Talk of The Villages Florida - Rentals, Entertainment & More
Talk of The Villages Florida - Rentals, Entertainment & More
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Stucco on wood frame house
This is NOT another stucco vs vinyl debate. I wanted to try to get that straight out of the chute.
I know it is relatively rare, but apparently there exists homes in TV that are stucco, but not block. They are stucco on wood frame houses. I have come across a listing, in my continuing search, of just such a house. So I am seeking information of anyone who owns or has owned one of these rarities and can give insight into pluses or minuses for these down there. I know here in PA, when we bought our current house 4 years ago, our agent was pretty adamant about avoiding stucco homes (most stuccoed over wood frame) as they are apparently notorious for issues up here. Again….thats stucco on wood frame. I have no issues, or questions, about stucco on block. Or stick vs block construction per se, unless it is direct relation to the exterior. If this devolves, I tried. |
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I had a stucco over wood frame for ten years before moving here (in Florida).
Wire mesh attached to studs thru sheathing. The stucco'ed over. Never an issue, never a crack. Will need paint every 5 to 10 years. benefit: if you want to fill holes, or even add something, it is easy to patch stucco and make it look like new. Had a birdcage removed from my house. Filled a whole bunch of holes, and ground off sealant and stucco. Patched and couldn't tell it was ever there. I would imagine with siding, trying to match it, fill holes, etc. would be very difficult without evidence. Downsides: Like any wood frame home, not a good seal for insects and even termites (they'll get in from underneath). Not such a good seal for moisture either (water damage) compared with stucco over block. |
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I suspect it's EFIS or Dryvit, which are synthetic "stucco" products, usually backed by something like DensGlass sheathing. DensGlass holds the highest "mold resistant" rating available under ASTM D3273. Vastly superior to most any other sheathing product. It is not "styrofoam". |
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The stucco over my studs (wire mesh and sheathing - black stuff), was about an inch thick.
I know, I drilled thru it many times to insert screws or anchors. Softer than concrete, but about as easy to drill as a cinder block. My surprise was there was about a 1/4" gap between the stucco and slab. I could feel the sheathing. That's what I meant when I said not moisture/water proof, nor insect proof. Termite guy told me the stucco cannot go all the way into the ground. Building code. (no I did not have termites, but I had it inspected before I bought it, and before I sold it) - - - Now have a stucco over block in TV. Stucco goes below ground level. Go figur ? |
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I am a REALTOR®. Moisture CAN get behind the stucco. I believe the extra money spent for a stucco/concrete block home vs a stucco/wood frame is well worth the cost. But, it’s a personal decision. Some people have higher risk tolerances than others.
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When I was a relocation realtor agent 10 years ago, any stucco house had to have a special inspection. If it EFS which was stucco over frame, the company would not buy the house. I guess in some parts of the country there were black mold and moisture issues with the product if not installed correctly.
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Several homes in our previous neighborhood had stucco on wood. The stucco was constantly cracking along the lines of where the exterior material seems meet requiring filling and repainting. There were expensive homes with expensive repairs needed every other year
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"Real stucco" has for many decades been several coats of concrete spread over metal lath nailed or screwed to the wooden studs. this has been the preferred building coating in California for nearly a century. One feature is that the color (usually a pastel) is mixed in with the top coat of concrete, so it NEVER NEEDS PAINTING. In California, many stucco houses nearly a century old have never been painted. In the presence of humidity or rain, real stucco sucks up moisture a bit, then releases it when the moisture stops. But if you paint it, you seal the concrete, perhaps keeping moisture out, but also sealing moisture in. thus, humidity inside a house, say from cooking or showers and baths, gets into the walls but cant permeate out through the stucco. Careful use of exhaust fans can help. But people, with real stucco, don't think you need to paint it. If the concrete is stained, you don't need to. However, it may be that painters here are spraying the stucco with special stucco stains that don't seal the concrete. |
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Been done here in The Villages for many years, don’t know any Villages homes that way. Lived in Vegas for awhile, that is normal construction. Cement blocks covered with stucco is not recommended in the desert and siding doesn’t hold up. Village homes are built for the area, either block or siding! Why make things difficult.
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Thank you to all who provided feedback. |
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I'm guessing it's an older home, because there are few stick built homes around. Perhaps there are only a few because the stick built homes didn't do well in the Florida humidity and the only ones who liked them were termites.
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