What are your go-to identifiers for identifying the difference between normal wear and tear type cracks in the stucco vs serious differential settlement and other structural issues?
In other words, what types of stucco cracks make you stop and consider checking for a matching crack on the interior?
Here are a few photos from a house I was looking at as the question came to mind.
There were small hairline cracks around most windows, doors, etc.
If the photos aren’t enough, what should I be looking for instead of what I photographed?
I wrote up the exterior too close to grade in general, because it was too close in a handful of other places.
This was on the backside of the house—stucco in direct contact with patio concrete. Wasn’t sure how to mark that, since it wasn’t soil. BUT the patio concrete didn’t slope away from the structure, so I wrote that up for bad drainage.
Both are wrong. Stucco should have clearance and a weep screed. Moisture wicking and (some regions) termites are the concern. And the screed allows water to escape.
Secondly, you should immediately be able to identify if this stucco is EFIS. That information helps us too. And if affects the installation and performance.
Whether it is concrete, stucco, ceramic tiles or drywall in a floor, wall, or ceiling, the only cracks that are concerning are where there is movement. So, hairline cracks where nothing has actually shifted around are generally not a problem (unless there is potential for water or pests to intrude, in which case recommend those be sealed). If you suspect or see direct evidence of movement, that is where you spidery senses need to activate to start investigating / inspecting more and perhaps find the cause of the movement that could be the bigger, more important, problem.
Saw this reply in my emails while I was at a friend’s house today. Their stucco cleared the concrete patio by 2 or 3", and it had a weep screed. Thanks for pointing this out so I could get better at seeing it
