The bulge...[stucco repair]

[rayinpenn]

A few years back a small section of the stucco on my home came away and was bulging out. So I went to Lowes and bought some stucco, wire lath, and tar paper. Fortunately our home was built using the old style stucco less prone to failures. I removed the lose stuff with a hammer and carefully fitted the tar paper and wire. Good news It was dry in there -I mixed the stucco applied it and darn if it didn't look too bad.

1. The color was off -its a bit whiter then the 25 year old original stuff.
2. The pattern is pretty good.

I was surveying casa RayinPenn a few days ago when I noticed the bulge... exactly between the first and second floor. Maybe 4 feet long in the middle of the right front field of the house. A couple inches but it is there and there is no denying it. First thought...There's no way a repair will match. Second thought...it will be a miracle if I can get away under $15,000 but we will see. Third thought ... An old man with one replaced knee and the other one achy should stay off ladders.

I think the house is kind of like me as you get older bad things happen... I've heard some stucco nightmare stories but complaining and worrying won't help will it...will it?

 

[CaptTom]

I've never done stucco, but frankly I'm not seeing any reason that a ladder would be any more dangerous for us "seasoned" folks than for younger ones. My former neighbor added a 2nd floor to his house in his 80's. By himself.

Being retired means having time to prepare for the job, get the materials and tools, wait for good weather, and especially, having time to do the job slowly and carefully. This is probably MUCH safer than what I used to do in my younger days.

Back then I'd have to make do with the materials and tools I could afford, work on house projects only when I had time, not when the weather was cooperating, and finish quickly because I only had weekends and evenings to do anything. Safety was a lower priority then.

 

[rayinpenn]

I've never done stucco, but frankly I'm not seeing any reason that a ladder would be any more dangerous for us "seasoned" folks than for younger ones. My former neighbor added a 2nd floor to his house in his 80's. By himself.

Because carrying cement up a latter increases the possibility I'll aggravate an arthritic knee... it then could be very unpleasant for several days... the doc says it is too far gone for treatment; I'm trying to defer the replacement.

 

[Newventurer]

No personal experience with this, but is it possible to rent scaffolding and have them erect it for you. Would that make you more willing to do the repair yourself? Color match...hmmm, no solution for that one, except paint and that starts the process of more paint.

Product that could work...

'Stuc-O-Flex International created America's first Breathable Elastomeric Acrylic Finish back in 1984.'

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

No personal experience with this, but is it possible to rent scaffolding and have them erect it for you. Would that make you more willing to do the repair yourself? Color match...hmmm, no solution for that one, except paint and that starts the process of more paint.

I was thinking the same thing. Scaffolding makes jobs like that much less precarious and often enables better results. I put a steel roof on an 8x10 shed a couple years ago -- no way would I have attempted that with just a ladder, even though I've seen a crew of young guys do the job that way.

 

[Winemaker]

Because carrying cement up a latter increases the possibility I'll aggravate an arthritic knee... it then could be very unpleasant for several days... the doc says it is too far gone for treatment; I'm trying to defer the replacement.

Mix your cement ground level and pull up while on ladder,or drop out of nearby window in a bucket. If need be, use a pulley through window if one is close by. Ice the knee down before and after.

You can do it Ray, the casa is counting you.

 

[zinger1457]

Any idea of what's causing the bulging (water, framing settling)? Might be worth it to get someone to look at to determine the cause. Some cracking is expected but I would think bulging is a sign of a problem. Sounds like it's time to re-paint the exterior (25 year old original stuff).

 

[Hermit]

I bought a couple of scaffolds. Cheaper than renting if you have room to store them.

 

[Amethyst]

I was always intrepid on ladders, until an extension ladder went out from under me and dumped me on the wood deck below. Thank God it wasn't stone or concrete, or I could have fractured my hip instead of just a horrible bruise that took 2 months to heal. And that was only a 3-foot fall, and I was only 55. And thought the ladder had been properly secured.

As we age, our bones (even men's) become more brittle and that's one more reason to avoid doing repairs too high to reach from the bottom couple of steps on a stepladder. All that dough we can't figure out how to spend? It's to get other people to do stuff on ladders for us.

