Jul. 21, 2009 - Charlotte Real Estate - Stucco Homes

Are there any Stucco Homes within Charlotte Real Estate?  Is there problems in the Carolinas with Stucco homes?  What is hard stucco compared to Synthetic Stucco?

These are questions that many home buyers have.  North Carolina Stucco homes had a lot of bad press beginning in the 1990's.  The problem was with synthetic stucco.  Most buyers do not understand the difference between synthetic stucco and hard stucco so they just avoid stucco homes completely.  That is just another benefit of working with an experienced Charlotte Realtor.  I will simplify the conversation so that it is easy to remember.

Stucco is and was basically a layer of concrete spread over the brick exterior of a home.   A stucco finish adds a lot of character to your home.  This is and was very durable and will remain so.

In the 1980's, the US began using a technique called synthetic stucco that was in use in Europe for decades. Basically a three layer process was used.  First a layer of foam board is secured to the home, followed by a layer of concrete and finally a finish coat.  If it had been tried and tested in Europe for decades then there would be no problem, right?

The problem was that in Europe the buildings were stone and brick.  In the US the foam was attached to a wooden structure.  Big difference!  In time, cracks appeared around windows and doors.  Many were even just settling cracks.  This created the problem.  Moisture began seeping in behind the foam and being trapped behind your walls.  This was discovered in Wilmington NC with home inspections.  The vast majority of the homes tested positive for high moisture content is the wood framing.  Moisture within your walls promotes wood rot along with mold and mildew.

Bottom line: avoid synthetic stucco.  Regular or "hard" stucco is still safe.  But how do you determine which stucco is good or bad?  The easiest way is to "tap" on the stucco.  Synthetic stucco is hollow and hard stucco is solid.  If for some reason you find a synthetic stucco home that you love, visually inspect around the windows and doors.  You will frequently see the first evidence of moisture issues at these locations.

In conclusion there are some Charlotte Stucco homes but be very careful if considering Synthetic Stucco.  For additional information on Charlotte Real Estate - Charlotte NC Homes for Sale.