Tim,
My husband and I are building our first new home. We are considering having
a stucco exterior, but I am a little concerned. We live in a very humid
city. Will this affect the stucco? My friends keep telling us to reconsider
due to all the recent problems with stucco homes. Please advise. Thank you.
Tyra
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Tyra,
We first have to define stucco. Stucco, as far as I am concerned, is cement stucco. Cement stucco has been used for thousands of years and it a superb building product that wears like iron and breathes. If it gets wet, it liberates the moisture readily back to the atmosphere. The Portland Cement Association has a wonderful manual showing you exactly how to install it.
But there is another product - Exterior Insulating Finishing System (EIFS) - many people call stucco. This is a plastic-based product that blocks the movement of liquid water. I am not in love with this product for all sorts of reasons.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB