Thanks Bill
tsk.tsk.tsk. I have looked at a lot of problems like those discussed and the fact is stucco on wood WILL CRACK.
When the small maintenance cracks are not maintained then they get water in behind them. Once that happens it is only a matter of time before rust and rot take care of the rest. Now lets all sue the Stucco Guy. The article also said they need not be licensed WRONG… Specialty Contractor License is required in EVERY county they work in or a G.C to R.C. license.
Good real though… Thanks Bill
It really cracks if you don’t install it correctly. I’ve personally done more than 100 destructive stucco inspections this year alone for lawsuits. Not a single one of those complied with code. Not one.
BTW, lots of municipalities don’t require specialty licenses.
WOW the state of fl trust the contractors to inspect the properties they are building. that why there should be a code inspector by the state following up .
that like trusting Iran to inspect for nuclear plants .
Gary, one of the problems we had here during the 2005-2008 housing boom was a lack of municipal inspectors to keep up with all the construction. I remember talking to one and he said he usually had to go to 50-60 properties a day.
It’s routine for me to find anywhere between 15K and 30K in needed plaster repairs (and yes, it’s referred to as Portland cement-based plaster) for violations of the FBC, SBC, and SFBC…it’s one of the worst offenders in my reports and is not cheap to repair. New homes are even worse…
…and it’s the “stucco” guy’s fault!
I disagree based on my experience and how we tried to do the best we could. I believe most problems start from routine cracks that are not taken care of. I will have a lot of info pretty soon as I am likely going to be doing spot checks for a major builder throughout the State. I will let you all know what I find but will not be able to say where or who due to contract. I do know most Florida Builders have received a wake up call and are seriously trying to fix the issues.
How about a small challenge?
You’re a Stucco guy…what’s the require minimum separation of plaster from fenestrations?
According to 99.99 percent of the homes, the answer would be 0, or smeared over the drian holes of the windows.
Should we start smaller Mr. Meeker?
Where vertical and horizontal plaster surfaces meet, what is required?
…that one is super easy…
First I had to look up your 10 dollar word of the day. Yes I am here publicly announcing I did not know what the heck fenestrations meant. 99% of you all wouldn’t even admit to that fact. The truth is Robert that stucco contractors do what the Builder’s ask of them. Most of the time it is to cover mistakes early on during construction.
I cannot tell you the number of times Builders did not want control joints where there should go because of aesthetics. This is the true real world application of how stucco things are done and most of it is verbal. Other than that the Stucco Contractor follows the Plans that the builder gives them and does what they ask. When you work for large builders you do what they ask or you do not work for them. For me in the near future I will be trying to help both sides by combining what the builder wants and what the best practices are. My main job will be seeing that the Subs do as they are instructed by the builders and to add any info I think might help to the issue at hand… Stucco is NOT waterproofing and it will always crack on wood and lath these are facts. The hard part is making everyone happy and making sure owners know they must maintain their stucco like any other part of their home. If bad situations are not caught which can be hard do do for the average bear and not fixed then you get major issues. Heck one of the worst things the State did after Andrew was to make guys start nailing on wire lath instead of stapling it on. I can tell you from experience which one comes apart easier as I have performed and overseen many repairs. The nailed stuff comes off like a charm Pop, Pop, Pop and it is gone the stapled stuff stays put and is a real mother to remove. The fact remains that all the builders I know are trying to make a difference and it shows. What is in the books and manuals are rarely what the final results are. You have a great grasp of the english language and love to show it, that is great but in the real world the stucco guys end up doing what the builders supers want or ask them to do so they can get their checks.
And it is even listed in our insane protect the builder at all costs contracts 
Hopefully I will help change things for Builders, Subs, and Homeowners so that they al get a final longer lasting product.
So, in other words, you are going to encourage them to do it wrong. Righ there is what is wrong in our industry. Just do it the way they have always done it and wind up screwing the consumer, but wait, it wont hurt you because most of this stuff is not found until after the warranty is up. Great way of thinking.
I gotta save that one!
You really didn’t know what fenestration was?
Maybe…just maybe…before you start peddling your wares or services as educated on an issue which you are clearly not, and for all intents and purposes were part of the original problem, you should be minimally educated on the application and installation of lathing and plaster.
It’s not bad stucco guys that are giving us a bad name, it’s guys who promote themselves as being educated or an expert at something when they are clearly not.
If you don’t know what’s required, how in the heck are you going to inspect others work to determine if it’s right or not?
I’m presenting at the FABI conference for 2 1/2 hrs. on lathing and plaster, covering from 1954 to current including building code requirements and ASTM standards. You might want to think about attending…
You two are too much fun 
At least there is some action back in the Florida section.
…it was getting pretty boring.
In all seriousness, you should give it some thought. I guarantee you’ll walk away knowing more than you ever knew about the subject. This presentation will open some eyes and make people really consider how bad the situation is. It would be the best 2 1/2 hour education on the subject you can get!
When and where Robert?
The conference is Dec 5 and 6 in Daytona. Info is on FABI web site. If you want to come up on Friday there are additional classes and you can get all 14 hours in one weekend.