Expansion Gaps Smooth Stucco Siding

This includes butt joints and places where the siding terminates vertically against windows doors and other fixtures.

Expansion gaps smooth stucco siding. The manufacturer requires a 3 16 gap at the end of each piece of siding. Fill any low spots or remaining gaps with additional caulking until the gap. Hardie boards should be joined in moderate contact. One reason for the porous nature of the gap can be attributed to old asphalt saturated fiberboard that had fallen apart.

James hardie recommends that a slip sheet joint flashing is installed behind each butt joint in the siding. Sanded caulk has particles in it that help it adhere to wet surfaces and expand in larger gaps without cracking. Wipe away any excess caulk. It has a grainy texture and appearance.

Asphalt saturated fiberboard designed for expansion joints. Gaps are normal and should be expected since dissimilar materials expand at different rates. Such gaps can allow for excessive amounts of water to get past the stucco and therefore should be caulked on an annual basis. This affected most of the fiberboard between the patio and house.

If there are minor cracks in your stucco this is a project that most san francisco homeowners can tackle if they want to. There is no need to leave a gap for expansion. For these small cracks get a flexible paintable exterior grade caulk. Caulk can be either sanded or unsanded.

The pro s first step will be to power wash the home. Where stucco meets a window door electrical box dryer vent or any other wall penetration you may notice a small expansion gap. The process of smoothing stucco in most cases there s no need to remove the old stucco to create a smoother surface. A stucco pro will simply apply a new texture over the existing one.

This means that the boards should be touching each other when they are installed. Quikrete has a stucco repair product that is textured to match the surrounding stucco and can fill gaps up to 1 2 an inch wide. Use sanded caulk any time you use sanded grout and in joints 1 8 inch or wider. Wet your finger and gently wipe the caulk in the gap to give it a smooth rounded appearance.

But on the exterior gaps in stucco siding can lead not only to further degradation of the stucco but also to a host of nasty issues mold growth for example or pest infestations.