Why Is Your Stucco Starting To Crack?
Stucco exteriors can be found on many homes across the country. Caring for your stucco properly is critical if you want to maintain the overall aesthetic of your home.
One of the biggest problems that your stucco will face is cracking. Cracks that form on the surface of your home's stucco can compromise not only the way the exterior of your residence looks, but also how structurally sound the stucco remains over time.
Learn more about some of the major reasons why stucco cracks so that you will be prepared to address this type of damage in the future.
Moist Foundation
Residential stucco is installed over the top of a wood foundation. It is essential that this wood foundation remains dry if the stucco is to remain intact over time. Plumbing leaks and excess humidity have the potential to cause the wood foundation below your stucco to become saturated with water.
A moist foundation will begin to swell as the wood becomes more and more saturated. This swelling places a lot of stress on the stucco, causing it to crack.
An experienced contractor will need to eliminate the source of the moisture before filling in any cracks to repair your stucco.
Water Infiltration
Moisture issues aren't limited to the foundation of your stucco. Water infiltration from the outside of your home can also cause serious stucco damage.
Any water that settles into hairline fractures within your stucco can cause major cracks to form. This is a direct result of the freeze and thaw cycle that water goes through over a period of time.
Water that freezes will expand. This expansion causes the stucco to split in order to accommodate the growing volume of the water. When the water thaws again, a crack is left behind.
Contractors can easily patch cracks caused by water infiltration to prevent further damage to your stucco exterior.
Structural Movement
Some cracks that form in stucco are not caused by any type of exposure to water. The structural movement of your home can contribute to the formation of cracks in a stucco exterior.
Homes naturally expand, contract, and settle as outside temperatures fluctuate. These natural structural movements will cause hairline cracks to form on a stucco surface over time.
Most hairline cracks aren't cause for major concern, but these cracks should be repaired before temperatures cool to prevent water infiltration from creating more significant cracks in your home's exterior.
Reach out to a residential stucco repairing company to learn more.
