There are plenty of homes with stucco in Calgary. You can see why it’s a popular material since it’s quite durable. However, there are ways for it to start peeling off. If your house is made with stucco material, it would be in your best interest to learn about what can cause this issue. Find out how here.

Understanding the Causes Behind Stucco in Calgary to Peel Off

What is Stucco?

Before we understand what causes stucco to start peeling, it’s important first to know the makeup of stucco. Alternatively known as plaster, stucco comprises three basic materials – aggregates, a binder, and water. In construction, it’s generally applied wet before hardening into a dense solid. Its strength makes it a popular construction material for decorative coating for walls, ceilings, exterior walls, and even more creative uses for architectural sculptures.

How Could Stucco Begin to Peel Off?

Even the most durable construction material has its Achilles heel – stucco is no different. That’s why it’s important to understand what could cause stucco to start peeling off. Once you know, you can effectively prevent or catch the issue and call a professional for stucco repair.

For the most part, the main culprit behind stucco peeling can be summed up to one main cause – water damage.

Yet, you might wonder how water can create this issue. Often than not, it stems from water seeping into the water underneath the stucco. How can this occur? Easily from ice-damming. If you’re unfamiliar with ice-damming, it forms after heavy snowfall.

With how Calgary winters can be, you want to look out for this. All the snow collected on your roof warms up from the heat in your home. The melted snow then goes down before freezing again at the edge of your roof – creating a pile of ice. That’s where peeling can start in your stucco.

How to Fix Peeling Stucco?

Thankfully, it is possible to fix peeling stucco. However, a few steps must be taken to achieve that.

These include the following:

Removing loose stucco
Adding builder’s paper & mesh
Patching it up with base coats
Applying a finishing coat

If you’re into DIY, it’s possible to fix small stucco peeling. However, if you notice a lot of stucco peeling, it’s best not to do it yourself. With so much peeling, it can easily get overwhelming. Furthermore, the pressure can make concentrating hard, resulting in a poor job. You risk making things worse – especially if you have never done it. A bad job can result in paying more for repairs than you would have hoped in saving costs through DIYing.

If you have a lot of stucco peeling, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. In this way, you can ensure the peeling is fixed properly. Plus, reaching out to one can help you better understand ways to prevent this from occurring again in the future.

Golden Trowel Stucco has been providing Calgary homes and commercial properties with top-quality stucco services. For the past 20 years, we have been the number one stucco contractors in the Calgary and Greater Calgary area. We can completely change your property for the better with our stucco services, including stucco installations, stucco and exterior painting, and stucco repairs in Calgary. We’re flexible and ready to help you when you need it. Call us on 403-891-5343 anytime.

How to Check for Moisture Behind Stucco in Calgary

Stucco in Calgary is a trendy siding alternative amongst homeowners because it is both durable and has a distinct visual appearance that can’t be emulated using other materials. This reliable substance can last on the exterior for decades without enduring damages that can be costly to homeowners. While stucco’s benefits are undeniable and its durability is undeniable, stucco’s one vice is moisture and how susceptible it is to water damage. Replacing stucco won’t result in exorbitant prices. This home substance is affordable to many households, but knowing how to check if moisture is wreaking havoc on your home is valuable knowledge to acquire.

Find out how you can check for moisture that might be located behind your stucco exterior and the signs that your stucco has been exposed to moisture.

Signs of moisture damage

To initially begin inspecting your stucco exterior for moisture damage, you can simply look at its appearance and see explicit signs. Moisture can easily gather if you have failed to apply your stucco correctly onto your home or did not maintain it years after the application. Accumulating moisture on a stucco surface can result in visible cracking on your exterior, discolouration on your interior and exterior walls will eventually form, and a distinct mildew smell can also occur. Furthermore, if the caulking on your stucco has become abruptly damaged and is starting to flake significantly, you can expect your stucco to have sustained moisture damage.

Infrared cameras

When you notice that the stucco on your home has multiple signs of moisture damage, you should contact a professional contractor to inspect how extensive the damage might be. A contractor will utilize advanced tools to confirm your stucco in Calgary is damaged, like using an infrared camera. An infrared camera uses thermal imaging to gauge the warmer and cooler stucco areas to ascertain the moisture content properly.

Exterior probe testing

To get the most accurate testing possible when finding out the moisture levels in your stucco exterior, contractors often perform exterior probe testing. Probe testing consists of a professional drilling a hole into the exterior of your wall, then inserting a moisture metre into the wall, which will give you direct and accurate results of your moisture levels within your stucco walls.

