Sell Or Repair Synthetic Stucco After Water Damage?

Added January 3, 2005 by Ilyce R. Glink

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Summary: If your home has synthetic stucco as its exterior finish, you may encounter water damage. One solution to water damage related to an incorrect synthetic stucco installation is a new drainage system, but it's not clear how reliable that system will be. Should you repair water damage related to synthetic stucco before selling a home? Ilyce says she wouldn't want a home with water damage related to synthetic stucco but it is up to the home seller to decide whether to repair it prior to selling the home.

Q: We have a synthetic stucco home completed in June of 1998. We have paperwork from the installer confirming that the EIFS on our house is a Pebbletex-D7 drainage system by Finestone.

We are told that the foam has some type of grooves in it to promote drainage of water to weep holes at the bottom. We had the house inspected recently as a result of a lawsuit we were involved in to replace the EIFS with another cladding. We settled out of court.

Our problem is whether to try to sell the house now, do minor repairs and keep it, or strip it and reclad it with Hardiplank siding.

Do you think the type of drainage system on the house is sufficient with good maintenance? And do you think the value of the house will diminish in the future and we will have a hard time selling it? Thanks and waiting for your reply.

A: In my research covering this topic, I have found that synthetic stucco experts are themselves confused over whether the drainage system will work. Clearly, the original synthetic stucco system has failed, but the drainage system is only a few years old and it's uncertain what will happen as these homes age.

In many parts of the country, synthetic stucco homes are difficult to sell. More people are aware of the multi-million dollar law settlements synthetic stucco companies have paid to unhappy homeowners.

As for whether you sell your home or keep it, that's up to you. But I wouldn't want to be the owner of a synthetic stucco home that's been damaged structurally by water infiltration.

Posted January 3, 2005.

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