Nobody likes to find water damage hidden behind their walls. On the other hand, owners of stucco houses built between the 2000s and the mid-2010s are dealing with the same issue. Improperly built stucco systems may cause significant and expensive water damage.
Water seeping into your walls may cause health problems and jeopardize your home's structural integrity. Given this, it's critical to assess whether or not water has been trapped in your walls. If you see water in your walls, you should immediately call a stucco remediation specialist.
The sooner you repair your damaged home, the better. Water damage worsens with time, resulting in larger repair expenditures.
Look for the seven symptoms of water damage in your stucco. Cracking, discoloration, moss development, mold growth, crumbling, softening, and bubbling are all signs of water damage.
1. Crack Formation
Cracks in your stucco aren't always an indication of water damage. They couldn't possibly be a sign of anything bad happening. Cracks in your stucco may form due to a multitude of factors, including your home's foundation sinking.
This is not to say you shouldn't. not ignore any cracks in your stucco. It wouldn't have been on this list if it were not for Did. However, if you see cracks widening, look around for other signs of water damage.
Hairline fractures might be an indication of worsening. The fractures may be left alone or touched up if no other clues are detected. The most serious issues are bigger cracks. They might be caused by your stucco expanding and shrinking due to moisture retention.
Even if you discover a larger crack but no other signs of water damage, you should get it fixed. That crack may not have been caused by water, but it may have allowed water to enter your walls and cause damage.
2. Staining
Staining on your walls indicates moisture damage. Dirty streaks, for example, may appear where water rushes, such as along the edges of your windows. The issue here might be wrongly installed or missing flashing.
Along with streaks, you may see black patches. These discolored areas might be caused by moisture trapped inside the wall. Painting over them will not address the underlying issue generating the discoloration.
The discolored areas on your stucco walls may seem moist. If the rain has just ended, this isn't necessarily an issue. However, if the moist areas remain, it might indicate a concern. Start checking for black areas around fractures since water may enter the wall here.
3. Moss Growth
Moss growth does not always mean that water is trapped inside your walls, creating harm. However, it is a symptom that water is not effectively channeled away from your walls. Water that is not correctly directed away from your walls has the potential to cause damage over time.
Moss often grows at the foot of walls and along watercourses. Water may be dripping down your walls due to a problem with your flashing or gutters. Moss growing at the base of your walls may also indicate a lack of space between the termination of the wall and the ground.
Moss growing on your stucco - or any other exterior material - signals a problem that has to be addressed.
4. Mold Growth
Unlike most growth, mold growth often indicates water trapped inside your walls. Mold thrives in dark, moist areas, such as within wet walls. Mold might be the cause of the black spots on your stucco. And if you notice mold on the outside of your walls, chances are there's more on the inside.
Mold is harmful for two reasons. To begin with, it may be damaging to your health. Mold in your walls might be detrimental to the people who reside in your home. Second, it suggests that the wood timbers within your walls are rotting. Your walls become less structurally sound as the beams degrade.
5. Surface Crumbling
If the surface of your stucco is cracking, it should be visible. However, although surface degradation often indicates underlying deterioration, it is not always caused by water. Still, it's an indication that an issue inside your boundaries must be addressed.
As the surface of your walls deteriorates, they become more vulnerable to harm. More damage means more layers are removed. As more layers are eliminated, the injury worsens. It's a never-ending spiral of house destruction.
If the newly exposed layers are soft or If the surface is moist to the touch, It may be able to determine if the cracking results from water damage.
Another issue with surface cracking is that it implies that your property has fewer layers of water protection. Water will pass through stucco since it is a porous material. Efficiently be expelled from the walls. can't be properly drained.
6. Soft Spots
Additional indicators of water damage often accompany soft areas on stucco. There will likely be soft spots if your walls have mold or moss. Please call us if you see any water damage on a soft surface.
Look for soft places if you see cracks or other damage that are only sometimes caused by water. If you find them, you've most likely located your culprit.
7. Surface Bubbling
Bubbling is a sign of water damage, often linked with mushy spots and cracking. It happens when moisture enters under or between your stucco layers and heats up. Typically, bubbling is seen towards the bottom of walls where water collects.
Should you see any evidence of water harm, please contact us. On your stucco property, please contact Gold Star Stucco & EIFS Repair / Dayton Stucco. We'll inspect your walls and advise you on the next steps.
