Why do I need a stucco inspection?
Stucco is a durable and beautiful exterior. When properly maintained, stucco will remain strong and show nicely. But it is almost impossible to determine if there is damage to the wood sheathing beneath the stucco without precise moisture probe testing. A visual inspection is just guesswork and will only detail areas that "may" lead to damage, while infrared camera testing is unreliable at best and not the proper tool to use with stucco. Further testing is always recommended. Minimally invasive moisture probe testing is the definitive method to detect the presence of moisture behind the stucco wall system.
Stucco is a durable and beautiful exterior. When properly maintained, stucco will remain strong and show nicely. But it is almost impossible to determine if there is damage to the wood sheathing beneath the stucco without precise moisture probe testing. A visual inspection is just guesswork and will only detail areas that "may" lead to damage, while infrared camera testing is unreliable at best and not the proper tool to use with stucco. Further testing is always recommended. Minimally invasive moisture probe testing is the definitive method to detect the presence of moisture behind the stucco wall system.
My home inspector also does stucco inspections. Why can't I use him?
Home inspectors are an important resource when evaluating a home, but many home inspectors will refer to a Certified Stucco Inspector for the evaluation of the exterior stucco on a home. Performing a proper stucco inspection requires time and experience, and most qualified stucco inspectors carry proper insurance which is specific to stucco inspections. There are a number of locations around a home that can allow moisture to get behind the stucco. An experienced stucco inspector is familiar with the intrusive nature of moisture. They deal with stucco issues all day, every day. Home inspectors do not have the extra time to spend evaluating the stucco because they are very busy inspecting the many other systems inside the home. And they are not as familiar with the specific problems associated with stucco. A good home inspector would consider a Certified Stucco Inspector as a value-added resource for their clients.
Home inspectors are an important resource when evaluating a home, but many home inspectors will refer to a Certified Stucco Inspector for the evaluation of the exterior stucco on a home. Performing a proper stucco inspection requires time and experience, and most qualified stucco inspectors carry proper insurance which is specific to stucco inspections. There are a number of locations around a home that can allow moisture to get behind the stucco. An experienced stucco inspector is familiar with the intrusive nature of moisture. They deal with stucco issues all day, every day. Home inspectors do not have the extra time to spend evaluating the stucco because they are very busy inspecting the many other systems inside the home. And they are not as familiar with the specific problems associated with stucco. A good home inspector would consider a Certified Stucco Inspector as a value-added resource for their clients.
My stucco has dark stains and is discolored in areas. Is that a problem?
Dark stains and discoloration are not necessarily an indication of a moisture problem. But they are a warning sign that further evaluation may be necessary. Stucco is a naturally porous material and will absorb moisture from rain, humidity and other water sources. Water that comes in contact with the stucco will be absorbed into the stucco. If that water contains dirt particles from the roof, dirty windows, the soil, mulch, etc., those dirt particles will also be absorbed into the stucco, causing discoloration. Some areas, particularly around windows and under gutter ends, are darker stained than others. This is mildew or algae from continual moisture exposure. As mentioned, an experienced stucco inspector will look for these areas but will always require further evaluation to determine if there is moisture damage.
Dark stains and discoloration are not necessarily an indication of a moisture problem. But they are a warning sign that further evaluation may be necessary. Stucco is a naturally porous material and will absorb moisture from rain, humidity and other water sources. Water that comes in contact with the stucco will be absorbed into the stucco. If that water contains dirt particles from the roof, dirty windows, the soil, mulch, etc., those dirt particles will also be absorbed into the stucco, causing discoloration. Some areas, particularly around windows and under gutter ends, are darker stained than others. This is mildew or algae from continual moisture exposure. As mentioned, an experienced stucco inspector will look for these areas but will always require further evaluation to determine if there is moisture damage.
How do I choose the right stucco inspector?
There are many factors in choosing the right stucco inspector. The unaware person will look up inspectors on the internet and go with the cheapest price trying to save money. Or they will go with the "free" estimate which is always delivered by a salesman ready to upsell you with a service that is not needed. Having a stucco inspector that charges too little is a sure sign of inexperience and poor quality. A qualified inspector will base their costs on the size of a job and deliver a detailed report complete with digital photos.
There are many people, from contractors to home inspectors to people outside the industry altogether, wanting to ride the stucco inspection bandwagon because of the horror stories related to stucco problems and a desire to make money from it. Stucco inspection equipment is expensive and a qualified stucco inspector will separate themselves with the right tools as well as the proper insurance specific for stucco inspections.