I've never done stucco, but frankly I'm not seeing any reason that a ladder would be any more dangerous for us "seasoned" folks than for younger ones. .

 

[W2R]

I had a stucco home back in San Diego, in the early 1980's.

Here in New Orleans, we are surrounded by water. Lake Ponchartrain to the north, the Mississippi river to the south, and swamps to the east and west (plus the land we live on is mostly reclaimed swampland). Dig a hole to plant something, and it will fill with water immediately. On top of that, we get 60+ inches of rain each year. Water, water everywhere.

So, in this wet environment, stucco has developed a very bad reputation for mold. Very few homes are built with stucco, even though I believe that mold no longer has to be endured with stucco exteriors due to improvements in stucco composition and/or stucco techniques over the years. But still, it is not often used here due to the aforesaid bad reputation. Too bad, because I think stucco is a very attractive finish.

But anyway, bulges in stucco are not an issue around here. I haven't had any problems (yet?) with my brick home.

As we age, our bones (even men's) become more brittle and that's one more reason to avoid doing repairs too high to reach from the bottom couple of steps on a stepladder. All that dough we can't figure out how to spend? It's to get other people to do stuff on ladders for us.

+1000 Great point! We don't climb on ladders any more, even in our 60's. The broken bones that can happen when older people fall off ladders, can be awfully expensive.

Of course, being women, Amethyst and I can say these things without feeling the necessity to confirm a sense of manhood. Frank is an engineer, and after reading the pertinent information online about bones becoming brittle when aging, he decided on a practical, engineering type of solution, which is to stay off ladders after age 60 or so when bones first start to become brittle.

 

[Amethyst]

Mr. A., with a manly sense of self-preservation, simply announced one day that he no longer felt he had good enough balance to do things while standing on a ladder. He loves - craves, really - to be physically active, so when he says he doesn't feel comfortable doing something any more, I don't question it.

This is also why we will be paying people to paint our upstairs shutters, instead of getting on that extension ladder like we used to. Come to think of it, somebody stole one of our 2 extension ladders right out of the garage, so there must be a market for the remaining one.

 

[W2R]

Mr. A., with a manly sense of self-preservation, simply announced one day that he no longer felt he had good enough balance to do things while standing on a ladder. He loves - craves, really - to be physically active, so when he says he doesn't feel comfortable doing something any more, I don't question it.

He sounds like a very smart, insightful, manly man to me. Good for him to have perceived this balance problem *before* falling and breaking seventeen bones, instead of after.

 

[Texas Proud]

I was thinking like the others... buy scaffolding.... I am surprised you can get it kinda cheap... a few hundred looks like it will get you something decent....


You can also get a folding ladder that separates and use it for a shorter scaffold... I have one, but have never used it for this purpose.... however, I like it since I can make one leg go straight up and down and get close to the wall on that side and climb the ladder... it is really stable...

 

[rayinpenn]

The only way to get the stucco to match is to do the entire field. Some of it is quite high there's no way I'd ever attempt it. To do so would be an old mans folly. Not this guy I know my limits ... I'm selling this house soon it has to be right.

Add 10 feet to the picture above...

 

[W2R]

The only way to get the stucco to match is to do the entire field. Some of it is quite high there's no way I'd ever attempt it. To do so would be an old mans folly. Not this guy I know my limits ... I'm selling this house soon it has to be right.

Add 10 feet to the picture above...

Hire a young man to do that job. He'll be glad for the work, and you won't be climbing up so high with a bad knee. It's a win-win situation.

 

[Bamaman]

I too have been grounded from ladders after breaking 2 legs cleaning gutters when the ladder failed to keep standing.

Remember you have two stucco methods. The new style that's lath'd on top of foam caused so many problems through poor installation practices. Few people want anything to do with stucco houses now--even if it's properly installed old style manually mixed with sand stucco. That's unfortunate.

 

[target2019]

The only way to get the stucco to match is to do the entire field. Some of it is quite high there's no way I'd ever attempt it. To do so would be an old mans folly. Not this guy I know my limits ... I'm selling this house soon it has to be right.

