Should You Choose Stucco Repair or Replacement for Your Home in Blue Bell, PA?

While stucco is a popular residential building material, it’s not made to withstand our climate here in Blue Bell, PA. As a very absorbent material, moisture from our wet weather seeps into your stucco, which causes it to degrade. Once you start to notice signs of damage, you’re faced with two options to remedy it: stucco repair services or a full stucco replacement.

So, how can you decide which option makes the most sense for your home? Our team here at MHX Designs is here to help you. By reading this guide, you’ll learn more about the differences between stucco repair and stucco remediation services, the pros and cons of each option, and the best material to choose if you opt to replace your siding.

Stucco siding vs repair

Signs Your Stucco Is Failing

The first step in deciding whether to repair or replace your stucco is to evaluate the current state of it. Even if your original stucco installation was perfect, it’s only a matter of time before it will start to fail thanks to excess moisture.

If you’re worried about the state of your stucco, take a few moments to walk around your home and keep an eye out for any of the following signs:

You see long or thin cracks in your stucco
You notice bulges in your stucco
Pieces of your stucco are missing
There are stained or discolored areas around your stucco
You notice signs of rot near exterior outlets, fixtures, and pipes
There are leaks in your stucco siding

At the first sign of any of these issues, don’t hesitate to contact a local stucco remediation company, like MHX Designs, to come out for a more thorough inspection.

What Is Stucco Repair?

Stucco repair is exactly what it sounds like. Essentially, it’s the process of identifying areas of damage around your stucco and repairing it at the surface level. Most of the time, homeowners opt for this service when an outside force causes damage to their stucco, such as something striking and cracking the material.

Pros and Cons of Stucco Repair

Before you decide to move forward with stucco repairs, weigh these pros and cons to help you make your decision.

Pros:

This is often a low-cost project that can be completed fairly quickly
It will eliminate small cracks and tears within your stucco
Stucco repair Is a great option for cracks that are caused by an outside force (as opposed to damage caused from moisture)

Cons:

Repairs are often only a temporary fix that will eventually have to be further remedied
It does not address the larger issue of water damage, which is often beneath the surface of your stucco
It may not give you a full understanding of the extent of water damage that is lurking underneath your stucco
Damage may continue to come back since repairs don’t address the underlying cause of most damage
While it’s a lower cost project upfront, you might ultimately end up paying more over the life of your stucco because you’ll have to continue making future repairs

When to Choose Stucco Repair Services

We recommend only choosing stucco repair services if there is minimal damage to your stucco, ideally not caused by moisture. If you’re unsure what is causing your stucco damage, our team can come out to your home and inspect the state of your stucco to help you decide whether repairs are sufficient for your needs.

What Is Stucco Replacement?

The first step in the stucco replacement project is actually called stucco remediation. This process involves first finding the root cause of the damage. In most cases, the issue is from moisture penetrating the area between the inner framework of your walls and the outer layer of the stucco.

This moisture starts to degrade the stucco, resulting in the types of damage we outlined above. After we identify the main cause of the issue, we fix any damage to the framework so your home remains structurally stable.

After that, we can move forward with the replacement process. We’ll completely remove the stucco and add a replacement siding material that’s better equipped for our Southeastern Pennsylvania climate.

Pros and Cons of Stucco Remediation and Replacement

Consider the following pros and cons when deciding if stucco remediation and replacement is the better option for your home.

Pros:

This is a long term strategy for your home’s exterior, as it fixes damage and the underlying cause of it for good
It’s the best option for extensive water damage
It can increase your home’s value, especially when you choose a high-quality replacement siding material
It can boost your overall curb appeal
Remediation protects and improves your home’s structural integrity
It might help improve your home’s efficiency, depending on the replacement material you choose

Cons:

Since it requires a more extensive inspection, full remediation, and replacement, the process is more complicated and will take longer to complete
Along those same lines, full stucco remediation and replacement is a more expensive upfront cost, though it can potentially save you money in the long run

When to Choose Stucco Replacement Services

This is a better option if you have extensive stucco damage or if your damage is primarily caused by moisture issues. Stucco replacement is also a good idea for homeowners that want to improve their home’s value by installing a high-quality replacement siding material.

Additionally, if you don’t have time to maintain and care for your siding, replacing your stucco with a more durable and low-maintenance material is your best bet.

The Best Stucco Replacement Option for Your Home

When you decide to replace your stucco, there are plenty of siding materials available. However, there is one material that stands out among the rest that we tend to recommend to local homeowners: James Hardie siding.

This fiber cement material is made from a mixture of the following ingredients:

Cellulose fibers for improved resilience and flexibility
Portland cement, which acts as a binder
Water that dissolves the cellulose fibers and activates the cement
Silica sand that acts as a filler
Chemical additives for added durability

The combination of these ingredients results in a high-quality siding material that is ideal for our Blue Bell, PA climate.

Benefits of James Hardie Siding

So many of the customers we work with ultimately choose to add James Hardie siding to their homes when replacing their stucco. If you choose to do the same, here are some of the many benefits you can expect.

Incredible durability: Unlike other materials, James Hardie siding is made to withstand harsh weather extremes like wind, rain, hail, ice, snow, and more. Beyond that, the material is resistant to pests, mold, mildew, rot, and fire, so you can expect it to last for decades.

Little maintenance required: Once your James Hardie siding is installed, you won’t have to spend much time taking care of it. To keep it looking great for years to come, simply wash it down with a garden hose and gentle brush once or twice per year to remove dirt and dust.

No shortage of design options: When you’re updating your home’s siding, part of the fun is the design aspect. Our customers love that James Hardie siding offers a variety of different siding products in a number of different colors, styles, and textures so you can create a beautiful exterior that looks like it’s straight out of a design magazine.

Superior finish: With other siding materials, it’s normal for the color to fade or chip away over time. Thanks to James Hardie’s ColorPlus® Technology, that won’t be a concern for your new siding. This is a type of finish applied exclusively to James Hardie products that ensures the color is fully baked into the board so it looks great for years.

Outstanding warranty: MHX Designs is proud to be one of a select group of contractors chosen by James Hardie siding to offer a special 10-year warranty that covers all labor and James Hardie materials for a decade, on top of the standard James Hardie siding warranty.

Trust a James Hardie Elite Preferred Contractor for Your Stucco Replacement

If you do opt to install James Hardie siding when replacing your stucco, you’ll want to hire a James Hardie Elite Preferred Contractor for the job, like our team here at MHX Designs. As the highest designation a contractor can receive from James Hardie, this means that we have met the rigorous qualifications put in place by the siding manufacturer.

This includes complying with installation best practices, maintaining a satisfactory record with the Better Business Bureau, and more. When it comes to your home’s exterior, don’t trust less than the best.

Improve Your Home’s Exterior With the Help of MHX Designs

When you are in need of stucco repair, remediation, or replacement, there’s no Blue Bell, PA contractor more qualified for the job than the MHX Designs team. We specialize in stucco remediation and can help you identify the root cause of your damage, remedy it, and replace it with a high-quality material like James Hardie siding in its place.

When you’re ready to take the next step towards updating your home’s exterior, our team is here for you. Contact us today to set up an initial consultation with our stucco experts.