The inspection itself is time consuming and the detailed report takes just as long to generate. You want to be sure that the stucco inspector you choose has invested in the right tools before you invest your money in them. You should hire the stucco inspector that has the proper credentials and the stucco inspection experience to uncover moisture issues that less experienced inspectors would overlook. A stucco inspector with building industry experience is more knowledgeable about construction practices to determine if moisture damage is occurring as a result of the stucco or because of improper installation of other parts of the home.
The novice stucco inspector will check a few windows as a "representative sample" of all of the windows and assign the results, positive or negative, to all of the windows. Often, the new stucco inspector will not test an area just because a stucco component was missing, calling it a defect. This could result in the unnecessary removal of the stucco on a large portion of the wall when, in fact, there is no moisture damage. And a simple repair to add the missing component would have resolved the issue.
Remember, stucco inspections are not code inspections. Missing stucco components are reported and explained as they relate to the integrity of the wall system. The purpose of the stucco inspection is to determine if moisture is getting behind the stucco wall and if that moisture is having a negative impact on the substrate of the house.
There are many factors in choosing the right stucco inspector. The unaware person will look up inspectors on the internet and go with the cheapest price trying to save money. Or they will go with the "free" estimate which is always delivered by a salesman ready to upsell you with a service that is not needed. Having a stucco inspector that charges too little is a sure sign of inexperience and poor quality. A qualified inspector will base their costs on the size of a job and deliver a detailed report complete with digital photos.
There are many people, from contractors to home inspectors to people outside the industry altogether, wanting to ride the stucco inspection bandwagon because of the horror stories related to stucco problems and a desire to make money from it. Stucco inspection equipment is expensive and a qualified stucco inspector will separate themselves with the right tools as well as the proper insurance specific for stucco inspections.
The inspection itself is time consuming and the detailed report takes just as long to generate. You want to be sure that the stucco inspector you choose has invested in the right tools before you invest your money in them. You should hire the stucco inspector that has the proper credentials and the stucco inspection experience to uncover moisture issues that less experienced inspectors would overlook. A stucco inspector with building industry experience is more knowledgeable about construction practices to determine if moisture damage is occurring as a result of the stucco or because of improper installation of other parts of the home.
The novice stucco inspector will check a few windows as a "representative sample" of all of the windows and assign the results, positive or negative, to all of the windows. Often, the new stucco inspector will not test an area just because a stucco component was missing, calling it a defect. This could result in the unnecessary removal of the stucco on a large portion of the wall when, in fact, there is no moisture damage. And a simple repair to add the missing component would have resolved the issue.
Remember, stucco inspections are not code inspections. Missing stucco components are reported and explained as they relate to the integrity of the wall system. The purpose of the stucco inspection is to determine if moisture is getting behind the stucco wall and if that moisture is having a negative impact on the substrate of the house.
Should I have an infrared camera test done instead?
While infrared cameras are an invaluable tool for the home inspector to determine a number of things from hot spots in electrical panels to missing insulation in wall cavities, they are not the tool to use for stucco inspections. Stucco Diagnostics is Infrared Certified and experienced with the use of IR cameras in a variety of other applications where moisture detection is a concern. The use of IR cameras to detect moisture behind stucco is unreliable at best and often returns what are called "false positive," meaning the IR camera shows a positive area that is suspected of having moisture damage, only to find that after removing all of the stucco, there was no issue at all. This is a very costly mistake which could have been avoided. All visual testing, including IR testing, should be followed up with a verification moisture probe test.
Infrared cameras are great for regular home inspections. They are not useful for stucco inspections. Anyone pushing the use of an infrared camera for a stucco inspection does not fully understand their own equipment nor the properties of the wall system they are testing.
While infrared cameras are an invaluable tool for the home inspector to determine a number of things from hot spots in electrical panels to missing insulation in wall cavities, they are not the tool to use for stucco inspections. Stucco Diagnostics is Infrared Certified and experienced with the use of IR cameras in a variety of other applications where moisture detection is a concern. The use of IR cameras to detect moisture behind stucco is unreliable at best and often returns what are called "false positive," meaning the IR camera shows a positive area that is suspected of having moisture damage, only to find that after removing all of the stucco, there was no issue at all. This is a very costly mistake which could have been avoided. All visual testing, including IR testing, should be followed up with a verification moisture probe test.
Infrared cameras are great for regular home inspections. They are not useful for stucco inspections. Anyone pushing the use of an infrared camera for a stucco inspection does not fully understand their own equipment nor the properties of the wall system they are testing.