get water on the sub-floors or in their basement because the moisture can travel inwards at the framing foundation junction. Sometimes people may even see termites inside their house as a result. 

a. Drip caps and drip edges serve the same function as a weep screed. Drip caps get placed above all doors and windows. Drip edges are used to separate two different drainage planes of different materials such as stucco on top of a brick or stone water table.

II. There are three very important components to look for when it comes to the building paper. The first and most simple component is to see if the building paper was overlapped properly. Similar to shingles on a roof, every next sheet of building paper needs to get lapped on top of the sheet below it. The overlap should be at least four to six inches. 

Building Paper Repair

 The second component to check is to see if the building paper is a 60 minute Grade D building paper. The third and maybe the most important component to look for is whether or not there are two layers of the building paper. This is crucial when it comes to the drainage plane because the top layer is a sacrificial layer to the bottom layer. The top layer acts as a bond break to create an air space to allow moisture to travel down the bottom layer and out at the weep screed. We call it a bond break because the modern day building papers have been sticking to the back of the cement allowing for no air space. With no air space or means for drainage, moisture gets trapped against the sheathing and mold will start to grow.

Building Paper Repair

a. There was a building paper called 15-pound felt paper that was asphalt based. It weighed 15 pounds per 100 square feet. In today’s modern day felt paper, the 15-pound felt paper weighs less than 7 pounds per 100 square feet. More than half of the cellulose and asphalt content were taken out of theses building papers. When the first coat of cement was being applied on top of the wire lath, the old heavy felt papers would absorb water from the cement and the paper would swell. As the paper dried, it shrank and de-bonded from the back of the cement creating a drainage space. The instability of the cellulose is why the bond between those older building papers and the cement did not occur.

III. The wire lath that is required in the stucco system is 2.5 gauge galvanized self-furring wire lath. For those of you who aren't familiar with the term furring, furring is the process of building away from an existing wall using furring strips, or in this case wire lath, to support a finished surface, being the cement and stucco. The wire lath needs to be self-furring which means that it needs to be pushed away from the wall. The wire lath is self-furring by its dimples, or indents, in the lath itself. These dimples are created in the manufacturing process of the lath. It is very important that the wire lath is self-furred from the wall because the lath needs to get embedded in the cement when the cement is installed. This gives the stucco wall its strength and durability. In the past people have used flat wire lath with no dimples or indents. This means that when the cement is applied, it is more likely that the cement will just be hanging on the wire lath versus the lath being embedded in the cement.

a. Wire lath is installed with fasteners, whether its staples, nails, or screws. It is mandated that the fasteners only go into the framing members, hence the studs, no more than six inches apart from each other. In the past, fasteners have been placed all over the wall without any awareness of where the studs were. When the fasteners are shot into the sheathing and not the studs, it allows a direct route for moisture to run down the shaft of the fasteners to the inside of the wall cavity (in between the drywall and the sheathing).

b. When you have the shaft of the fastener exposed in the wall cavity, the shaft becomes a conductor of condensation. Condensation gets collected on the shaft by means of thermal bridging in the wall cavity. Thermal bridging is what happens when you have a cold glass of water outside on a hot summer day. It starts to condensate on the outside of the glass. This happens not because the glass permeable and leaking water, it’s because of thermal bridging. Not only on a stucco wall, but any exterior cladding, thermal bridging can cause condensation on the shaft of the fastener. The fastener being in the studs becomes insulated from the wood so no condensation can accumulate from thermal bridging. When there are a lot of fasteners in a smaller area, the fasteners are squeezing the wire and building paper tighter to the sheathing which can cause moisture to get trapped in those areas.

IV. Stop beads, or casing beads, are used wherever the stucco meets a dissimilar surface such as sides of windows and doors, soffits, fascia, vinyl siding, and trim. The end of a stop bead gets placed about a half inch away from the dissimilar surface to provide a joint to receive backer rod and caulk. The sole purpose of these joints filled with backer rod and caulk is to control for differential expansion of dissimilar materials. The common misconception is that stucco needs to be caulked everywhere it meets a dissimilar surface (mainly windows). You should never have to caulk your windows where the stucco meets the window anyway because if the window flashing was installed properly with the drainage plane of the stucco, you will never have a problem if the concern is about water infiltration. A lot of houses with stucco already on them may not have stop beads or caulk around the windows or dissimilar surfaces and home inspectors always say that windows, doors, and light fixtures need to be caulked where the stucco meets them. Unless these dissimilar surfaces have a stop bead allowing for a caulk joint, caulking where stucco meets a dissimilar surface would be ineffective. You cannot caulk to stucco or cement because water absorbs through the stucco and cement and will get behind the caulk.

