ticking timebomb

[PE, retired]

http://peretired.blogspot.com/2011/04/stucco.html

shoddy construction is a ticking timebomb.

[Bill Warner]

indeed...

[Barry Adair]

http://peretired.blogspot.com/2011/04/stucco.html

shoddy construction is a ticking timebomb.

what was the root cause for failure?

a "shoddy construction" comment reflects poorly on me when reporting latent defect deficiencies
although 99.999% of the time it's the damn truth but unlike ivory soap it won't float ;-)))

[PE, retired]

I give. What was the root cause(s) for the failure? You experts have seen the photos (pretty good, aren't they? I took them myself). The wall looks the same today as the day that I took them a week or so ago. Recognizing that you can only guess what the root cause(s) might be until the bad stuff is removed, and can see underneath it, what do you experts think that it (they) may be?

My (nonexpert) guess is that the plywood on which the thin veneer of stucco is applied is taking vertical load, which, obviously, it isn't supposed to do. My guess is that the framing has broken, settled, or otherwise moved (shoddy construction), such that the exterior sheathing is taking vertical load, and that this is causing the sheathing to buckle where one sheet meets the next. That's my guess. What yours?

PS  The owner had another friend of his take an infared photo. It's wet in the wall cavity. Before this happened, a month or so ago, there was NO visual indication (cracks, etc.--even hairline cracks) that would suggest that there might be a problem(s) in this 8+ year old wall.

[Barry Adair]

please post the infrared and moisture probe photos so we can see source location

[PE, retired]

Bill hasn't shared his infared photographs with me. I live a couple of blocks from Bill and know him from church. He knows my blog,  http://peretired.blogspot.com/. It's probably because of the latter that he showed me his problem a month or so ago.

Given the circumstances, and the fact that I'm a retired professional engineer whose specialty is NOT stucco, I don't feel comfortable asking Bill for his infared photographs, or advising him on his problem. I posted the photos that I took here, because I thought that you experts would find them interesting, and perhaps share your similar experiences.

If Bill does share his infared photographs with me at some point, then I'll post them.

[Bill Warner]

My guess is water intrusion was occurring long before visible symptoms showed.  Poor prep, flashing, and wrap contributed to the decay of the vertical mulch which finally swelled enough to buckle the stucco.  But I'm no stucco expert either... need CB and BA to weigh in.

I would LOVE to see the IR images as well.  Was the IR scan done before or after visible evidence now seen?

[PE, retired]

Thanks. Bill called his friend to take the IR image(s) after the problem(s) showed up on his exterior wall. The next time that I see Bill, I'll see if I can get his IR photo(s), and I'll post them.

[Barry Adair]

is this 1-coat?
over foam?

[PE, retired]

It's 1-coat. It's applied to "wood wall sheathing" according to a report done by an engineer working for a law firm that is representing SCHH homeowners.
http://www.suncityblufftonhomedefectclaims.com/protected/nsysnroyrpt.pdf

 In another document,
http://www.suncityblufftonhomedefectclaims.com/protected/OwnersPresforWeb.pdf
the "wood wall sheathing" in a photograph looks like OSB board. However, in another photograph that appears later in the document, it looks like the stucco is applied over foam. Among the MANY things that I've discovered about Pulte Homes: (1) just because you see it in one house doesn't mean that it's the same in the one next door and (2) Pulte doesn't understand the meaning of "quality control".

Pulte isn't using stucco on new houses any more (imagine that!); they're using HardiePlank.

[Dale Duffy]

http://peretired.blogspot.com/2011/04/stucco.html

shoddy construction is a ticking timebomb.

Looks like the Lath is separating from the wall, thus, failure.

[Jim McKee]

nails rusted out from moisture in the vertical mulch?

[PE, retired]

what is "vertical (or verticle) mulch"?

[Jim McKee]

osb sheating plus moisture = vertical mulch....

[PE, retired]

Is OSB the right material to use for exterior, 1 (very thin) coat, walls?
If a non-shoddy builder uses it, can it be effective, or is it just the wrong material to use?