Unfortunately, homeowners’ insurance will not cover every claim for stucco damage.
In order for stucco cracks and the damage they cause to be covered under a homeowner’s insurance policy, they must generally match the following criteria:
Furthermore, the type of stucco used can influence whether or not your insurance company would cover any damage. Similarly, the type of damage you sustain can influence your insurer’s willingness to compensate you. For example, not all policies cover water damage.
Even if it was completed by the previous owner, self-applied stucco is unlikely to be covered by insurance.
The policies for homeowners’ insurance differ. It’s a good idea to read through your policy and discuss it with your agent to determine your level of coverage.
What type of damage does homeowners insurance not cover?
The typical homeowners insurance policy, also known as a HO-3, insures your house against a variety of risks, but there are a few key exclusions. Knowing what is and isn’t covered can save you a lot of money and pain in the long run.
Earthquakes, sinkholes, and other earth disturbances are not covered by most conventional policies in most states. In all states except California, earthquake insurance can be obtained as an endorsement (supplement) for a charge. Flood insurance, which covers mudslides as well, must be obtained separately and is only available through the government’s National Flood Insurance Program.
Other sorts of water damage aren’t included either. Your standard coverage will not cover damage caused by overflows or backups from your sump pump, sewer system, or drains. However, coverage may be obtained by adding a second endorsement.
Taking good care of your house can save you money on pricey repairs that your homeowners insurance won’t cover.
Many things that aren’t covered by your regular policy are usually the result of carelessness and a failure to maintain the property properly. Damage caused by termites and insects, birds or rodents, rust, rot, mold, and regular wear and tear are not covered. Damage from pollution or smoke generated by industrial or agricultural activity is also not covered.
If something is poorly manufactured or has a concealed fault, it will almost always be excluded from coverage. The same can be said for any mechanical failure.
Furthermore, if your home experiences a power outage, items such as food spoilage are not covered by a regular policy.
Damage caused by war or nuclear peril is not covered by your homeowners insurance, which is something no one wants to think about. Expenses incurred as a result of identity theft are likewise not covered, however this coverage can be added as an endorsement.
If you own a watercraft, your insurance will usually cover it up to $1,000 if it is taken from your home, but not if it is stolen from another location. Liability coverage is also available for crafts with less than 25 horsepower on most policies.
- Firearms, furs, watches, silverware, and gold are all valuable items. Theft of jewelry is covered by a regular policy for $1,000.
- Replacement cost – To establish the settlement amount for any lost or damaged property, most plans employ an actual cash-value basis, which takes depreciation into account. A replacement cost endorsement can be added to a policy, allowing claims to be paid based on the cost of replacing specified lost objects rather than depreciation.
- Higher liability and medical payments Liability for third-party medical expenses and legal fees for defending claims might be exorbitant. Increasing the liability limitations on your insurance policy might help you protect your financial future.
Do Home warranties cover stucco?
A typical builder’s new-home warranty covers the home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Windows, plumbing, and electrical systems are also covered by warranties for workmanship and materials. Siding, drywall, paint, trim, and stucco are also included in the service. Protection lasts a different amount of time depending on the builder and the component. Home warranties typically cover repairs for one to two years. Major structural flaws that jeopardize the home’s safety are covered for up to ten years. If you decide to get extra coverage, the Better Business Bureau advises that you research the warranty company’s repair history before purchasing the policy.
Does homeowners insurance cover exterior damage?
It’s not pleasant to wake up to a flood in your basement caused by a broken water heater, especially when you discover your floor has been ruined. Is my homeowners insurance going to cover water damage? That’s one of the first concerns you’ll probably ask yourself.
In this case, your ordinary homes insurance policy will cover the price of the damage, and an agent will assist you in starting the water damage insurance claim procedure. Not all sorts of water damage, however, are covered.
Most conventional house insurance policies will cover water damage caused by a source inside your home, such as a burst pipe, if it occurs suddenly or accidentally. If the water comes from outside your home, your basic policy will not cover it. However, flood insurance, which is a separate policy that can be a wise addition to your existing house coverage, can provide additional protection against flood-related damages.
How do you know if stucco is bad?
These are the types of questions a stucco inspector will ask in order to determine whether or not you have defective stucco. Homeowners concerned about stucco issues should also ask themselves these questions.
Consider how long you’ve been in your house, whether it’s been two years or twenty. Is there any evidence of a leak? Was the problem, if so, plumbing-related? If not, the leak was almost certainly triggered by a flaw in your home’s façade. Start with any leaks that have happened in your stucco siding.