Kick-Out Repair (Before)

V. Kick-Outs need to be installed at inside corners where the roof meets the wall. Rain travels down the valley of the roof and pounds that inside corner flooding the stucco wall. A kick-out gets tucked behind the building paper of the stucco and underneath the step flashing of the roof. The kick-out protrudes out of the stucco and diverts all of the rain into the gutter or away from the wall.

         

Kick-Out Repair (After)

VI. Older mixes of cement and stucco had more lime making it more vapor permeable. As these products became more synthetic (adding acrylics, silicone, and polymers), they also became less vapor permeable which means they take longer to dry than a product that is more vapor permeable. Vapor permeability is simply vapor transmission, the ability to breathe.

VII. OSB vs. When plywood is much more vapor permeable when it becomes wet than when OSB (oriented strand board) becomes wet. Also, when plywood becomes wet, the moisture can move laterally whereas when OSB becomes wet it stays concentrated in that area.

Window Flashing Repair (Before)

Window Flashing Repair (After)

VIII. Windows always leak. If they don’t leak right away from out of the factory, then they will leak at some point in the future. The rough opening needs to be treated with flashing. Particularly with a pan flashing at the bottom of the rough opening.

 This pan flashing is designed in a way so that not if, but when the window leaks, the flashing of the window will direct the water to drain out and on top of the drainage plane of the exterior cladding. If the windows are not flashed properly with the drainage plane on the exterior, it won’t matter if you have siding, brick, stucco, or stone, the windows will leak to the inside of the building and behind the drainage plane on the exterior. 

Stucco Remediation

In a person’s attempt in researching Stucco or EIFS they might come across the term “cladding” or “stucco cladding”. By definition, cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes. Cladding can act as a control element instead of providing a water-proof condition. Cladding as a control element may serve to safely direct water in order to control run-off and prevent infiltration into the building structure. Stucco remediation requires a detailed scope of work and if any one procedure is missed, it is likely that problems will arise again. The same concept applies for EIFS remediation.

Nobody should rely on caulks and sealants because over time, caulks and sealants always tend to fail from either movement, degradation from sunlight, or from temperature. Water is always bound to get behind any and every exterior cladding of a building. It doesn’t matter if its brick, vinyl siding, stucco, stone, or EIFS, water will find a way through it. If you install a drainage plane and flashing with this type of mentality, you will never have to worry about water coming into the building.

Harrison, New Jersey

 Stucco is a cement based product. The thing with cement based products is that they are porous which means they absorb water. For example; when a stone, a sidewalk, or a brick gets wet, it becomes darker because it absorbs the water. The same concept applies with stucco. Stucco has a full absorption rate of about 15 seconds. That means traditional stucco only takes 15 seconds for water to fully absorb all the way through the stucco.

After 15 seconds, the moisture then hits the drainage plane. The drainage plane is made up of a drainage system that directs the moisture down to find an exit. The installation of the drainage system is made up of simple step procedures set by the building codes and standards. If any one of the step procedures is not followed, it may cause major problems. Such problems are mold, moisture damage, termites, or even structural damage. The only way to properly install a new drainage system in place of a faulty drainage system is to tear down the existing (to the substrate) from the bottom of any starting point (i.e. at grade, above a roof line, above a deck or porch) to the top where the drainage system would end (i.e. soffit areas, under decks) and then re-install the drainage system by following the procedures set in place.

If homeowners aren’t seeing direct water infiltration in their home (i.e. windows, doors, basements, floors, ceilings, or the stucco buckling and pulling away from the wall) the other most common cause to homeowners realizing that they have a stucco issue is that there was an inspection performed where moisture content readings were taken of the sheathing. Just because the windows aren’t leaking on the inside of the house does not mean that the window is not leaking. If the rough opening of the window was not flashed properly, almost every time the window will leak to outside of the house. Unknowingly that a “stucco patch” or a “stucco repair” are one of the worst attempts to fix the problem, people are caught using these phrases almost every time. A stucco patch or repair is only and will ever only be an attempt to fix the problem. It is not a solution and will never be a solution. The only way to fix it properly and be able to guarantee the performed stucco remediation project is to re-install a completely new drainage system.

Malvern, Pennsylvania

There is no minimally invasive way to determine the cause of the failure without opening up the wall and knowing exactly how the system was installed. It could just be one contributing factor that’s causing the failure, or it could be multiple factors. Attempting a patch or a repair is like putting a Band-Aid that’s waiting to fall off. The repair might seem like a fix in that localized area where the suspected damage is, but if the system was not installed properly in the one area then it would only be a matter of time until another part of the system would fail. That means it’s time for another patch. Now the wall will start to look like a chessboard with all of these patches and repairs because for those who don’t know, a patch or repair can never match the existing texture or color unless given the right circumstances which are very rare.

