Stucco is an incredibly durable and reliable siding for your home. If properly installed, your stucco can last for decades with minimal maintenance. However, it’s always wise to inspect your stucco from time to time, ensuring that its integrity is still intact.

One issue that can present itself is water damage. Stucco in Calgary is exposed to a significant amount of water and rainfall, which can lead to moisture sneaking in behind your walls. But how can you tell if your stucco has trapped moisture behind it? Let’s take a look.

4 Ways To Check For Moisture Behind Stucco

Dark Spots

Your stucco is naturally going to get darker in colour when it rains. However, if you notice darker patches of stucco after a week of nice weather, it may be worth exploring. Persistent dark spots or streaks are often signs of water intrusion.

Bubbles

If you have a poor drainage system, water will sit along your home’s foundation and compromise the stucco. If you begin to notice bubbles or even dense cracks along the bottom of your siding, you may be looking at moisture retention.

Soft Drywall

This step will require you to go inside. Feel along the bottom of your windows on the wall you believe to be compromised. If the drywall is soft, that’s a sign that moisture is trapped inside and is now weakening the structure of your interior walls.

Missing or Cracked Stucco

Stucco, by nature, is very porous, and thus absorbs a lot of moisture that it comes in contact with. While this is to be expected, the moisture should not be held behind your walls. If you notice that your stucco is chipping or falling off more easily than normal or find that there are extensive cracks in your stucco, it may be smart to bring a professional in to take a look.

What Can Professionals Do?

If you believe your stucco in Calgary is retaining moisture, a professional stucco company will be able to do a more thorough examination. From probe testing to thermal imaging, there are several ways in which stucco contractors can use specialized equipment to confirm your suspicions and pinpoint the source of concern.

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 at 403-891-5343 anytime.

Purchasing a home is arguably the largest investment you will make in your life. Taking the time to research potential houses and the risks associated with each one is important, as you don’t want to encounter financial hurdles as soon as you take possession.

Fortunately, when it comes to buying a stucco house in Calgary, there are no more risks that come with it than any other house. In other words, stucco siding should not deter you from purchasing a property.

However, as with any type of siding, it does come with its pros and cons. Let’s explore what those are.

The Pros and Cons Of A Stucco House

Pros

Fire Resistance

A 1-inch coating of stucco provides a one-hour firewall rating. This means that, in the event of a fire, it will take one hour for the fire to make it from one side of the wall to the other, giving you that buffer time to put out the fire. This is particularly beneficial for homes that are close together, as a neighbouring fire may not as severely impact your home.

Appearance

Stucco is a great siding to choose from based on aesthetics alone. By adding dyes into the mix, you can pick the colour of your stucco, thus ensuring your vision for your home is complete.

Buying a home that already has stucco? Fortunately, painting stucco is fairly simple and allows your home to look brand new.

Roofline showing windows, brick stones, gutter, soffit, stucco

Durability

Stucco is a mixture of cement, sand, and water, meaning it’s guaranteed to be strong. This can be particularly appealing to homeowners with stucco siding in Calgary, as hail damage tends to be a concern.

Additionally, stucco is pest-resistant, thus ensuring the integrity of your stucco and entire home remain intact.

Cons

Maintenance

While stucco doesn’t require hours of maintenance every week, it is important to stay on top of the condition of your stucco. Stucco is a rather dry material, so cracks are bound to pop up every now and then. If you catch them when they first appear, they’re easy to fill in and can be done yourself. However, larger cracks affect more than just the appearance of your home. Neglected cracks can actually damage the structure of your home and end up costing you a fair bit of money to repair.

It isn’t risky to buy a stucco house, but with anything, it’s important to take care of it and fix it when it starts to show signs of ageing. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional stucco company if you ever need advice.

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 at 403-891-5343 anytime.

Stucco is a great way to finish the outside of your home with an interesting and durable aesthetic. It has uses throughout the world and can be painted to have a different look or texture. Thankfully, many stucco businesses throughout the world can perform various services related to stucco, including stucco repair in Calgary.

Stucco repair is utilized when you want to make your existing stucco look better. Occasionally, stucco can deform or crack when exposed to excessive moisture over many months or years. This can create an undesirable look, and stucco repair in Calgary is perfect for you to repair it back to its original look.

However, in some cases, it is simply time to remove the stucco. Perhaps you want to try a different finish. Or, perhaps you want to just replace the old stucco and put in an entirely new system. Both of these are good options, but each has a cost associated with them.

Factors Affecting the Cost of Stucco Repair

One of the main factors that affects stucco repair is whether or not the system will be entirely replaced. This is due to the fact that stucco repair is usually charged on a per-foot basis, so the size of the repair or replacement will be a big indicator of the cost.

Another important factor that should be considered is the type of material the stucco is adhered to. The cost to remove stucco on metal lath is slightly cheaper than if it were on wood lath. This is because stucco is easier to remove on metal lath. After all, it is not bonded to a porous surface, as is the case with wood lath.

Finally, one of the last considerations you need to consider when looking for stucco repair in Calgary is the company that will perform the work. Unfortunately, not all stucco contractors are made equal, and in fact, the prices can range significantly depending on the company that you choose to perform the work.

This is why it is so important to find a company that you can trust. Call multiple stucco contractors in Calgary to get quotes, and don’t just select the cheapest option. It is also a good idea to find a company that has great customer service and a range of availability so that you can build a rapport with them.’

The Cost of Stucco Repair and Replacement

The cost of stucco removal is typically $1 per square foot and about $1.30 for wood lath removal. This translates to an average cost of $850 to $2,100 depending on the size of your home and the extent of the removal.

Remember, selecting the right company can have a big influence on your costs, so look for the best before you settle with the rest.

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.

Finding the best stucco contractor in Calgary can be a difficult task for many among us. As with all construction trades, there are many great companies that would like to receive the work, but not all of them offer a wide variety of services or competitive pricing. Therefore, when selecting the best stucco contractor you should look for the following qualities:

The Best Stucco Contractors Offer Free Estimates

The best stucco contractors in Calgary will always offer free estimates, and this is an admirable and desirable quality because it ensures you know what to expect prior to hiring them. Therefore, you can seek out multiple quotes and settle on the one that best suits your individual needs.

Remember to beware of stucco contractors who are not offering free quotes or estimates as it is likely they are trying to add extra charges or hidden fees. If, during your initial consultation, they refuse to appraise the work for free you should thank them for their time and look for another company that will give you an upfront estimate before the work begins.

As well, you should try and get an accurate cost breakdown at the quote stage so that you will know the approximate value included in each stage of your stucco project.

Multiple Services Indicate the Best Stucco Contractors

If you contact a stucco contractor, and they only offer a single type of stucco or don’t offer stucco painting, you should be wary of continuing with them. This is due to the fact that the best stucco contractors in Calgary will know their business inside and out, and will offer a wide variety of services to fulfill all of your stucco needs.

These services should include, at a minimum, stucco and exterior moulding repair, stucco painting, a variety of types of stucco installation, and the removal of old stucco. If you contact a stucco contractor who has all of these services available you can rest assured that you are dealing with professionals who know their trade in and out.

Finally, now that you know the two key elements of stucco contractor selection, you should make your final decision based on your personal knowledge of customer service. Friendly and hardworking stucco contractors who offer affordable prices and communicate openly and honestly should be selected as a given.

However, there are situations where you will require a specialized stucco contractor, or perhaps you have a good feeling of intuition from one of the stucco contractors you spoke with, and in those circumstances, it is worthwhile to go with your heart and select the best stucco contractor in Calgary for you!

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.