Hairline cracks can be superficial and more of a cosmetic concern than, yet when they reach 1/16th of an inch or larger; these are areas that need to become a concern and remedied quickly. We can perform patch repairs, but most often will repair and then resurface from control joint to control joint or an entire wall as for the area to not appear as a patch.
It is highly recommended that shrubbery have an airspace of approximately 12″ be kept between the face of the wall and all plant growth. This helps to prevent algae growth and/or mildew growth on the wall. The ground should always be sloped away from the wall.
There should be a 4″ clearance from the bottom of the stucco wall and any ground material. This helps prevent the weeping of water up into the wall. Backer rod correctly installed can also really help keep water from weeping up the wall.
We oftentimes do see flashing incorrectly installed thus then causing problematic stucco due to water intrusion. This is best remedied by a licensed roofer, and we do have some that we could recommend. We then come in and provide the stucco repair upon completion of their work.
We recommend a NP1 rated caulk or higher. All windows, doors, adjoining and adjacent materials need caulking as well as any penetrations into the wall, i.e. light fixtures, alarm systems, etc. Caulk does need to be replaced periodically and is part of the maintenance process of keeping your stucco in good shape.
All sprinkler heads should be checked to determine that the spray pattern is away from the wall. Over the course of time, spray heads and rotor head may vibrate out of alignment thus causing the spray pattern to change. All sprinkler heads should be placed at least 18″ from the wall.