Examine the interior trim around your windows and doors. Examine the trim for any missing or deteriorated caulking. Around the whole circumference of the window and door aperture, sealant should be applied. If the caulking has shrunk or dried, or if the adhesion is no longer present, that region is more vulnerable to water and air infiltration. Remember that when water gets into the wall cavity, stucco starts to fail.
Any incompatible materials must be separated if your property has Stucco or EFIS on the exterior. Those connections must be sealed using a sealer that has been authorized.
I’d say that over 95 percent of the homes I’ve observed with stucco breakdown are missing this crucial structural feature.
The most typical signs of stucco home concerns are cracking and discolouration. Examine your home’s stucco siding for the following common symptoms of damage:
Even if you just notice a few of the difficulties described above, these stucco failure warning signs are usually just the beginning.
Examine the area around the windows and doors for signs of decay. You might notice dark patches, stains, cracks, or even whole sections of stucco missing. If you approach close enough, you could notice a distinct odor of moist, rotting wood.
Pay special attention to the lower parts of the house, such as the window and door sills. It’s quite likely that water has invaded the wall cavity if you detect damage in these spots.
Make sure to investigate all penetrations coming in from the outside of the house as well. These regions have regularly included a major portion of the overall damage in the stucco homes I’ve remediated:
Throughout my 29 years in the exterior building industry, wood-framed chimneys have been the most typical cause of stucco failure. Wood-framed chimneys don’t mix well with stucco, but for some reason, hundreds of homes have attempted (and failed) to combine the two.
To figure out if your chimney is producing stucco issues in your home, first figure out whether the stucco is placed to block masonry or wood frame. Walk up to the chimney exterior and softly tap the surface approximately 2 to 3 feet from the base with a few knuckles to see which you have. Try to determine whether it is a solid, hard surface or a hollow, softer, bouncing surface by feeling and hearing it. The latter will be built with a wood frame. In that situation, I’ve found that this style of building almost always results in stucco failure.
What are 2 things not covered in homeowners insurance?
In most cases, standard homes insurance policies exclude coverage for precious jewelry, artwork, and other collectibles, as well as identity theft protection and damage caused by an earthquake or flood.
What are the six categories typically covered by homeowners insurance?
A homeowners insurance policy typically has at least six separate coverage sections. The coverages are commonly referred to as Dwelling, Other Structures, Personal Property, Loss of Use, Personal Liability, and Medical Payments coverages, though the names vary by insurance carrier. They are frequently called Coverages A through F and are presented as policy sections.
Coverage A, Dwelling
The first coverage component of a homeowner’s policy protects your home and any related structures, such as garages, decks, or fences. A typical insurance will protect your home from a variety of risks (also known as causes of loss), such as fires or storms. However, the following types of losses are typically not covered by a homeowner’s policy:
Coverage B, Other Structures
Structures that are not attached to the house, such as a detached (separate) garage, storage or utility shed, playground equipment, and swimming pools, are covered under this clause.
Coverage C, Personal Property
This covers your belongings, whether they are at home or on vacation with you. Personal property is frequently insured against certain perils. This means that only the losses stated in the policy section will be covered. There are additional restrictions and exclusions to the coverage. Jewelry, fine arts, collectibles, and other valuable items may require particular security. Consult your agent about adding coverage to a floater, which broadens and extends coverage for high-valued items.
Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost
Protection under sections A and B is typically granted on an actual cash value or replacement cost basis. Replacement cost minus depreciation is the definition of actual cash value. The cost of replacing a structure, net of depreciation, is known as replacement cost. To find out what kind of coverage you have, look over your insurance. Section C coverage is typically offered on an actual cash basis. Your agent, however, may be able to add replacement cost to your belongings, similar to Coverage A.
Coverage D, Loss of Use
While your home is being restored, this coverage covers the cost of additional living expenditures. The policy also covers you if your house is uninhabitable. The loss or loss of access, on the other hand, must be the outcome of an incident covered by the policy. Coverage D would not be available if your home was damaged during a conflict and you had to abandon it because war is excluded. Food, housing, and transportation are all common extra costs. However, the costs must be greater than what your family regularly spends.
How long does a stucco exterior last?
One of the most common exterior treatments for homes is stucco. It’s a visually appealing, low-maintenance, and fire-resistant sheathing option. But, like any other building material, it’s only as good as how it’s used. It’s also not appropriate for all climates.
