Ever notice those jagged little cracks creeping across your exterior walls after a hot spell? If you live out here in Simi Valley, you are nodding right now. Our local weather does damage to houses. Between the scorching summer heat rolling off the hills and those dry Santa Ana winds whipping through the valley, exterior walls take a beating day in and day out.
Simi Valley Stucco & Plastering spends a lot of time driving through neighborhoods like Madera or checking out homes up near the hills off Tapo Canyon. The story is usually the same. Houses settle, the ground shifts during our dry spells, and older Stucco starts to give way. You end up with hairline fractures, spider webbing, or worse, chunks breaking off near the foundation where the soil retains just a bit too much moisture during the rainy months.
Why Generic Patch Jobs Fail Around Here
You can run down to the hardware store on Los Angeles Avenue, grab a tub of pre-mixed patch, and slap it over a crack. But honestly, you will probably be looking at that exact same crack by next season.
Standard patching compounds do not flex the way real Stucco needs to. Our local temperature swings mean walls expand and contract constantly. If you do not dig out the crack properly, clean out the loose debris, and match the original dash or skip-trowel texture, the Stucco Repair stands out like a sore thumb. Worse yet, moisture gets behind that quick patch, heats up, and pops the whole section right back off.
The Right Way to Handle Stucco Damage
When Simi Valley Stucco & Plastering fixes a wall, we start by looking at what caused the failure in the first place. Is it just normal settling in a 1970s tract home over on Cochran Street? Or are we dealing with water intrusion around a window frame where the flashing failed?
- Cutting out the damaged area cleanly to create a solid bonding edge
- Applying a proper scratch coat and brown coat instead of just filling a hole
- Blending the finish coat so it actually matches the rest of your exterior wall texture
Matching Stucco texture is an art form. Every plasterer has a slightly different hand, and if you live in a master-planned community with strict HOA guidelines, a sloppy Stucco patch can cause you headaches with the board. Simi Valley Stucco & Plastering takes the time to feather the edges so the Stucco Repair disappears completely once it cures and gets painted.
If your exterior is starting to look tired or you are seeing Stucco cracks that make you nervous, do not wait until a small issue turns into a major water leak. Give us a ring, and Simi Valley Stucco & Plastering will come take a look at what is going on with your walls.