Have a situation with a two story house that is finished in real stucco. It has an attached garage on the right side of the house with the gable end of the garage facing the street (see attached photo). Where the problem is occurring is where the left side of the garage roof meets the vertical wall of the house. Water runs down the roof , misses the gutter (no kickout), and continues down the face of the front wall.
Behind said front wall is the dining room and upon removing a hanging picture found mildew and other evidence of moisture. Could this be a situation where water is migrating through the stucco and saturating the sheathing, insulation and drywall? Or, is it more likely that there is a gap, crack, hole, etc… that is the point of entry?
There isn’t enough water to cause the interior paint to release from the drywall and bubble out, but there have been repeated growths of mildew on the wall and the back of the hanging picture.
Other than installing a kickout I am unsure of how to correct this problem.
Suggestions?
Replies
You don't indicate where you live or the age of the house, but mold behind a picture (or piece of furniture) in these parts, especially in an older home (pre 1985, say), is generally due to condensation on the wall in the wintertime.
There was a house with similar roof lines on here...............
a while back that got some criticism for the potential of water intrusion and / or the need for serious flashing detail where those roofs dump considerable water to a valley right close to side walls.
If the end of the gutter and fascia aren't the point of entry-I'd look further up.
If in fact it's not something like winter condensation behind that picture.
With the newness look of that house and all the quoin detail, sure it's not eifs?
That DOES look like EIFS!
EIFS is a building method that places a foam panel on the outside of the house and then covers that with a stucco like product. With this building method, it is very important to get the rain screen details correct, as well as getting the correct drainage at the bottom of the walls. You have to assume that water will get behind the stucco - so you have to give it a pathway back out again.
upon removing a hanging picture found mildew and other evidence of moisture
Is this evidence of past moisture or current moisture?
Summertime moisture could mean something quite different from wintertime moisture.
Where is this house? (Region, not address.)
moisture behind stucco
House was built in 2001 and is located in Central Georgia. We asked the GC and he says it is hard stucco, not EFIS. I don't believe that it is condensation because it has only appeared in one spot. I guess that I need to go back to the GC and quiz him on how the house was sheathed prior to the installation of the stucco. It would seem that if house wrap had been used that this problem would not have occurred.
I know you mentioned the room this appears in
but I'm unsure as to the location (on which wall) that it is located. You weren't home the day I stopped by.
thanks.
Beer in garage fridge
Cal,
Key under front mat, see wall dining room wall to left of window.......
Mi casa, es su casa
Shoot.
I've got a road cleanup this morning and the rest of the day is pretty full.
Could you climb up there and take some shots of that corner of the house/roof line?
My eyes aren't what they used to be. I'm having trouble seeing it from my house.
I would normally believe it's condensation, since it occurred in one spot, behind a picture or piece of furniture, vs in streaks or splotches that are not aligned with anything. But condensation isn't likely a significant issue in northern GA unless the contractor "forgot' to insulate.
So it is likely that it's moisture from somewhere outside, in small amounts, and it appears behind the picture because it didn't evaporate rapidly enough there and mold formed. But the amount of moisture you're likely talking about, if this is the only spot, is quite small, so it will be hard to noodle out how it's getting in.
Absolutely!! Stucco ... much like concrete or masonry. It is fairly porous to water. Doesn't mean water just runs through it, but it can easily migrate through it. Lacking the kickout, you could easily be getting a lot of moisture migrating through the wall. Time for some roof work to mitigate the issue a bit.
Stucco leaking
Yes, the stucco can and probably is leaking particulary behind the gable end- wall joint. Stucco goes on after the framing and usually after the roof so if that spot wasn't well flashed, and it usually isn't, you're going to get a leak. Around here it's fairly common and the repair isn't too hard. You have to have a kick-out and if the side wall flashing is visible the repair is pretty easy. Just make your kickout flashing,k slide it under the roofing and behind the sidewall flashing. If the side wall flashing isn't visible you'll need to break out a chipping hammer or hammer and chisel and find the end of the flashing.
There will be some stucco patch but it shouldn't be much. When you have it all flashed, primed and painted go back and caulk all the joints with poly.