Stucco Remediation Versus Repair
Image Credit: frielplastering.com
If your home has a stucco exterior that isn’t holding up quite as well as it once did, you’ve probably come across two terms: stucco remediation and stucco repair. These two terms describe very different services, which may not be immediately clear. Knowing the difference between the two can save you both time and money. You don’t want to opt for repair when you really need remediation, and you may not want to opt for remediation when all you need is repair.
What is Stucco Repair?
Stucco repair refers to the fixing of damage at the surface level. Most often, repair is used for damage resulting from an outside force such as something striking and breaking the material. Cracks may also develop in certain areas over time that can be quickly repaired.
Benefits of Repair
The two main benefits of repair over remediation are that it’s both quicker and cheaper. Since repairs are generally surface-level fixes, they don’t require the extensive work that remediation does. Additionally, because repairs can be performed by less-skilled workers, the cost is cheaper than remediation would be.
When Should You Repair?
Repair should generally only be done if the damage to your stucco is surface level. If there are small cracks, no mold or moisture present, and the stucco is relatively new, repair might be all you require. However, in some cases, it will take a thorough check by an experienced stucco repair person to determine whether the damage is surface level or the result of larger, underlying issues.
What is Stucco Remediation?
Stucco remediation is the complete repair and replastering of the entire wall system to fix the underlying issues causing the damage. These underlying issues often involve moisture penetration into the space between the outer layer of the stucco and the inner framework of the walls. This could either be due to the original job being done poorly or the original job being so old that it no longer holds up. Since this service is much more in-depth, it requires more-skilled workers to perform.
Benefits of Remediation
The major benefit of remediation is that it’s a permanent fix because it solves the underlying issues that were causing damage to the stucco. If moisture penetrates the exterior surface, then it won’t matter how many times you repair the damage, it will keep coming back. But with remediation, the problem is solved at the source. The additional benefit of remediation is that it also protects the rest of your home from damage. When stucco is damaged by interior moisture, that’s often a sign that interior structures are also being damaged by moisture.
When Should You Remediate?
Remediation is necessary when the damage to your stucco is caused by a deeper issue. It’s a more expensive service than a simple repair, so it’s understandable to not want to commit to it unless absolutely necessary. However, the cost of using simple repairs to continuously postpone inevitable remediation will be even greater. If your stucco is old and crumbling or showing signs of mold and moisture intrusion, it’s probably time to remediate.
The Remediation Process
The remediation process begins with a thorough check of your stucco wall system to determine if there are any underlying issues. Areas around windows are some of the most common spots to find evidence of moisture intrusion, so this is often where the inspection begins. If no evidence of underlying issues is discovered, then a simple repair job may be all that’s needed to fix the damage to your stucco.
If underlying issues are discovered, the remediation process will begin with the stripping away of the stucco layers down to the base layer of the exterior wall. Once the outer layers are removed, the internal damage can be properly repaired. Next, any internal sources of that damage will be repaired as well. And finally, the layers of stucco will be reapplied using modern materials and techniques to create a permanent fix. Once the internal damage has been repaired and the stucco has been reapplied correctly, there should be no further damage to your wall system for the duration of its life (up to 50 years).
Conclusion
Deciding whether the damage to your stucco requires repair or remediation can be tricky for many homeowners — especially if they don’t fully understand the difference between the two services. All you need to remember is that repair is for minor damage that doesn’t have an underlying cause, and remediation is for major or recurring damage caused by an underlying issue with the stucco installation. And when you aren’t sure whether you need repair or remediation, the stucco remediation experts at Friel Plastering can help determine the extent of your damage before you commit to one service or the other.
NOTE:
This article was reposted from frielplastering.com and original can be read here.