Expansion Gaps Smooth Stucco Siding

There is no need to leave a gap for expansion.

Expansion gaps smooth stucco siding.

James hardie recommends that a slip sheet joint flashing is installed behind each butt joint in the siding. Wipe away any excess caulk. This means that the boards should be touching each other when they are installed. Such gaps can allow for excessive amounts of water to get past the stucco and therefore should be caulked on an annual basis.

Asphalt saturated fiberboard designed for expansion joints. But on the exterior gaps in stucco siding can lead not only to further degradation of the stucco but also to a host of nasty issues mold growth for example or pest infestations. Where stucco meets a window door electrical box dryer vent or any other wall penetration you may notice a small expansion gap. One reason for the porous nature of the gap can be attributed to old asphalt saturated fiberboard that had fallen apart.

Sanded caulk has particles in it that help it adhere to wet surfaces and expand in larger gaps without cracking. The process of smoothing stucco in most cases there s no need to remove the old stucco to create a smoother surface. Quikrete has a stucco repair product that is textured to match the surrounding stucco and can fill gaps up to 1 2 an inch wide. The pro s first step will be to power wash the home.

Use sanded caulk any time you use sanded grout and in joints 1 8 inch or wider. Gaps are normal and should be expected since dissimilar materials expand at different rates. If there are minor cracks in your stucco this is a project that most san francisco homeowners can tackle if they want to. Unsanded caulk has a smooth appearance and texture.

For these small cracks get a flexible paintable exterior grade caulk. Fill any low spots or remaining gaps with additional caulking until the gap. After that the pro will apply a new stucco base coat. Caulk can be either sanded or unsanded.

The manufacturer requires a 3 16 gap at the end of each piece of siding. This affected most of the fiberboard between the patio and house. Clean out the crack using a scraping tool and a wire brush so that there is no loose material and the caulk has a good surface to bond to. A stucco pro will simply apply a new texture over the existing one.

Hardie boards should be joined in moderate contact.