Video scope

A contractor can use a video camera to accurately assess the moisture levels in your exterior walls and the extent of the damage it may have caused. A video camera can accurately determine moisture levels in your walls and what the damage in hard-to-see areas looks like. If the walls in your home are filled with insulation, a video camera can become an inaccurate source to rely on as they won’t capture the damage that might have developed.

Taking proactive measures

Once these various methods have detected signs of damage caused by moisture, action will need to be taken to salvage your stucco walls. Your contractor can better determine the damage the moisture has caused by removing sections of the siding. These professionals can quickly patch the siding that is removed if moisture damage is not found, but if water damage is visible upon scaling back the walls, they can take immediate action to prevent the situation from developing and your walls from becoming completely unsalvagable.

Stucco is one of the more durable and long-lasting materials you can go with for your home’s siding. However, it is still vulnerable to damage. Harsh weather conditions, fluctuating temperatures, and normal wear can cause cracks and chips. Once you see signs of damage, you want to get the stucco repaired as soon as possible.

Guide To Stucco Siding Repair in Calgary

But just how much can you expect to pay to repair stucco? It really depends on the extent of the damage. If the damage is minimal you should expect to spend a couple of hundred dollars. But if the damage is extensive, you can end up spending thousands of dollars. You’re looking at a rate of anywhere from $50 to $120 per square foot.

What Impacts the Cost?

What contributes to the cost of stucco repair in Calgary? The first is the cost of actual material, finish material, and paint if it is needed. Then there is the actual labor cost of repairing the stucco.

Stucco is not something all contractors are familiar with. Because special expertise and experience are needed, most people cannot do it themselves. So you usually have to end up hiring a contractor that specializes in stucco repair in Calgary.

Surprisingly, stucco doesn’t require as much maintenance compared to other materials. But this may be the reason why homeowners need their stucco repaired. They neglect the maintenance of stucco because of the fact that it is so durable.

Maintaining Your Stucco

To maintain your stucco in Calgary for a long period of time, you should make sure you keep the water pressure low when washing it. You want to keep an eye out for mold that has set in on the stucco. If spotted, soak with a solution of bleach diluted with water to remove it.

You also want to be aware of very small chips and cracks. Neglecting these chips and cracks can lead to more serious damage to your stucco over time. You can easily repair these small chips and cracks yourself by painting over them with acrylic paint. There are also kits sold in your local hardware store that help you repair small chips and cracks.

Overall, stucco repair is quite affordable if the damage is minimal. But if you have some serious damage, it’s important to find a reputable contractor that understands how to work with stucco.

Property maintenance typically requires some planning for projects that involve professional repairs, and one of your biggest concerns may be about how the cost for stucco repair in Calgary will impact your budget. Stucco is a durable material that is meant to last for many years. However, it is susceptible to wear and tear that occurs as the building ages. It can also be damaged by trauma to the surface that occurs from forces such as debris hitting in high winds. Figuring out what the repairs will cost is your first step toward taking care of your property.

What Impacts the Cost of Stucco Repairs?

The first thing you need to know is that there are several different types of stucco repair in Calgary that a professional service can perform. In most cases, it is rarely necessary to have to completely re-stucco a building. Instead, professional repair contractors can do things such as add a new finishing coat or sealant to improve the integrity of the stucco that is already in place. The cost for your project will depend upon how much surface area of the building needs repairs along with the different materials that must be used to complete the project. When you arrange for repairs, you should expect to have an on-site estimate performed that includes a visual inspection of the surface that needs repairs. This allows you to receive a quote that is based upon the actual repairs that need to be made that include the cost for the appropriate amount of labor and materials that is required.

When Should You Arrange for Stucco In Calgary?

As with most types of home or business building repairs, the best method for keeping costs low is to arrange for services while the current damage is minimal. Apparent cracks or stains on the surface of your stucco in Calgary are clear signs that you need to plan for repairs. You might also want to arrange for an inspection after you have water damage to your property that comes close to the stucco that might cause damage. Bulges in the walls or areas where the stucco is entirely missing can also be repaired.

Maintaining the exterior of your property requires occasional repairs to be made to the stucco surface. Make regular inspections of the exterior of your property a regular part of your maintenance routine, and always check for damage after a major storm. When the need for repairs is caught early, you can prevent further damage while maintaining the structural integrity of your property.