MASONRY PROJECT - WAYNE, NJ
Stucco Wall Repair in Wayne, NJ
On this Wayne home, a section of stucco on the wall above the garage doors was opened up and then closed and finished again. The photos show the wall with the stucco off, the insulation and sheathing behind it, and the finished house. For the wider picture, see our masonry service.
Project at a glance
- Location
- Wayne, NJ
- Trade
- Masonry
- Work
- Stucco wall repair
- Shown
- The opened wall and the finished wall
How the work went
The photos show the wall opened up and then finished. The finished house is the photo at the top of this page.
1. The opened wall
In these two photos the stucco has been taken off a section of the gable wall directly above the garage doors. Behind it you can see pink insulation set between wood framing, and panel sheathing with dark marks on parts of its surface. Ladders stand against the wall, and a metal awning runs over the garage doors below. The edge of the stucco around the opening is ragged where the old coating was broken away. Opening the wall is how the layers behind stucco get looked at, because the finish coat hides everything under it.
2. The finished wall
From the side, the same house shows the wall closed and finished. The gable and the wall below it read as one even surface in a warm tan, with stone accents set into the stucco, a stone-faced base, stone chimneys, three arched dark-brown garage doors and a metal awning over them. A ladder and a red tool are still on the driveway in this view.
What opening a stucco wall shows
Stucco is built in layers. A common arrangement is a finish coat over base coats, over a backing such as lath or sheathing, over a water-resistant barrier, over the framing and insulation. The finish coat is what you see, and it hides everything else.
That is why a stucco repair often starts with opening the wall. Cracks, stains and soft spots show where water may have got in, but only the backing shows how far it went. If the sheathing and insulation are dry and sound, they stay. If they are wet or damaged, they are replaced before the wall is closed.
Closing the wall means rebuilding the layers in order, with barrier and flashing details where water could enter, and then finishing the new stucco so it blends into the old.
Matching the finish
A finished repair is judged from the driveway, not from a ladder. The new stucco has to match the old in color, texture and sheen, and it has to be blended into the surrounding wall so the patch does not read as a patch.
This house has a smooth tan finish with stone accents set into the gable and stone chimneys at either end of the front, so the repair sits among details that are not stucco at all. In the finished photos the gable reads as one surface.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Stucco repair: common questions
Can stucco be repaired in one section instead of the whole wall?
Often, yes. A damaged section can be opened, repaired and finished again, with the new stucco blended into the old. How far the repair has to go depends on what is found behind the surface, which is why the wall is looked at before the scope is settled.
How is new stucco matched to the old?
Color, texture and sheen are matched to the existing wall, and the patch is feathered into the surrounding stucco. Weathered stucco changes color over time, so the match is to what is on the wall now. Matching is the hardest part of a repair.
What are the signs that water is getting behind stucco?
Cracks that widen, stains that run from windows or corners, bulging or hollow-sounding areas, soft spots, and damp or dark marks inside the house on the same wall.
Do hairline cracks in stucco need repair?
Fine hairline cracks are common as stucco cures and a house settles, and they are often just sealed or patched. Cracks that are wide, keep growing or run from window corners deserve a closer look.
What happens to the insulation and sheathing when the wall is opened?
They are inspected. Dry, sound material can stay in place, and wet or damaged material is replaced before the wall is closed again.
How do I request an estimate for stucco repair?
Use the Request an estimate button or call 973-935-6329. Send a photo of the wall, your town and what you are seeing.
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Send us a photo of the wall, your town and what you are seeing, and we will tell you what we would do.