There is no shortage of pores in stucco walls. You have probably seen old stucco houses with many cracks here and there, This leads to water intrusion aggregated by heavy wind. If you want to waterproof stucco, that’s a good idea because stucco is not water resistant. Often stucco is waterproofed using water blocking materials, sealants or blockages along the leaks.
We suggest that you keep your stucco moisture free by ensuring a proper protection plan that keeps water out of the way. Water is often found in stucco because of ill planned structures. Ask your contractor to install flashing and weep screeds. While stucco itself isn’t water resistant, sealing it properly will keep your home safe. We asked contractors from Stucco repair Indianapolis about waterproofing methods and these are our takeaways:
We Specialize in the Type of Stucco Repair Philadelphia Residents Need.
Painting
Painting is a popular way of sealing stucco from harsh weather. Moisture inside stucco structures can stay hidden and damage the integrity of your wall. So painting has been done to seal the leaks that allow moisture in. A lot of paints are available in the market. Some of them contain a technology to allow the trapped moisture to evaporate. Painting these products on your stucco house will be beneficial. But you need to repaint your house after 5-6 years. This is a cost that will save you from permanent damage. An alternative to painting is to apply a thin layer of stucco mixed with waterproofing agents. This will give your siding the fresh look of newly done stucco while ensuring water resistance.
Even well built houses can fall victim to structure deterioration due to heavy intrusion of water. This is particularly true for wooden frames. It will look good from the outside but moisture will eat up the structural integrity of your house. We have a tendency to fall short on applying new paints regularly. But this will bring more damage in the future.
Barriers
Applying barriers to prevent water is a straight-forward way to do this. You can use barriers to block exterior stucco from the wall. Use a good paint afterwards if you want to seal the wall properly.
Sealants
You can use sealants, The sealants are weather resistant and easily applicable. Simply clean the surface with a brush followed by scrubbing. Keep it clean. Then apply the sealant. While sealants are excellent for preventing water inside. This is a common practice to save sidings from water entrances. The house itself needs to be protected. Stucco is however prone to water. So the barrier helps keep the house separate from the stucco layer. An elastomeric paint or water resistant ones should be applied on top of this to ensure an added level of protection. Windows are more prone to cracks, In old homes, large cracks are commonly found around the windows. Sealing these cracks is a shortcut to protecting your house. But fixing the cracks is better than any kind of tips and tricks.
Cracks
Fix the cracks. While small cracks are often ignored by house owners, these can be fatal. Cracks are easy passages for water. These small, innocent looking cracks are called hairline cracks. You should take care of these with rather simple solutions like elastomeric paint.
Caulking
Windows should be checked to find any possible damage since windows are prone to gaps and stresses. Caulking is an effective solution to be applied around windows. You can do it yourself with some readily available products in the market.
Passage Underneath
SInce stucco is prone to moisture consumption, the bottom of stucco walls should be carefully checked. Weakness in structural design may leave the wall with bottom passages. These passages are hotspots for water intrusion. The areas should be properly sealed and checked often.