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Posted by Astro on January 13, 2008, 7:34 am
>
>
> > > Some of windows on this house have discolored stucco at the corners
> > > under the window. Some have a visible crack. We had several days of
> > > rain prior to this picture. Can anyone explain this?
>
> > > Thanks
> > > Andy
>
> > Is the stain about the same color as the window frame paint? If so you
> > may need to re-paint the window and power wash the the stucco. Then
> > apply some caulking to the cracks and waterproof the stucco with
> > Thompsons or some other water repelant.
>
> 1) This house is 17 years old.
> 2) I do not know if it is real stucco, I do have a picture of a
> damaged window sill and a damaged cornner. I'll post tem as soon as I
> can and maybe someone can tell me if its really stucco.
> 3) The windows are Aluminum and white in color
Do NOT "waterproof" the stucco!
Stucco, and other masonry siding, is water permeable, and should be
maintained permeable. There is a common misperception that siding is a
waterproofing layer - it is not. Stucco, and other siding products,
are aesthetic and physical barriers, representing the outer skin of
your home. But they also allow water to get behind them, and that must
be allowed to escape easily or it may rot out the underlying wood
sheathing.
Any stucco siding will have numerous micro-cracks, these are normal
and are not the cause of water damage. What causes the damage is
improper flashing and drainage plane assembly. Both must be done
properly, or water will get behind the drainage plane and get trapped
in contact with the wood sheathing and likely allow bulk water entry
into the walls of the home.
For an excellent discussion of the topic, read the literature on
mtidry.com
However, this is all mainly academic. Your problem is very likely, as
noted, caused by moisture problems in your window framing or framing
around the window. At the lower corners of the window, where the
staining occurs, poke any wood you can see exposed by cracks. If it is
soft and/or wet, you've got a problem that needs to be rectified
before it gets worse. There are some excellent articles on-line on
fixing rot. See:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,680938,00.html
Stucco is very tricky however, because you can't just pull off a piece
and repair the rot because the proper layering of flashing and weather
resistive barrier is critical. Unfortunately, very few builders truly
understand the importance of this, so repairing it properly can be a
challenge.
If you can, post a close up of the area where the discoloration shows
and a high resolution picture of the entire window area of the wall,
so we can see what the general construction of the area looks like.
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