Bulge in stucco at 2nd story

[Robert J. OConnor]

Hmmm ... stucco (rigid) over wood frame (moves with seasonal moisture changes) without very careful attention to installation details/joints (yea, right) with a problem like that ... go figure ...

Russ ... the pic posted by David may not be a "seismic cripple wall" as you are used to thinking about them out there in the earthquake capital, but it does indeed look like your average garden variety "cripple wall", which is defined by the ICC/IRC as ...

CRIPPLE WALL. A framed wall extending from the top of the foundation to the underside of the floor framing of the first story above grade plane.

BTW Russ ... if ya go to the root page of that link you gave on cripple walls (go here ... http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/eqmap.../training.html) that looks like an excellent reference for home inspectors in high risk earthquake areas. I will add that to the Technical Links page currently under development by the Education Committee for NACHI Members. Thanks ...

JMO & 2-nickels

[Carl A. Brown]

If there is no structure damage it has been freeze and thaw cycles that have made the stucco bulge worse over the years!
Fifty years ago the felt paper was of better quality and the house still breaths better then the new ones and was not built useing OSB.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

So, Is the answer of fact : Crippled wall constructed out of plumb, and the box sill for the first floor, created the bump out in the Stucco finish??

Marcel

[Russel Ray]

Yes. Let's face it. The more stuff one has to work with, the more likely it is for there to be problems. A cripple wall has lots and lots of stuff in a very small space, all things considered. So if it is done haphazardly, nothing the stucco guys can do is going to cover it 100%.