Cracks and patches
Most cracks are small. Some are not.
Hairline cracks are common in stucco and are usually cosmetic. A crack that keeps widening, runs stair-step through the wall or lets water in needs a stucco contractor or engineer to look first. We tell you which you have.
A crack we fill, and one we flag
| We flag it | We fill it | |
|---|---|---|
| Width | We flag itWide enough to slide a coin into | We fill itA hairline, thinner than a coin edge |
| Pattern | We flag itStair-step, or running from a window or door corner | We fill itShort, random, in the surface of the stucco |
| Movement | We flag itWider than it was last season | We fill itLooks the same from one visit to the next |
| What happens | We flag itWe tell you in writing and suggest who should look | We fill itFilled, textured and coated, and on your estimate |
What we repair
Repairs, counted one by one
Each repair is a line on your estimate with its number, so a surprise is the exception.
Hairline cracks
Opened slightly, filled with flexible patching compound, then coated.
Patches
Chips, dents and old repairs filled and textured to match the wall around them.
Flaking coating
Loose coating scraped back to a sound edge, then sanded and primed before the new coat.
Questions about repairs
What does the estimate not include?
Repairs we find only after washing, such as hollow stucco or damage behind a downspout, and extra colors. We show you each one and price it in writing before we do it.
Can you match my existing color?
Yes, from a chip, a paint can or a sample we take from an inconspicuous spot. Sun fades stucco, so we compare the match on the wall in daylight before we coat all of it.
What is elastomeric coating?
A thick, flexible coating that is rolled or sprayed on in one or two coats. It can bridge many hairline cracks. It forms a continuous film, so if moisture is getting into a wall from behind, we say so and deal with that before coating.
My house was built before 1978. Does that change anything?
The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies to paid work that disturbs paint in homes and child-occupied buildings built before 1978. Tell us when your house was built. The firm's certification number is in the footer, and we follow the rule's steps on those homes.