I am adding some decorative masonry block to my stucco home. This is the heavy troweled type stucco finish. I notice today that some of the work done yesterday has a number of hairline cracks. iI this because of too much water in the mix...or too little...or maybe something else. I had done this a number of years ago and had no cracking as the heavier stucco dried ?
Thanks, Tim
you may be able to scratch out the cracked part and redo it. Or, just leave the non structural defect alone and think of it as decorative.
I'm no stucco expert but the first thing I'd suspect is too heavy of a coat which could cause uneven drying.
The same might be caused by the substrate sucking the moisture from the mud too quickly. -----
- gpsman
Stucco expands and contracts. Earth moves. Houses settle. There is imperceptible seismic activity. Hairline cracks are a fact of life with stucco. You will not see any stucco without cracks. Big cracks are a problem, but hairline are nothing to indicate poor work or inferior materials.
This is why elastomeric paint is sold for masonry and stucco. If there were no cracks for rubber stretchy paint to cover up and stretch with, there would be no market for elastomeric paints at all. Instead, they sell a LOT of it.
Think about it.
Steve
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.