3 Ways You May Unknowingly Be Causing Stucco Damage

When it comes to siding for the side of your home, stucco provides a seamless and timeless look. When you have stucco installed on your home, you will want to properly maintain the material and keep the side of your home in good condition. Unfortunately, you may have some regular habits that could cause damage to your stucco.

If you knowingly do any of these habits, then you can make changes for the better, complete repairs, and ensure your stucco looks brand new for years to come. Check out some of the ways you could be unknowingly causing stucco damage.

1. Feeding Birds

Birds are great to see in the wild, especially if you see them from the window of your own home. To help attract birds to your property, you may rely on a wide range of products like bird feeders, suet, or water sources for the bird. While most birds are harmless, you do not want to attract a woodpecker to your property.

A woodpecker will not only go to your bird feeder, but they have been known to peck at stucco. Their hard and strong beaks can cause damage at the stucco. You may not notice the damage at first, but a woodpecker will slowly chip away at the stucco material and eventually create problems.

If a woodpecker causes enough damage, then you would need to perform repairs to prevent moisture and water from leaking behind the stucco material. Try to move the bird feeders and food further away from the house. If the woodpeckers come back, then you may need to cut off food from the birds so the woodpeckers will travel somewhere else.

2. Pressure Washing Home Exterior

With a beautiful stucco finish on your home, you will naturally want to keep the home's exterior as clean as possible. One of the more common ways to clean a house is with a pressure washer. While pressure washers may work well with other forms of siding, you should avoid pressure wash use on stucco.

When set on some of the more powerful settings, a pressure washer could cause damage to the stucco. The high-pressured water could cause stucco to chip away and allow moisture into the siding. You may also use cleaning chemicals with the stucco.

The chemicals could cause damage to the stucco, especially as chemicals wash down the side of the house and soak into the foundation. Talk with stucco professionals before you apply any cleaning chemicals to the stucco. If moisture gets trapped between the chemicals and stucco, then the siding could blister and create an unsightly look.

If any of these issues occur, then you will want to repair the area and avoid any future pressure washing on the side of the home.

3. Grilling Foods

If you enjoy cooking outdoors, then you should be aware of how close you grill to the home. When you grill, smoke and heat can directly impact the stucco. High heat exposure could cause stucco to warp, bubble, or blister and create stability issues. High exposure to smoke could cause stucco to stain and create an uneven look to the siding.

Move your grill as far away from the side of the house as possible. This way, you can prevent any direct exposure to the stucco and ensure the siding remains clean. If you have any damage or stains, then you can go through the repair process to make the stucco look brand new again. When you rely on stucco experts, they can create even tones and flat surfaces.

For all of your stucco repair needs, contact us at Stucco Done Right LLC. We will help diagnose any issues with your stucco and have years of experience repairing and replacing stucco on homes.