PROTECTING YOUR HOME AND LEGAL RIGHTS FROM UNSEEN CONSTRUCTION DEFICIENCIES NIKOLAS D. REGALBUTO ESQ.
Exterior cladding may not be something you give a lot attention. However, this building component essentially serves as your home’s skin. Cladding provides weather protection along with a degree of thermal insulation. While cladding is a system of materials layered on top of one another, most homeowners are only aware of the outermost layer that is visible. These outermost layers often consist of stucco, vinyl siding, and fiber cement siding. Unfortunately, these materials can hide problems lurking beneath within the other components of the cladding system. The unseen problems within the cladding systems often result in water damage and mold growth.
Stucco was widely used within our region and, when properly installed, serve as an excellent cladding system. Proper installation requires rain barriers beneath the stucco layer that will allow the stucco surface to properly dry. When working correctly, the rainwater will filter out of the walls while the wall interiors remain free of lingering moisture. A rain barrier is not the only unseen component acting in unison with stucco in an exterior wall. There should also be building paper and flashing installed around windows and doors. Without building paper and flashing, the risk of leaks increases to a great degree. Additional items such as weep screeds, gutters, and many other trade practices are used to ensure the stucco cladding system is fully effective and can properly shield the inside of a home from the outside elements.
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When installed improperly, a cladding system can actually trap as opposed to shed water. A failing system collecting water can cause a multitude of problems including fostering mold growth, rot, and water infiltration to the interior of the home. Often these issues remain undiscovered until an invasive inspection is conducted, or significant damage has presented itself. Some homeowners have experienced wall cladding that has not been flashed or does not provide for any breathing room for the stucco exterior. Sometimes the layer of stucco applied is far too thin and does not meet building code requirements or has begun to crack as a consequence of being installed improperly. Various homeowners are even familiar with a bulging effect that stucco experiences when
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trapped water starts to reshape the outer layer of the wall.
These deficiencies have no relation to maintenance or upkeep by the homeowner. Deficiencies within cladding systems are almost always traced back to original construction. In many instances, our law firm has observed cladding problems caused by the deliberate cutting of corners to increase profit. Once the stucco or other siding is applied, it may take years before a homeowner can even realize the existence of a problem.
Heavy staining and black spots are common signs that stucco was improperly installed. The growth spots often occur where walls intersect with the roof, as well as around windows and doors. These
Above: Peeling back the surface uncovers damage behind he stucco on this stucco wall.
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