Originally Posted By: jburkeson This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi,
Performed a 11-month warranty inspection on a 2-story home today, the first floor is block the 2nd floor is frame, the exterior finish is stucco. The owner reports that the house suffered water intrusion around the windows and interior wall areas during the hurricanes. The stucco over frame shows many fine cracks which the builder has caulked. My question is... should the expansion joint between the first and second floor also provide a weep screed? This one looks solid, or someone caulked the holes thinking that was the problem.
I am hoping that someone can comment on this issue, to me it seems like moisture is being trapped behind the wall and eventually finding its way into the interior of the house.
-- Joseph Burkeson, RPI (Hooperette)
?Anyone who has proclaimed violence his method inexorably must choose lying as his principle.?
~ Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Originally Posted By: tallen This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I hate to guess, but I will.
It looks like the 2nd story framing got wet and swelled.( you know that) Bad! as the 2nd story will crack and keep on cracking until it either falls off( the stucco) or it is repaired/sealed
I do not think the weep screed if installed would solve this problem. Then again I could be wrong 
What is normal installation procedure for this type of construction?
Great question!!
-- I have put the past behind me,
where , however, it now sits, making rude remarks.
Originally Posted By: bhendry This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi Joe,
The cracks are more than typical for what I see. I write those up as "extensive". I don't get too excited though.
Negative on the weep - the overlap should be sealed. Some times the stucco/mesh/barrier is 'cruddy' above the soft line - but you don't see that with a completed house. We see a lot of vertical control joints opened up - didn't see one in your pix.
If you had a lot of water - like carpet soaking water - look at the window installation. Go after stucco cracks 2nd. We're seeing the removable single hung windows with the black gaskets leaking a lot. Sometimes the slide bushings are missing and the window can move a lot when you work them. The vert and horiz frames are not sealed with silicon. Lots of incomplete caulk jobs on the exterior and stucco cracks at the corners.
Lots of terror and trauma with water intrusion around here.
Originally Posted By: jpeck This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Joe,
It looks to me like the second floor sheathing was run down and over the block, making the second floor walls overhang the first floor walls.
Typically, at least down here, they align it all and just run the paper and lath down, then, when they stucco, the second floor does not project out beyond the first floor.
In your installation, that would need a weep screed. In the other installations (like I described) it would just be a solid control joint, no weep.
As for the cracks, I'm guessing that they most likely either improperly attached the lath, or (maybe both?) improperly lapped the lath.
Originally Posted By: bhendry This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Olah!
I've inspected eight houses this week with an overlap like in Joe's pictures. Some that have this configuration are the gable ends of a 1 story house. I have the drawings here somewhere that shows the overhang detail. All of the houses were sealed at the overlap per the drawing. Hard to believe all those different builders/engineers/architects, etc. are wrong - but I can change my mind.
I can't recall ever seeing a weep screed on any modern stucco over frame installation - bump outs, decorative entry, etc.
A house I inspected yesterday had a prominent stain on the interior garage block wall that lined up exactly with the vertical control joint outside. Same overhang configuration - everything else dry as a bone - no cracks, etc.
Originally Posted By: bhendry This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
… did a phase inspection today. Looking out an upstairs window - I noticed houses lined up in a kind of ascending order of completion - kind of neat. Just sheathing, then wrapped, then “chicken wired” with partial “cementious material” - then complete and painted. Last picture is a close up of the chicken wired house. File sizes are about 500k.
Originally Posted By: CarlBrown This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Why is it people can not understand. That you need to put a moisture barrier and lath over block walls and foundations also. With expansion joints and flashing where the substrates change. Not a weep screed but a z bar flashing at the plate line with a positive slope, and moisture barrier running from top to bottom. Over lapped properly to shed the water. If you want to see more pictures of what not to do go to. www.badstucco.com
Thanks
Carl
– If it was your house wouldn’t you want the best!!