Stucco siding is traditionally built of Portland cement, sand, lime, and water, much like concrete. A wire mesh is fastened to the side of the home, directly over the house wrap, and protective flashing around windows and doors is placed. Over the wire mesh, three coats of stucco are trowelled: a scratch coat, a brown coat, and finally a colored topcoat with pigment.
Between coats, there must be a period of curing, and stucco can only be done successfully at the right temperature. If you’re having stucco installed while the temperature drops below 5 degrees Celsius, make sure the contractor seals and heats the area.
One of the most serious issues with stucco is that, like any concrete, it will shrink and crack over time, especially in areas with a freeze-thaw cycle.
Most contemporary homes have an acrylic-polymer finish on the exterior stucco, which expands and contracts with the weather. This minimizes cracks and allows the stucco to last for up to 50 years before needing to be restored.
Synthetic stucco materials are also precolored at the factory, resulting in a completely consistent color that is UV and fade-resistant all over.
The latest stucco systems contain an additional Styrofoam insulation layer, which I like because it adds to the heat barrier. An exterior insulation and finish system is what this is called (EIFS). On a mesh and foam board insulation substrate, an acrylic-polymer stucco layer is placed. EIFS has a higher plasticity than standard stucco siding, which means it is more resistant to cracking. However, it is more prone to heavy impacts, such as hail or hockey pucks.
New synthetic stucco, when combined with a high-strength backer mesh and high-compression foam, is the way to go, in my opinion.
Traditional stucco is porous because it comprises sand and cement. It will deflect rain for a while, but it will eventually become saturated, allowing moisture to penetrate all the way to the house wrap. Your home is safe as long as the wrap is done correctly. If it isn’t, moisture can get into the wood framing and cause rot or mold growth.
Traditional stucco, on the other hand, breathes and dries out with time. Synthetic stucco systems, on the other hand, are a different matter. These acrylic stuccos are entirely impermeable and constructed of acrylic polymers. They don’t breathe at all, which is excellent except that if water gets behind the surface, it has nowhere to go except through the bottom of the wall.
Water will get in through any cracks, inadequate caulking, or poor flashing around windows and doors and become trapped since it can’t evaporate. And this moisture will eventually cause rot, first in the wood sheathing, then in the framing.
Water-trapping issues with EIFS are potentially catastrophic, and they’re getting worse as more homes utilize these synthetic stucco systems.
Caulking around windows and doors to prevent more water from seeping in behind the synthetic stucco actually makes the problem worse by cutting off the few locations where water can evaporate.
Damage that could take ten or twenty years to develop under regular breathable stucco can occur in just a few years with breathable stucco.
Why is the stucco on my house cracking?
Stucco is a long-lasting, low-maintenance siding choice made of Portland cement, sand, lime, and water. Stucco, like any other building material using Portland cement, is susceptible to cracking.
Though cracks in stucco can be caused by a variety of factors such as incorrect mix proportions, insufficient mixing, poor workmanship, seismic movement, and seasonal changes, the house settling process and shrinkage-induced stresses, which typically occur during the drying period, are two of the most common causes. Let’s look at how bad a stucco crack can be now that you know why they happen.
Deep cracks are more dangerous than hairline cracks. They can, however, provide a route for moisture and water to penetrate a wall structure. Moisture or water that gets into a wall will inevitably cause more harm. Water getting behind stucco, for example, will soften the material it comes into contact with, causing stucco to break away and fall off in sheets. Paint failure, wood rot, mold development, musty odor, bloated drywall, and irreversible damage can all result from moisture and water trapped inside walls.
Although cracks smaller than 1/16 inch rarely compromise the integrity of outside stucco, they should be repaired as soon as possible to avoid them becoming worse. Apply a high-quality caulk to a little stucco crack, stipple it with a brush while it’s still wet (this will give it texture and help it integrate better), let it cure, and then paint the entire area.
If you live in Florida, you should inspect your exterior stucco and repair any cracks you see before the rainy season begins. With all stucco homes, this degree of upkeep is to be expected.
A huge stucco crack, unlike hairline fractures, may signal a structural problem. Large cracks frequently appear where vertical walls meet, at the upper corners of window and door frames, and at the connections between wood framing and concrete/brick masonry. Because most significant fractures are not only broad but also deep, moisture and water can easily permeate the building envelope and move through the walls.
The most “dangerous” cracks are often larger than 1/16 inch in diameter and have edges that are no longer parallel to one another. It could suggest unique structural changes in your home if the edge of a crack has migrated in reference to the other edge. When the foundation settles more on one side of a house than the other, for example, it might cause the stucco to fracture. It’s critical to evaluate significant fractures before attempting to repair them in order to properly address and remedy potential structural problems.
