Stucco refers to the type of siding many homes and businesses use to decorate the exterior walls of their buildings. Within the past twenty years, stucco has been replacing other types of siding such as vinyl or brick because of its economical cost and aesthetic appeal. Currently, thousands of homes, neighborhoods, and businesses use stucco as their choice of siding, which has been on the rise since its recent modern inception.
The Problems with Poorly Installed Stucco
Poorly installed stucco can lead to a plethora of issues for you as a home or business owner. Generally, issues associated with stucco go unnoticed and are exacerbated over long periods of time. Sometimes issues are ignored until the cost to repair the stucco-related damages have become so great you must pay thousands of dollars in repair costs. As moisture seeps into the porous stucco, it can ruin the plywood on which the stucco was plastered, destroying walls and compromising the integrity of your building or your family’s health. Despite the popularity of stucco, the number of stucco insurance and litigation claims has also risen in the past few years, too. Many claimants have stated that their homes and buildings have experienced one or more of the following problems with their stucco installations:
- Humidity in the home increases, causing illness or damage to personal effects;
- Noticeable insect infestations start to ruin the walls, especially termites;
- Black mold begins to form, causing inhalable spores which can cause lasting health defects;
- Rotting wood from prolonged exposure to the elements makes the building unsafe and, in many instances, unable to sell.
Damage to the physical property in addition to the health problems and inability to liquidate a building may be cause for you to worry and wonder what course of action you can take to restore your home or business. No one likes feeling victimized in these situations, which is why the following information may be helpful to you if you are considering different options to take when you have experienced stucco-related problems.
Homeowner’s Insurance Claims
Many individuals and attorneys think that they can take on homeowner’s insurance companies in the case of stucco damages to the home. Though some stucco cases are in fact covered by homeowner’s insurance, your insurance will most likely not pay for your home damages if you purchase insurance after the stucco damage was discovered. Many insurance companies also don’t cover insurance claims for work done by unlicensed professionals. This means that insurance can only cover you if the damage was NOT pre-existing and that you should only hire professionals to do your housework, even when unlicensed labor is cheaper.
Unfortunately, not every stucco damage claim will be covered by homeowners insurance.
For stucco cracks and their resultant damage to be covered under a homeowner’s insurance policy, it generally must meet the following requirements:
- Stucco must have been applied by a licensed contractor.
- The damage cannot have pre-existed the insurance policy.
- Damage must be provable.