Our Process
Repairing chimney stucco in Geneva, step by step
Finding the water behind cracked stucco
The National Park Service's guidance on stucco repair, Preservation Brief 22, traces most stucco deterioration to water getting into the structure, and it names the area around chimneys as one of the ways in. Water that reaches the backing rusts metal lath and nails, rots wood lath and eventually lets the stucco lose its bond and pull away.
For that reason the brief puts the building repairs first, such as roof, gutter, downspout and flashing work, and the stucco repair after. We follow the same order on your Geneva chimney. The water path is found and priced before the finish, so the new stucco is not asked to hold back a leak it cannot stop.
The water-resistive barrier on a framed chimney
On a framed chimney, stucco is only the outer layer. Florida's residential code (section R703.1) expects exterior walls to have a water-resistive barrier behind the cladding and a way to drain water that gets past it, and section R703.7.3 asks for a barrier equal to two layers of Grade D paper where plaster covers wood-based sheathing.
When damage on your Geneva chimney reaches the sheathing, the repair has to restore that barrier and lap it correctly with the paper around it. Our pros explain what they found behind the stucco, what can stay and what has to be replaced before the finish is rebuilt.
A repair mix that suits the old stucco
A stucco repair mix should come close to the existing stucco in strength, density, porosity and water absorption, according to the International Masonry Institute. Preservation Brief 22 adds a warning. Rigid portland cement repairs placed on soft, lime-based stucco move differently and tend to crack.
Chimney stucco can be modern cement plaster, an older lime mix or a patchwork of past repairs. Our pros look at the existing finish on your Geneva chimney before mixing, and they avoid a repair much harder than what surrounds it, since a patch that outlives the stucco beside it has simply moved the crack.
Cleaning stucco without damaging it
Stucco can be cleaned, gently. Preservation Brief 22 describes cleaning with a low-pressure water wash, supplemented by scrubbing with soft natural bristle brushes, and notes that algae, mold and metallic stains can be removed with poultices and appropriate solvents.
The brief also warns that dirt on heavily textured stucco can be hard to remove without taking some of the texture with it, so our team works slowly on your Geneva chimney. Cleaning also shows the true condition of the finish, and any crack hidden under the growth is added to the repair plan.