A repair on one area of a wall is putting a new proper drainage system surrounded by a faulty drainage system. In time when the rest of the system fails and has to be reinstalled, does the repair that was put in place stay on the wall? The more time allowed for the system to fail as a whole, the more is allowed for the damage to accumulate. Damage caused by stucco failure grows at an exponential rate. The sooner the problem is resolved as a whole, the more money anybody will save in the long run. In the long run, more damage accumulating means more time and money spent in labor and material. This is why it is best when doing stucco remediation to do it from top to bottom and to terminating ends going left and right like maybe an inside corner to an outside corner. If you perform a stucco patch and try to tie into the existing stucco system above and below the patch, there is no guaranteeing the patch to function properly with the rest of the system.

Chester County, Pennsylvania

Sincerely, 

Jerry Guzzo Sr, Owner
Guzzo Stucco

Learn all about Stucco Remediation with Guzzo Stucco!

        In a person’s attempt in researching stucco or EIFS they might come across the term “cladding” or “stucco cladding”. By definition, cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes. Cladding can act as a control element instead of providing a water-proof condition. Cladding as a control element may serve to safely direct water in order to control run-off and prevent infiltration into the building structure. Stucco remediation requires a detailed scope of work and if any one procedure is missed, it is likely that problems will arise again. The same concept applies for EIFS remediation.

       Nobody should rely on caulks and sealants because over time, caulks and sealants always tend to fail from either movement, degradation from sunlight, or from temperature. Water is always bound to get behind the exterior cladding of a building. It doesn't matter if its brick, vinyl siding, stucco, stone, or EIFS, water will find a way through it. If you install a drainage plane and flashing with this type of mentality, you will never have to worry about water coming into the building.    

Stucco is a cement based product. The thing with cement based products is that they are porous which means they absorb water. For example; when a stone, a sidewalk, or a brick gets wet, it becomes darker because it absorbs the water. The same concept applies with stucco.  Stucco has a full absorption rate of about 15 seconds. That means traditional stucco only takes 15 seconds for water to fully absorb all the way through the stucco. 

After 15 seconds, the moisture then hits the drainage plane. The drainage plane is made up of a drainage system that directs the moisture down to find an exit. The installation of the drainage system is made up of simple step procedures set by the building codes and standards. If any one of the step procedures is not followed, it may cause major problems. Such problems are mold, moisture damage, termites, or even structural damage. The only way to properly install a new drainage system in place of a faulty drainage system is to tear down the existing (to the substrate) from the bottom of any starting point (i.e. at grade, above a roof line, above a deck or porch) to the top where the drainage system would end (i.e. soffit areas, under decks) and then re-install the drainage system by following the procedures set in place. 

If homeowners aren't seeing direct water infiltration in their home (i.e. windows, doors, basements, floors, ceilings, or the stucco buckling and pulling away from the wall) the other most common cause to homeowners realizing that they have a stucco issue is that there was an inspection performed where moisture content readings were taken of the sheathing. Unknowingly that a “stucco patch” or a “stucco repair” are one of the worst attempts to fix the problem, homeowners are caught using these phrases almost every time. A stucco patch or repair is only and will ever only be an attempt to fix the problem. It is not a solution and will never be a solution. The only way to fix it properly and be able to guarantee the performed stucco remediation project is to re-install a new drainage system as explained in the paragraph above. 

There is no minimally invasive way to determine the cause of the failure without opening up the wall and knowing exactly how the system was installed. It could just be one contributing factor that’s causing the failure, or it could be multiple factors. Attempting a patch or a repair is like putting a Band-Aid that’s waiting to fall off. The repair might seem like a fix in that localized area where the suspected damage is, but if the system was not installed properly in the one area then it would only be a matter of time until another part of the system would fail. That means it’s time for another patch. Now the wall will start to look like a chessboard with all of these patches and repairs because for those who don’t know, a patch or repair can never match the existing texture or color unless given the right circumstances which are very rare. 

A repair on one area of a wall is putting a new proper drainage system surrounded by a faulty drainage system. In time when the rest of the system fails and has to be re-installed, does the repair that was put in place stay on the wall? The more time allowed for the system to fail as a whole, the more is allowed for the damage to accumulate. Damage caused by stucco failure grows at an exponential rate. The sooner the problem is resolved as a whole, the more money anybody will save in the long run. In the long run, more damage accumulating means more time and money spent in labor and material. This is why it is best when doing stucco remediation to do it from top to bottom and to terminating ends going left and right like maybe an inside corner to an outside corner. If you perform a stucco patch and try to tie into the existing stucco system above and below the patch, there is no guaranteeing the patch to function properly with the rest of the system. 



Sincerely,

Jerry Guzzo
Owner Guzzo Stucco

October is ALMOST Over!

Wow! October is almost over already! Guzzo Stucco has been conducting a fundraiser for the South Jersey Breast Cancer Coalition. We chose a local South Jersey breast cancer patient that is currently in treatment, and we are funding her bilateral mastectomy surgery.

