Ground Moisture Stucco Damage

What you're looking at here is ground moisture stucco damage. I've actually seen moisture in the soil from the surrounding perimeter of a building get sucked up as high as 36 inches.

It's hard to imagine moisture traveling up a wall, instead of down the wall, but it can. Almost every case where ground moisture stucco damage appears, the stucco will be buried beneath the soil.

The good news is, this usually only appears in older homes or homes built before 1970. However, if you own an older home, this news won't make you happy.

What Do You Do About Ground Moisture Stucco Wall Damage?

Well in most cases, absolutely nothing, you simply repair the damaged wall area and wait for it to happen again, then start the process all over again in a few years.

The only way I can think of to fix something like this would be to remove the lower section of damaged stucco and install a weep screed. This construction repair could be expensive and might lead to other problems in the future if it wasn't done correctly.

The biggest problem with this type of repair would be to find an experienced and meticulous stucco contractor, because they will need to replace and repair any damaged lathing materials like building paper or wire lath. They will also need to make sure the building paper laps correctly and that the existing building paper was in good shape.

In some cases, the stucco in the lower 3 feet will need to be replaced.