Fallacies

All stucco homes are alike.

WRONG! There are two main types of stucco on houses in Atlanta and numerous hybrids. First, traditional stucco or “Hardcoat” is made of a cement compound and has been used for centuries. Like cement, when it gets wet, it absorbs moisture and then dries back out. The other stucco, Synthetic or EIFS (Exterior Insulating Finishing System), has an acrylic skin that resists the elements. However, if moisture leaks behind the skin, it can’t get out easily and can produce rot over a period of time. Continuous leaking will produce rot in any home --whether the home is clad in stucco, brick or siding. See Stucco 101 for more information.

Stucco homes are riddled with mold or termites.

A well-maintained stucco home which has been sealed and the bottom trimmed/sealed, is protected from moisture and termite intrusion. Without moisture, mold cannot grow/exist.

That stucco wall has cracks – there must be something wrong with it!

Hairline cracks are a hallmark of Hardcoat Stucco. Over time, cement products tend to develop small cracks—driveways, patios, cement pots, etc. Picture stucco homes in old American cities, Europe and South America—the cracks are what give the walls age and charm! Studies have shown that hairline cracks do not absorb moisture. (And should Hardcoat Stucco receive a drenching, driving rain or spray, like your concrete driveway, it dries out over time.)  If home is a EIFS stucco, cracks should be repaired.


Selling and Re-selling

I’ll lose money if I buy or sell a stucco home. Some agents tend to under-price a stucco home in order to sell it quickly and make themselves look good in the neighborhood. As a seller, be suspicious if an agent advises you to list your home more than $10,000 less than a comparable brick home (when built, stucco homes were approximately $10,000 cheaper to build than the same home in brick). As a buyer, look for under-priced stuccos to be good values to purchase!

I can’t resell a stucco home. Statistics show that stucco homes take longer to sell-- but they do sell. A short list of corporations will not allow their transferring executives buy stucco homes in case they have to give them a sell-out package at some future date. Anal local buyers who want “only the perfect home” are going to avoid stuccos. However, a well-priced, well-maintained stucco home will sell long before a poorly-maintained brick home! Click here to contact the expert in buying and selling stucco houses in the Atlanta market.

I will have to tear off the stucco in order to sell my home! The fallacy of all fallacies! A well-priced, well-maintained stucco home will sell. Recently a stucco homeowner in Brookstone, frustrated his home had been for sale for over six months, removed his stucco and replaced it with hardiplank to the tune of $17,000. Then the house sat for three more months before he finally conceded the price was the problem and reduced it to a saleable range. Sadly, he was out a tremendous amount of money. No home will sell if is overpriced.

back to top^

Stucco homes require more maintenance than other homes.

If the home has been correctly flashed, sealed and the bottom edge trimmed/sealed, your big maintenance projects are done. Go to the Maintenance Checklist for a short list of annual tasks to perform.

Wood framing rots away in stucco homes.

If there is no moisture intrusion, the framing of a stucco home should be in good condition. A qualified stucco inspector can do an accurate moisture test to see if moisture is trapped behind the stucco and if rot/mold may be present. Wood framing rots away in all homes - Brick, Vinyl, Stucco - if there is ongoing moisture intrusion. A moisture intrustion inspection can identify if and where there may be a problem.

back to top^