How have we been doing this?

With all YOUR help!! We have received the most feedback through our social media contests. We have five active social networks that we are constantly updating and providing you with the newest information on, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram. For every 10 new followers and likes on each of these networks we are donating $5.00, and we have received THOUSANDS of new likes and followers within the past three weeks! We received over 900 NEW likes on Google+ alone! The second way we are fundraising is through testimonials and reviews! We went back through the decades and reached out to all our past and current clients and asked them if they could write a review and testimonial on their services received, and we would donate $10.00 on their behalf!

But wait it gets better! We haven't asked anyone to donate a penny, we are doing all the donating ourselves! At the end of the month everyone that has helped and participated in our fundraiser will be receiving a Breast Cancer Awareness Gift from Guzzo Stucco & the South Jersey Breast Cancer Coalition!

Our Fundraiser and Social Media Contests will end at midnight on October 31st, 2013!!

Visit www.guzzostucco.com to like and follow all our social networks, find out what online directories we are listed on, OR email us with your testimonial!

October has been a great month for Guzzo Stucco, we finished up the AMC Marlton 8 in Marlton, New Jersey and will have pictures of before, during and after next week on Transformation Tuesday! We also completed many residential homes that ranged from top to bottom re-modeling and small stucco repairs!

Have a Stucco or Masonry project, repair, or issue? Send us your pictures at info@guzzostucco.com and we can send you your free estimate with 48 hours!

Here is the Weekly Results of the "Natalia Reyes Bilateral Mastectomy Fundraiser" 

Facebook: 252 Likes
Twitter: 274 Followers
Google+: 1053 Likes
Pinterest: 20 Followers
Instagram: 11 Followers
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1,610 New Likes/Followers
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Please share our pages and fundraiser with your friends and family to help us raise as much money as possible! 

We couldn't be happier and more grateful for all your help with such a great cause! 

Masonry Monday: Guzzo Stucco featured a beautiful Pitman, New Jersey Project PART 1!

Transformation Tuesday: Guzzo Stucco featured the same Pitman, New Jersey Project PART 2! But this time the home exterior was remodeled from top to bottom! The Before & After Transformation will blow your mind!

Work of the Week Wednesday: EIFS-  insulated stucco system using EPS foam boards to give an R-Value to the wall assembly. 

Throwback Thursday: Guzzo Stucco featured, Owner Jerry Guzzo on the job with a carpenter contractor in 1989!

CLICK HERE to see all our new Pinterest Boards & Pins!

CLICK HERE to start following us on Instagram!

CLICK HERE to see our New Stucco Patch Page!

Warm Regards, 

Caitlin Nicke 

SMO Marketing Director 

caitlin@guzzostucco.com

Guzzo Stucco Masonry, Inc

www.guzzostucco.com 

3501 D'Ippolito Dr.

Vineland, NJ 08360

P: 856-690-8888

F: 856-690-8890

Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you!

October is a very exciting month at Guzzo Stucco! If you follow our Social Networks you have seen that we are sponsoring South Jersey Breast Cancer Coalition to help raise money for Natalia Reyes Bilateral Mastectomy Surgery!  

How can you help? Well, there is 2 different ways! 

If you are a current or past customer of Guzzo Stucco, you can visit any of our online directories, such as Google Places, Yelp, or Bing and post a Review of our services! Once completed and we receive notification we will donate $10.00 on your behalf! 

If you have not used Guzzo Stucco services, you can still help! How? By connecting with us online! Like and Follow one or all of our Social Networks; Facebook,  Twitter, Google+, Pinterest! For every 10 New Followers or Likes on each network we will donate $5.00 on your behalf! 

Weekly Results: 

Facebook: 132 New Likes

Twitter: 88 New Followers

Google+: 434 New Followers

Pinterest: 2 New Followers

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656 Total New Likes/Followers

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Please share our pages and fundraiser with your friends and family to help us raise as much money as possible! 

We couldn't be happier and more grateful for all your help with such a great cause! 

Masonry Monday: Guzzo Stucco featured a beautiful Ocean City, New Jersey Project 

Transformation Tuesday: Guzzo Stucco featured the Before & After Transformation of this Cherry Hill Home! 

Word of the Week Wednesday: Stone Veneer- used as a protective and decorative covering for exterior or interior walls and surfaces. 

Throwback Thursday: Guzzo Stucco featured a project from 1986 with owner, Jerry Guzzo, upon completion of "South Side Cleaners" masonry store front! 

CLICK HERE to see our NEW Pinterest Boards and Pins!

CLICK HERE to see our NEW Stucco Siding Page! 

Have a question about a project or need a FREE estimate? Email your pictures to info@guzzostucco.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible! Or Call 1-856-690-8888!