The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Do it Yourself Discussion! => Topic started by: affordablehousing on December 18, 2018, 02:30:25 PM
-
Forum, We have a 100 year old stucco house. At least part of the wall I can see in the garage looks like the cladding was applied as stucco with wire over wood board sheathing. I've found evidence of building paper on other sides of the house, but at least in the garage (and I'm assuming the bedroom above) it looks like there's no paper. On rainy days the water wicks through, and wets the framing. Some of the framing is ok, but some looks like it has definitely gotten some dry rot, though the house is clearly still standing.
I gather the ethos was just, pray the wall dries out before the next big rain, and, who cares about insulation, which if it was in there would just get wet and moldy. The outside of this wall is expansive, flat, and windowless.
Has anyone faced with this had positive results using an elastomeric paint to waterproof the stucco? The outside needs to be repainted regardless and I wondered if this would help, while not making the situation worse if intruding moisture then can't exit (there are no formal weep screeds, the water just runs down to the foundation knee wall).
-
Do you have a vapor barrier on the inside, under the dry wall? Are you in a heating or cooling climate?
-
No vapor barrier, stucco and sheathing on the outside face without building paper behind, then the framing, then plaster and lath. The framing is true dimension 2x4, probably old growth which helped it withstand the moisture the last 100 years. We're in a temperate climate in the bay area with no air conditioning, and the furnace running a few hours a day in the winter.
-
Posting to follow any discussion of stucco.
-
A good elastomeric acrylic paint on the outside should take care of it. Probably will need two coats. Preferably one that says it's breathable - blocks liquid, allows vapor out slowly. Make sure the inside has dried out first - you're still going to be reducing vapor transmission by closing up the cracks, etc.