Stucco and parging
Exterior stucco and parging, repaired so water leaves the wall
An outside coat is there to shed water. When it cracks or lifts, water gets behind it and stays. We repair the coat and the detail around it.
Old masonry needs a coat that is softer than the brick behind it. A cement-rich patch over soft brick traps moisture and pulls the face off the brick. We cut back failed coats to sound edges and repair with a mix chosen to suit the wall.
Left to other trades: roofing, gutter work, siding, and the removal of Formstone or other cladding.
What is included
Parging at foundations, steps and rear walls
Stucco patching and crack repair with a matched texture
Cutting out failed hard patches
Repointing the brick next to a repair
Looking at flashing, gutters and grade where they feed water to the wall
What changes the job
What shapes the scope
Cost follows scope, so the written survey names each of these before you see a figure.
Area and height
A rear wall at ground level is straightforward. A front facade three stories high needs scaffold.
What is already on the wall
Lime, cement and acrylic coats behave differently. We test a small area before choosing a mix.
Where the water comes from
A failing gutter or a high yard grade will undo any repair. We note them in the survey.
Historic review
In a local historic district, outside work may need review first, which adds time before the work starts.
How it goes
Four steps, in order
- 01
Step 1: Read the wall
We tap the coat, test with a probe and photograph the layers at an edge.
- 02
Step 2: Cut back and prepare
Failed coats are cut to sound edges, loose mortar is raked and the brick is cleaned.
- 03
Step 3: Repair in coats
The scratch and finish coats go on in suitable weather and are kept damp as they cure.
- 04
Step 4: Blend and check
The finish is matched to the existing wall. We check the flashing and drainage details around it.
Rules
Permits and rules
Exterior work in a local historic district generally needs review before it starts; in Baltimore that is the preservation commission's process. Plain repair in kind is often simple, but a change of material or color is not. We prepare the scope in the commission's terms. You or your architect submits it.
Examples
Sample scopes
Written the way a survey writes them. Your own scope will name your own rooms.
- Sample
Rear wall of a row house
Failed cement parging cut back and redone in a softer mix, with the brick repointed beside it.
- Sample
Front steps
A cracked parged base and cheek walls rebuilt, with the profile matched.
- Sample
Side wall
Several hard patches removed and the wall re-coated in one continuous pass.
Sample content.
Before you call
Questions about stucco and parging
Why does stucco crack and peel?
Often because water got behind it, or because a hard patch was laid over softer masonry. We look for the water first.
Can you match cement to old lime?
We match the look of the wall, but a cement-heavy mix on soft brick does damage. We use a mix that is compatible with the brick.
Do the gutters need fixing first?
If a gutter or downspout is soaking the wall, yes. A repair under a leak will fail.
Can you take Formstone off?
We don't. Removal is masonry work, and what is behind it can be fragile. We can look at a small test area and tell you what you would be taking on.
Book a wall survey
Tell us what the wall is doing. We will come and read it, then write down what we found.