Cracked Stucco Repair Becomes $100K Problem – What now?
For quite a while, stucco has been the preferred exterior siding for many homeowners in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Since the 90s, new construction builders and developers would build countless Pennsylvania homes utilizing stucco products. Nobody had predicted the epidemic that was to come.
Now, this epidemic is upon us. Recent headlines are shedding light on stucco moisture and mold problems all across the East Coast. 6ABC reported, “hundreds of homeowners claim a construction problem of epidemic proportions is tearing through homes in the Delaware Valley, leaving them with repairs costing into the six figures”. This news report is referring to the hundreds of homeowners in Bucks County and surrounding areas whose stucco homes recently had major mold problems which went unnoticed. One homeowner (our client), Adam Brown, agreed to exclusively share his story with us.
Adam’s home, a 2700 square foot Colonial styled house in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was his most precious asset. He told us that, “purchasing and moving into a home like this was my dream since forever”.
Unfortunately, just a year after buying his home which was a new construction at the time, Adam began noticing a discoloration and dark spots on the stucco. At the time, Adam did not think much of it as the home was relatively new. With each passing season, the dark spots on the stucco became more noticeable.
When the stucco started to crack and peel, Adam decided to get the problem checked out. This is when he reached out to our company. “I got these dark blackish spots underneath my window sills and I need stucco crack repair,” he initially told us. One of our stucco experts gave Adam a free consultation and evaluated the damage. Upon peeling a fragment of the stucco, molded wood and other rotting matter was revealed. “I was sick to my stomach and could not believe my eyes,” Adam said.
The mold, even though discovered quite late, had still not spread to the rest of the house. Adam was extremely lucky to have contacted us when he did. We began the stucco remediation process by removing all of the stucco and mold underneath. Anything that came or could’ve came in contact with the mold had to be removed and replaced with new construction.
Very promptly, Adam Brown’s home was free of mold and he enjoyed new James Hardie Siding on his home. “The results were astonishing; no more mold ever again!” We were successfully able to remediate Adam’s property before it became a $100,000 problem. Lurking behind something like cracked stucco can be a way bigger problem, so contact a professional if you have ANY suspicions.
Who does this affect?
Sadly, stucco mold and rotting is evident in new constructions the same way it is in the older homes. Anyone who owns a stucco home, new or old, in Bucks County and surrounding areas should be on alert. Unfortunately the ones who suffer are the inhabitants of the property, meaning you and your family.
What do I do?
The best action plan when dealing with mold underneath the stucco is to avoid inexperienced contractors and anyone offering to fix cracks in your stucco. In most cases, these contractors do not have the ability to check and evaluate the status of your stucco. Instead, the first thing you should do is reach out to a professional stucco remediation company. An example, in case you are a Bucks County resident, would be a company like ours – KLM Contractors. We’ve been solving stucco-related problems for decades now and always install the safest and best siding available. Our specialties include fiber cement siding, James Hardie Siding, vinyl siding, premium insulated siding, and much more!
Here is our recent trending article about stucco remediation. 10 Myths About Stucco Remediation.
