Missing weep screed...Question

[David Nasser]

The residence lacks a weep screed on total exterior area. These patches
on the drywall make me believe that they were created by the drywall
not being able to dry out....( This is southern calif. so rain fall is only 10 inches per year ). Is there a remedy for house that lacks a weep screed?

David

[Jeffery L. Haynes]

Yes, tear it down and do it right.

[Russel Ray]

Very few older homes have weep screeds, so to "tear it down and do it right" is not necessary. Regular homeowner maintenance is perfectly fine in our desert environment.

[Keith Runquist, CMI]

Russel, being from a dry northern climate I tend to agree with you but what would you consider normal maintenance?

[Russel Ray]

Every five years when the bottom 12-24" of stucco has blistered and sloughed, have it repaired.

I had one Client who actually had a weep screed installed on a 1200-SF Craftsman bungalow built during World War II. Cost him $15,000. He'll never recoup that investment.

It costs about $500 to patch and repair every five years and, depending on just how much rain we get, as well as what kind of landscape irrigation is spraying on the stucco, one can even go up to seven years. Multiply that $500 every five years by six repairs over a 30-year loan and one has spent $3,000. Much less expensive.

Lack of a weep screed on 2010 construction would be considered a major defect. On a 1943 Craftsman bungalow, a minor maintenance concern.

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by dnasser

The residence lacks a weep screed on total exterior area. These patches
on the drywall make me believe that they were created by the drywall
not being able to dry out....( This is southern calif. so rain fall is only 10 inches per year ). Is there a remedy for house that lacks a weep screed?

David

Well this does not look to be a WWII vintage home to me,and the damage does not look moisture related....

Call out what you see and move on...Lack of weep screed is not the primary problem in the picture shown....Stucco at Grade is then Problem.... A weep screed in will not help in this picture.

That being said it, stucco at grade is/was a common building practice in certain areas at one time...

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by bkelly2

Well this does not look to be a WWII vintage home to me,and the damage does not look moisture related....

Call out what you see and move on...Lack of weep screed is not the primary problem in the picture shown....Stucco at Grade is then Problem.... A weep screed in will not help in this picture.

That being said it, stucco at grade is/was a common building practice in certain areas at one time...

We didn't use weep screeds here until the late 1970s. That looks to be a 1960s-1970s era home, and the damage certainly does look moisture related. I see that all the time from sprinklers spraying on the stucco.

Stucco at grade on these older homes is because weep screeds were not used, so renovating that home to include a weep screed certainly would help because then the stucco would not be at grade.

[Jeffery L. Haynes]

If its worth repairing then its worth adding a weep screed.....or you can keep repairing every few years....at what over the life time.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Drywall? You meant to say stucco I hope.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by jhaynes

If its worth repairing then its worth adding a weep screed.....or you can keep repairing every few years....at what over the life time.

See comment #5.

[Jeffery L. Haynes]

David,

What is the year of the home?

Russell,
The price you quoted equates to over $100.00 per lineal foot.....that is price gouging... at least around here...... I understand that the cost of living in CA is over inflated yet $15,000 to repair 1200 sf residence, I suspect my subcontractors would come over for half that price to do the job. My exterior siding subcontractor has been driving as far as Maine to do jobs that are over priced and I have been sending my roofing crews several hundred miles to keep them busy but I digress.

Rambuilders has documented and video how and why patch jobs and improper installation is not acceptable, they have an excellent website which is full of detailed information as to the various types of stucco systems and the pros and cons of each.

I know we have limited information as provided by David but it just doesnt make sense keep putting a bandaid on problem.......... again, I know that we have only a limited amount of info that has been provided; yet the fact remains that moisture being trapped (looks like 48" high) in a system that was not designed for such.

It is evident that the construction industry throughout the US has lost vital details from which things were done in Europe and other parts of the world.....yet the principles are still the same......with exteriors it is essential that we properly manage moisture and water away from the building envelope.

My wife and her family are from Europe and they are appalled at some of the building practices that go on here. There is a reason that they have buildings over a thousand years old and yet here in America it is rare that we inspect homes over 100 years old.

regards

Jeff

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Point out the lack of a drainage system, let them know the potential consequences (structural deterioration behind the siding), say you didn't examine the structure behind the siding, and refer them to a licensed & certified stucco specialist. I would never say hint that it just needs some maintenance.