September 13, 2022
Bellwether is proud to be an Elite Preferred James Hardie contractor because we believe in the quality and the benefits
A popular siding style in the American west is stucco, which creates a stone-looking finish traditional in desert and arid climates for a Santa Fe or Spanish Colonial style. While Colorado homes tend more toward modern and mountain rustic designs, there are some homes with other western-style influence that include stucco elements.
Traditional stucco homes were once constructed from natural ingredients and mesh, applied directly to the wall sheathing in one application. In the last couple of decades, most home builders have used to EIFS (External Insulation and Finishing System) stucco system, which includes added synthetic materials sprayed over a polystyrene foam board, followed by a fiberglass mesh and a finishing coat. Generally, stucco is a monolithic product, meaning it is sprayed on and hardened within a day. This makes any version of a stucco appealing in terms of cost, but the benefits stop there.
Whether or not your home has modern stucco or an older stucco product, stucco is generally hard to maintain. While the Colorado climate is dry, stucco was made popular in much more arid climates, like Arizona and New Mexico. In Colorado, with monsoon season and heavy snows, moisture is still an issue for a non-durable material such as stucco. And the product doesn’t hold up around problem areas that affect other traditional sidings, such as windows, light fixtures, hose attachments, and penetrable places require caulking and sealing.
Traditional stucco homes were once constructed from natural ingredients and mesh, applied directly to the wall sheathing in one application. In the last couple of decades, most home builders have used to EIFS (External Insulation and Finishing System) stucco system, which includes added synthetic materials sprayed over a polystyrene foam board, followed by a fiberglass mesh and a finishing coat. Generally, stucco is a monolithic product, meaning it is sprayed on and hardened within a day. This makes any version of a stucco appealing in terms of cost, but the benefits stop there.
Whether or not your home has modern stucco or an older stucco product, stucco is generally hard to maintain. While the Colorado climate is dry, stucco was made popular in much more arid climates, like Arizona and New Mexico. In Colorado, with monsoon season and heavy snows, moisture is still an issue for a non-durable material such as stucco. And the product doesn’t hold up around problem areas that affect other traditional sidings, such as windows, light fixtures, hose attachments, and penetrable places require caulking and sealing.
Once moisture leaks into the stucco in these areas, it is trapped behind the walls and will begin causing damage quickly. Unlike other forms of home siding which are designed for air flow, stucco doesn’t breathe. Due to the stucco application method, the water damage will not only affect the stucco itself, but can begin to rot the sheathing and framing behind the stucco covering.
The first signs of water damage to your stucco and walls are cracks or bubbling along the exterior walls, but it is possible you will begin to see interior water damage as well. Patching stucco cracks isn’t impossible, but it isn’t a matter of repair only the visible crack. Any stucco application service committed to quality work will remove an entire area of stucco to determine the root issue and the extent of the damage. You may have to replace an entire wall’s worth of stucco for a two-foot crack.
Because we believe in durability and work with long-lasting products such as fiber cement siding, Bellwether doesn’t patch or reapply stucco. However, we do offer stucco removal services. This process can be messy as stucco cannot be removed in panels or planks but will chip off in small pieces. The first thing to determine is what is underneath the stucco. If you knock on the wall and it sounds hollow, you likely have a more modern stucco with foam board underneath. If it is dense-sounding, probably your stucco was applied directly to a brick wall or even sheathing. Our removal teams are very careful to scrape away your stucco without damaging whatever wall is underneath the product, and because of this slow process and attention to detail, stucco removal can also be more costly. Additionally, if the water damage has spread beyond the stucco itself, your walls may need new sheathing or even framing. Because stucco traps and retains moisture, underlying walls start to disintegrate quickly, proving unsteady and unsafe.
Bellwether believes that stucco removal is worth the investment. Because even patching is such a large and involved project, most homeowners don’t want to be placed in the position of repairing stucco more than once. Better to remove the damaged product entirely and opt for something beautiful and durable, like fiber cement siding. And if the water damage has claimed your sheathing or wall structure, our full-service crew can address these issues as well, demoing the damaged areas and replacing everything with high-quality materials that ensure a safe, reliable finish.
Unique to Bellwether, we offer a pre construction meeting where we provide a clear and detailed scope before we begin building.
It's not over until you say so. We value your satisfaction with our product above all else. We offer final walkthrough to guarantee you are pleased.
Our team is proud to serve our homeowners on the Front range of Colorado. We know the unique needs of our clients and deeply care about the look and durability of your home’s exterior. Our team of experts are here to guide you through the process of repairing or replacing your home’s siding and windows.
30 - year Product Warranty | 15 - year Finish Warranty
Personalized Exterior Design Service
Excellent Service & Support Throughout Project Lifecycle
3D & HD Renderings of Your Home
Our team is proud to serve our homeowners on the Front range of Colorado. We know the unique needs of our clients and deeply care about the look and durability of your home’s exterior. Our team of experts are here to guide you through the process of repairing or replacing your home’s siding and windows.
30 - year Product Warranty | 15 - year Finish Warranty
Exellent Service & Support Throughout Project Lifecycle
Personalized Exterior Design Service
3D & HD Renderings of Your Home
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Bellwether is proud to be an Elite Preferred James Hardie contractor because we believe in the quality and the benefits
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Englewood, CO 80110
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