If you’ve just discovered a huge or deep crack in your stucco, we recommend consulting a professional who can determine the source of the problem and recommend a solution that will not only repair the problem but also prevent it from happening again.
Because stucco is your home’s first line of defense against Florida’s severe climate, it’s vital to address even the tiniest stucco cracks as soon as possible using the best materials to maintain your home’s health and lifespan.
What are the problems with stucco houses?
Despite the fact that stucco siding can survive a variety of hostile environments, it does not last indefinitely. External factors such as the sun or strong winds can cause damage to stucco. However, it may be harmed as a result of issues within your home.
There are a variety of stucco issues that might arise. Staining and discoloration, stucco cracking, and moisture infiltration are the most prevalent. Other issues include caulking and stucco that extends below grade. Some of these problems will need to be fixed or remedied.
Staining and Discoloration on Stucco Exterior Walls
Although stucco is designed to absorb some moisture, long-term wet stains or staining can be an issue. Look for white hazy streaks or black patches to identify these spots or stains.
A badly installed flashing can cause stains and discolouration. It’s also possible that you have no flashing at all! As a result, this is one of the aspects you should consider while dealing with this problem.
If you do not address this issue, you may face harsh penalties. It could lead to black mold, rotting timber, and structural damage to your property.
The most typical staining and discoloration problem areas are around your windows and doors. As a result, pay special attention to these regions.
EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System) is more stain-prone than normal stucco. However, this only occurs when it is installed incorrectly. EIFS is used to prevent moisture from becoming trapped within the walls. Insulation, sheathing, and timber structure can all rot as a result of this.
Different Types of Stucco Cracks
Stucco cracking can occur for a variety of reasons over time. Land moving, incorrect mixing proportions, and shoddy stucco construction are just a few of the reasons. All of these are known to induce widespread cracking.
However, water damage beneath the surface might cause localized cracking in your stucco.
Cracks can be dangerous if they reach deeper than the surface level, in addition to degrading the aesthetic of your property. If you fix minor damages promptly, you shouldn’t be too concerned. Larger cracks, on the other hand, should be addressed as soon as feasible.
Because foundation settlement might cause stucco cracking, you won’t be able to avoid it. So, in this instance, don’t be concerned. However, if you discover that your stucco was not properly installed, you should repair the damage as soon as possible.
Moisture and Water Intrusionon Stucco
If you suspect moisture penetration on your stucco, there are a few warning indicators to look out for.
To begin, search for missing stucco pieces or chunks. If you detect this, you may be sure there are moisture issues beneath the surface.
When your stucco appears damp, this is another symptom of moisture or water intrusion. After a downpour, your stucco is likely to be moist. However, if days pass and the stucco remains damp, moisture incursion beneath your siding is almost certainly present.
It’s critical to include a drainage system at the bottom of the walls while correctly applying stucco. Water will leak through the walls around the bottom edge if your drainage system is defective. As a result, fractures and bubbles will appear around this edge.
Stucco Extending Below Grade or Foundation
This isn’t necessarily related to your stucco, but rather to poor construction techniques. Still, you should be concerned because stucco that extends below grade might cause serious problems for your property.
Stucco is applied below grade, which means it is applied where the foundation meets the ground. This is incorrect since adequate drainage for the stucco requires at least two inches.
When your home’s stucco lacks this gap or is below grade, water and moisture might be trapped. As a result, mold, rotting, and cracking develop.
Unfortunately, this is only visible to a home inspector or someone who pays close attention to detail. In this scenario, we recommend that you engage a competent contractor to come out and assess whether or not you have an issue.
Dry or Missing Caulking Around Windows and Doors
Caulk is a substance that is commonly seen around the trim of your windows and doors. This is because it is used to prevent leakage at joints, seams, and cracks. Caulk, on the other hand, can dry out, shrink, or disappear entirely. As a result, water intrusion becomes a possibility in your property.
Ensure that your caulking and other sealants are in good working order. This is to ensure that there is no water or moisture entry.
Should I file insurance claim for water damaged AC?
It’s a legitimate question to wonder if your homeowner’s insurance coverage will cover an AC leak. There isn’t a simple answer. It depends on your coverage and the reason of the AC unit’s damage. In general, if your AC leak is caused by damage covered by your homeowner policy, such as fire, vandalism, lightning strikes, or a falling tree or other object, your homeowner policy may cover the repair costs.