Stucco Inspections for Home Owners

Make Repairs Your Way

Secondly, if there is an issue, you have the chance to make repairs or disclose the potential issues and the prices up front. This will allow you to sell your home for the highest amount possible. There are often approaches that will reasonably fix the issues that currently exist without replacing all of the stucco. Unfortunately, when these issues come up for a buyer, they may seek to have more than the current issues fixed; increasing potential concessions on your price. This can lead to a more expensive repair or lost time in the sales process where a new buyer must be located.

Stucco Certification

Stucco Safe offers a certification program for home sellers to provide an additional sales tool for the marketing of your stucco clad home as well as peace of mind for your potential buyers. CertificationStucco Safe Certification

Sellers Should Control Their Stucco Inspection

When it comes to selling a home in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, and particularly in Philadelphia County and Delaware, one important step in the process is a stucco inspection. Stucco exteriors are common in many homes built in these areas. While stucco offers an attractive and durable siding alternative, improperly installed stucco applications can lead to costly repairs due to moisture intrusion and structural damages. As such, professional stucco inspection is highly recommended before placing a property on sale. When selling your home it is best to hire your own stucco inspector. 

What Do Stucco Inspectors Do?

Stucco inspection services are businesses that specialize in examining the exterior walls of stucco homes. These businesses work to protect homeowners and buyers alike by identifying problem areas that could lead to costly repairs if left unaddressed. A stucco inspector will evaluate the exterior of a house, paying particular attention to the windows and siding where water leaks are most likely to occur. They also look for signs of water intrusion in the basement, as this could indicate failing stucco on the exterior walls. 

What’s involved in a stucco inspection. 

Typically, stucco inspections involve drilling small holes in the walls at various locations to check for moisture. If an issue is detected, further tests are completed to determine the extent of the problem. In some cases, this might require portions of the stucco to be removed. The inspection also includes checking the interior of the house for signs of mold and structural damage, which can result from water intrusion. The inspector will then compile a report, often accompanied by photos, which outlines any discovered problems and the estimated cost for repairs or remediation. What’s Involved in an Invasive Stucco Inspection?

Who Pays For Stucco Repairs?

Once the inspection has been completed, the homeowner or the seller is responsible for any necessary repairs (stucco remediation).  Unlike a home inspection, stucco remediation is usually paid 100% by the seller.

What is Stucco Remediation?

Stucco remediation is a complex process that involves not just the repair or replacement of the stucco, but also addressing underlying issues that may have led to stucco failure in the first place. It’s important to remember that the severity of the issue will dictate the extent of the remediation process. Below is a generalized step-by-step breakdown of what may be involved in a stucco remediation project.

 Removal of Affected Stucco: The affected stucco is carefully removed. This can include areas where there’s visible damage, but also areas where inspection has revealed hidden damage. 

Inspection of Underlying Layers: Once the stucco is removed, a thorough inspection of the underlying layers is conducted. This can reveal issues such as water damage, mold, rot, or structural damage.

Repair of Damaged Underlying Structures:Any damage found to the underlying layers of the wall, such as sheathing or structural elements, is repaired. This might include replacing water-damaged wood, treating or removing mold, or repairing structural issues.

Removing and Flashing Windows: When remediating stucco and replacing the stucco a crucial step is the removal of the windows and doors.  Pan flashing is applied to the rough openings, and this flashing extends out to the face of 2 layers of 60 minute water resistive barrier.  If this step is skipped, the new stucco will almost certainly leak and fail again in the same locations.

Installing a Moisture Barrier: A key part of stucco remediation is ensuring that moisture issues don’t recur. This usually involves installing a moisture barrier or a drainage plane between the stucco and the underlying layers of the wall. This helps prevent water that gets into the stucco from reaching the underlying structures, and allows any moisture that does get in to exit the wall assembly.

Reapplying Stucco:Once the underlying structures have been repaired and the moisture barrier is in place, new stucco can be applied. This process typically involves applying several layers, including a base layer, a reinforcement layer (often with mesh), and a finish layer. Each layer requires time to cure before the next one can be applied.

 It’s important to understand that stucco remediation is not a quick fix but a detailed process that requires time, expertise, and often a significant investment. However, it’s a crucial step towards preserving the longevity of the property and ensuring the safety of its occupants.some cases, the entire wall or siding may need to be replaced, which can be costly. This is why many homeowners in Philadelphia and Delaware opt for stucco inspection services before listing their homes for sale. This proactive step can help prevent any unpleasant surprises during the real estate transaction, saving both time and money.

Who Pays For The Stucco Inspection?

In a real estate transaction, it is common for the buyer to pay for the stucco inspection just like with the home inspection. However, since the seller is typically the one paying for repairs, it’s important that sellers hire their own stucco inspector.  Here are a few of the reasons why:

Many stucco inspectors are professional home inspectors who have added this service on.  The training videos that are offered by the major certifying bodies, do not do a good job adapting their methods to hardcoat stucco which is the most common type in the northeast.  This leads to false positive stucco inspections.

Home Inspection companies that are lower cost than average generally have less experienced inspectors.  Errors in stucco inspection tend to be overly negative.  In other words, if someone screws up the stucco inspection it’s more likely they will fail it when it’s actually good.  

Hire Stucco Safe For The Accurate Result!

Stucco Safe performs second opinion inspections for sellers and owers of properties looking to confirm the actual condition of their stucco system.  Many times we find mistakes made by others, saving our sellers tens of thousands of dollars.  If you are selling your home and have been given a failing stucco report from the seller, give us a call.  The Owner is always happy to review reports from other companies and check for the tell tale signs of inexperience.  If he sees these in the stucco inspection report, he will recommend a second opinion inspection.  We have saved sellers from 6 figure credits on several occasions.  

It’s always cheaper in the long run for sellers to hire Stucco Safe in advance of having a buyer engaged.  

How much is a stucco inspection?