Contractor skipped second of three stucco coats.

[Fran]

Standard stucco, none of the fake stuff. Philadelphia, Pa. First contractor put up scratch coat over chicken wire and building paper. Aggressive rake. Contractor got very sick and had to go out of business. Comes winter - and it's too cold to put up cement stucco. This was last November.

It's now May 15th. A new contractor was awarded the job to finish what the ailing contractor started. I signed a contract for:

1) Bonding coat 2) Second, middle, "brown" coat 3) Finish coat. Penn Crete stucco brand.

Problem: Contractor skipped second coat. The finsh coat doesn't look as good as the houses around my home. What's more, I'm concerned that there will be moisture problems and cracking DUE TO LACK of application of the middle "brown" coat. Finally, because the "bonding agent" was not applied to the 7 month old scratch coat, I'm concerned the top layer(s) might break away.

PS: The existing but erroneous finish coat is pretty smooth

Help:

1) How important is the second coat which was skipped? Must I force the contractor to take all of the stucco off and do the job over again? 2) Can a third coat be applied over the existing coat to make up for the error? 3) What about that bonding agent? It wasn't done.

The reason this all happened is because the current contractor subcontracted this out rather than doing it himself though he put it in writing that he would do all the work himself. I think he didn't communicate requirements to the sub.

Thanks to all

Fran

[zxcvbob]

I hope you haven't paid for the work yet...

Bob

[Richard J Kinch]

You didn't pay him and have a written contract right? Nail 'im.

[Rudy]

There are not ALWAYS 3 coats. Many applications are ONE greycoat and one colorcoat or one greycoat and one texture..than painted. Depends on where you are and whats WRITTEN in your bid/contract.

R

[m Ransley]

Why do you need a bonding agent

[Fran]

The contractor noted that the scratch coat was up since last November, thus close to seven months old. He said dirt, grime, and all other big city polution stuff could have affected the "sticking power" of last Friday's application. The sub, as you know, didn't use a bonding agent..

I don't want to rip this all down and start over, so if the bonding agent is not needed, score one for diplomacy between me and the contractor.

And if a third coat can go up on top of the Penn Crete finish coat, which looks really lumpy (because they skipped the brown coat), we could all win. Do you think it might be possible to score or scrape some "keys" or ruts in the erroneous second coat to make it a good surface to put up the third and final coat? Would Penn Crete brand finish coat thusly scribed be OK as a brown coat?

Thanks all so much.

Fran

[m Ransley]

I can see a powerwashing would have been smart, bonder im not sure of. Why not call Penn crete they know their product best. If you have litigation you will need their testimony and should follow their advise on your house. Ive done Stucco but never waited 7 months. You should try to finish the job, ripping down -redoing work will only cost you alot money now. Even if you win in court you may never collect a penny. I hope you didnt pay yet till its all worked out.

[Jeff Cochran]

If your contract says you can.

Yes.

If your contract stated it was to be done, you have recourse as specified in your contract.

None of which matters. Your contract matters.

Jeff

[Fran]

The contract CLEARLY states that contractor shall apply a bonding agent on the seven month old scratch coat, then a brown coat, and finally a finish coat. Period.

Now, from this group, and people I talked to about this situation, it appears the bonding agent was not necessary, although I would have liked it or, as one person said here, at least a power wash. As for as a final coat, people in this group say I can have a third coat applied to what is there now (the suposed last coat). Do you all feel this is so? I have read that the brown coat is quite smooth with little or no scoring or keying. Yet is ready for the final finish coat.

[Lake]

the finish coat is just that, which is purely decorative to give you the desired look and feel. The paper/scratch and brown is doing all the work!... If you are after a rough knock down type finish, you should be fine to go ahead an apply it directly to the brown... A really smooth finish coat will be alot harder becuase you would have had to do it when the brown coat was still a little green (wet). Sounds like you desire a rough finish coat anyways, so have them toss it up!... I wouldn't sweat all the issues of bonding agents etc, its just roughly 1/4 inch of concrete bonding to another 1/4 inch, there is very little load so to speak? Stucco cracks/stucco fails, stucco is easily repaired from normal issue as is ages...

Unfortuneately, I have done alot more stucco than I care to admit!

[Fran]

Yoe are kind. The longer I look at the job, the more I can accept it as it is. The ball is in the contractor's court. As soon as I know what he wants to do, I'll let you know. I still have 2/3 withheld until he does the job according to the contract. I want him to put up that last coat just to smooh the lumps out. Thanks again. Until then ...

FRan

[Phillymason]

27 yrs stucco exp here ( Philadelphia area) If 1st scratch coat is 1/2 inch an flattish no need to double it up( brown coat) The rake lines in scratch coat is what makes next coat stick. If it was scratched no need for bonding agent. Bonding agent is necessary when you're going over a smooth substrate Now if it's been sitting for 7 months they could have brushed it off thoroughly and maybe sprayed it down the day before Sounds like the first contractor put on a rough scratch coat because he planned on doubling it up and getting that flat, that's why you have the waves which doesn't allow for the best texture As long as you have no wire hanging out and you can deal with the waves in the wall I don't think you have any concern of the finish coat falling off I would pay the man but not in full if the contract specified another coat of gray cement