Add 10 feet to the picture above...

It's hard to account for the bulge without seeing behind. But it sounds like settling is pushing the wire lath out across a seam between sheathing.

There's no way you should get up there. It's best to get a few estimates. When the job is done right, home selling will be simpler. Key is to get the right company that is going to send out the right people to work on your home.

 

[JTOrt]

The only way to get the stucco to match is to do the entire field. Some of it is quite high there's no way I'd ever attempt it. To do so would be an old mans folly. Not this guy I know my limits ... I'm selling this house soon it has to be right.

Add 10 feet to the picture above...

I hired an experienced stucco guy who patched 3 places where the stucco had failed, one around a corner and another about 12' high. He matched the color perfectly even though it had faded, I can't see where he patched. He charged me $400.

 

[rayinpenn]

Ok so the bulge is a couple of feet long and in the middle of the right part of the house. The old stucco is light beige and 29 years old. The stucco guy said (I hope to have three estimates). He said stucco color isn't precise bag to bad so he rather do the entire field. That's my understanding as well from watching tube. There are two other cracks I am going to have done. The stucco guy showed me by rapping on the stucco you could hear where it had pulled away from the body of the building. The stucco has a pattern on it that must be matched as well.

The stucco has done it job well for 29 years. No painting no nothing. What kind of siding last 29 years without nothing done to it? Even the brick at my father in laws required recounting after several decades...

The stucco guys new black f350 with the Diesel engine was beautiful - hmmm just saying. Masons here are quite independent - there are few who do stucco.

The stucco guy said "I wouldn't own a stucco house" I thought to myself sweet Moses...

 

[nativenewenglander]

I'm 56 and used to spend hours on a ladder fixing the antiques houses we've owned. Anything higher than the first floor I hire out. One fall will ruin my retirement years of hiking and running. Get several estimates and talk to a few customers. I had two guys estimate to rebuild two chimneys one guy was $5,500, the other $2,500. I hired the cheaper guy both had good reputations.

 

[rayinpenn]

Get several estimates....i had two guys estimate to rebuild two chimneys one guy was $5,500, the other $2,500. I hired the cheaper guy both had good reputations.

Very sound advice i have had a similar experience... the difference was astounding. I think they throw a number out there and see if you'll bite...

 

[Texas Proud]

Ok so the bulge is a couple of feet long and in the middle of the right part of the house. The old stucco is light beige and 29 years old. The stucco guy said (I hope to have three estimates). He said stucco color isn't precise bag to bad so he rather do the entire field. That's my understanding as well from watching tube. There are two other cracks I am going to have done. The stucco guy showed me by rapping on the stucco you could hear where it had pulled away from the body of the building. The stucco has a pattern on it that must be matched as well.

The stucco has done it job well for 29 years. No painting no nothing. What kind of siding last 29 years without nothing done to it? Even the brick at my father in laws required recounting after several decades...

The stucco guys new black f350 with the Diesel engine was beautiful - hmmm just saying. Masons here are quite independent - there are few who do stucco.

The stucco guy said "I wouldn't own a stucco house" I thought to myself sweet Moses...

Well, the brick on the house I grew up is approaching 60 years and nothing has been done to it...

On my house it is 35 ish.... and also nothing...

 

[rayinpenn]

Well, the brick on the house I grew up is approaching 60 years and nothing has been done to it...

On my house it is 35 ish.... and also nothing...

I can only tell you my from my experience... no two houses are the same

 

[rayinpenn]

First estimate 15 grand all in ...

 

[W2R]

Well, the brick on the house I grew up is approaching 60 years and nothing has been done to it...

On my house it is 35 ish.... and also nothing...

Same here. My house is 62 years old and no problems with the brick exterior.

No problems with the brick exterior of F's 61 year old house next door, either.

No problems with the brick exterior on my 45 year old former house.

Haven't ever heard of a brick exterior that needed anything other than an occasional pressure washing. Not to say that such problems never happen! But they must be extremely rare.