Stucco Inspection and Testing in Montgomery County, PA

In a stucco inspection with stucco testing, the inspector will first perform a visual inspection.  They will observe the absence or presence of flashings, sealants and other design details.  They will then proceed with a thermal imaging scan using an infrared camera.  Following this, the stucco testing will occur where the stucco is probe tested for moisture.

If your home has never received a stucco inspection with stucco testing this should be done immediately.  It is always cheaper to fix a stucco problem today than it is to let it get worse.  Properly maintained homes only need to be inspected every 5-10 years, or when they are being transacted.  

Stucco Homes can suffer from a very common issue of leakage.  This condition is from the improper installation of the waterproofing and flashing behind the stucco.  Because stucco is not a waterproof material, steps must be taken to protect the wood sheathing and framing from becoming wet and rotted.  In 50% of the stucco homes, this waterproofing and flashing is not sufficient to keep the wood dry and the house rots from the inside.  This condition is completely invisible from the outside. 

To test for the type of stucco we typically take a core sample of the material.  This way we can document whether the stucco is hard coat stucco or EIFS.  Many times insurance companies require the stucco be tested.  This is due to the fact that especially in northeastern climate, EIFS in particular does not perform well.  Many homeowners insurance companies (but not most) will not insure homes with EIFS cladding due to these issues.

Yes, stucco issues are often covered by insurance – if you file the claim properly.  Most homeowners will be denied these claims if left to deal with the insurance companies on their own.  There is a process to get a successful claim paid from an insurance company.  This involves experience and documentation, and sometimes legal help.  Stucco Safe has been instrumental in getting claims paid on these claims in several cases over $250K was paid by the insurer. 

The worst years for stucco installations are from 1988 to 2015.  In Many cases, stucco homes which are older that were painted with masonry paint will be bad at any year.  In urban areas, where new codes are slow to be adopted,  even 1 year old stucco can fail.  

You only need to wait 30 minutes after it stops raining to perform a stucco inspection.  The reason for this is, the areas being inspected should always be dry.  Just like the drywall in your house.  You don’t expect that to be wet after it rains, right?  Neither should be your wood sheathing.  Inspectors that don’t take precautions to avoid lateral moisture by  manually insulating their meters should wait 3 days (or should probably not be doing inspections at all).