Stucco holds immense historical value in the Philadelphia building industry. Older Philadelphian homes have stucco exteriors, showcasing their importance in the city’s architectural heritage. Although stucco is resilient and has superior aesthetic appeal, it suffers from structural damage and moisture intrusion. These costly and damaging issues might have a long-term impact on your property. You want to continually get a professional to inspect the stucco in your home for the following five reasons.
1. Prevent Moisture Damage
Do you know damaged stucco siding allows moisture to seep into the home’s underlying structure? Wood elements might absorb that moisture, leading to mildew, rotting, and mold. Over time, that will weaken your building’s structural integrity. It might even pose various health risks to those living on the property.
Experts in Philadelphia stucco repair do a visual scrutiny of your stucco system. They will look for noticeable damages such as cracking, missing sealants, and flashings. For a more detailed examination, they will use an infrared camera to scan the stucco system’s exterior to determine if there are underlying faults. The experts will then seal cracks and replace the missing flashings and sealants.
2. Maintain the Building’s Aesthetic Value
How do bulging areas, cracks, and stains on your building look? Do they give a vibe of a home well-maintained or make visitors question your aesthetic tastes? A building with damaged stucco siding is never appeasing to the eye. Damaged stucco makes people feel that you do not care about the condition of your home, which can reduce its resale value.
Professional inspections are integral for discovering stains and cracks caused by leaking stucco siding. They can help you find bulging sections and provide feature solutions.
Inspectors use a moisture meter to determine the current moisture reading of the stucco. They will drill small holes in your stucco system to fit the meter. If they find your system has ordinary moisture, they will seal the holes, indicating that your stucco is in perfect condition. When moisture levels are high, they will use advanced technologies to uncover the problems and offer lasting solutions.
3. Reduce Energy Costs
Are your energy costs increasing even though your heating and cooling systems are in good condition? Your stucco system might have existing damages. The stucco system is a robust thermal barrier that insulates your home and regulates indoor temperatures. Cracks and gaps in the stucco compromise your property’s insulation. It allows air to leak in and out of your home, forcing your cooling and heating system to work harder.
Air escaping through your damaged stucco system makes the HVAC system run longer and more frequently to compensate for the lost heat. In the end, you find yourself paying for on utility bills. Hiring stucco home inspectors can help resolve such a problem and make your indoors more comfortable. They will discover and repair cracks and gaps through which air leaks in and out to cause inefficient airflow.
4. Avoid Costly Repairs
Stucco repairs and replacements are disruptive and costly. Every project involving existing stucco removal and installation of a new one will take time, resources, and skill. Inspections help you discover stucco problems before they become complex and costly. They enable you to uncover and address minor damages and small cracks before they spread further and turn into larger cracks.
By discovering minor structural and moisture intrusion issues, stucco inspectors can avoid instances of costly removal and replacements. These experts will prevent costly sealing and waterproofing tasks that might cost you more. Also, getting stucco inspections can prevent the possibility of disruptions that come with handling expensive repairs. You will not need to leave your home to avoid the limitations, noise, and dust associated with extensive stucco repairs.
5. Prevents Health Risks
Are you noticing mildew and mold signs in the areas around your stucco system? Or your family members with allergies and asthma are experiencing increased agitations lately? Your stucco system might have moisture leaks that have created a conducive environment for mold and mildew to grow. Remember, the fungi thrive in moisture-invaded and poorly ventilated areas.
As these fungi accumulate in your home, they increase health risks to your loved ones. You will find that people with pre-existing respiratory conditions feel agitated when they get exposed to mold spores. They will cough, wheeze, and experience skin and throat irritation.
Being around mold-invaded conditions can cause serious health concerns. Some molds generate mycotoxins, highly toxic substances that trigger neurological systems. Stucco home inspections enable you to identify mold and mildew problems on time. That ensures you can repair cracks and damaged areas on time, preventing moisture intrusion, mildew, and mold growth. They will sort holes and other damages that affect proper ventilation to boost your home’s moisture management.
Wrapping Up
Does your Philadelphia home have a stucco system? Do you ever take time to examine it to know if it has been damaged and might need repairs? Most stucco inspections require expertise and high-end skills. Getting stucco home inspections can have many benefits on your property. You can detect moisture intrusion and conduct timely and efficient repairs. Handling stucco repairs on time will prevent disruptive and costly projects. Also, getting your stucco inspected by an expert will prevent mild mold formation that aggravates health problems.