Ask the pros-August 2010
By Reggie Bullard


Just a general question.
When applying stucco to the outside of a home does it go below grade, to grade, or above grade?

Usually old houses had the stucco down below the grade. Here are a couple of
examples where there should have been a gap between the stucco and the grade:
Weep above grade
                                                          
Stucco on bottom of this 1960  house was constantly flaking off and crumbling, probably due to water wicking up the wall.  We cut the bottom of the stucco off and put in this weep screed a couple of inches above the grade.                                                

Bottom of stucco buckled
                                                           The reason this stucco failed was the stucco was down tight to the concrete
slab, causing the stucco to buckle as the house sagged. We have done a lot of patch work due to this condition.

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