This Could Actually Work Out...

I keep reading this email from the seller to his agent over and over…

I know stucco has a bad reputation in general, but I can assure you that the stucco on the front of that house is top notch. Here are my comments in regards to the issues you raised:

1. The window sashes (7) total I believe are starting to fog up due to the seals leaking a tad and letting the pressure escape from the window. I contacted a company in Alpharetta (Window Medics International / a division of Sunshine Window Cleaning). Scott is the person I spoke with at 770-422-7405. He quoted me $125 per window sash to treat those fogged up sashes. This process he has is guaranteed for 20 years and he said he installs a small valve in the frame that releases the moisture while maintaining the RF value. He also said he has a cleaning process that cleans inside the thermo-pane glass. He said this is a much better option than pulling out windows and I agree.
2. The small hairline crack above the dining room window in the stucco was exactly like that 7 years ago when I bought the house. I had concerns about it back then myself and had a chance to speak to Rick Olson personally. My ex-wife used to tutor Rick Olson’s daughter and I had a chance to talk to him. He got up on a ladder and inspected it and told me that it was only a surface crack in the color coat. Basically stucco has a thick concrete type coat then a color coat that goes on over that and it is about ¼” thick. This color coat has the hairline fracture, not the thick underlying coat. I would have had this repaired, but he said matching the color would be tricky and said it was better to just leave it alone.
3. The stucco has been uncut, but when I had the landscape guy install all of the new pine straw last month, he put it up against the house very thick. I will take my rake and pull that straw back from the foundation so that sunlight shows the foundation. This will stop any chance of termites operating in the shade….The actual soil though does not come up to the concrete. If you take your hand and pull the straw back, you will see how thick it is….There are also lots of leaves piled up against the stucco….This is an easy fix…I will take care of this.
4. Allen at Northwest Exterminating in Alpharetta said he would gladly come out and go over the treatment that has been applied to the home and how the stucco was undercut. Not only was it undercut, it was filled with concrete in a slight angle where it meets the original foundation. This allows water to run down the stucco and drip on the ground at the base without rolling back to the underside. He seemed to have tons of knowledge regarding stucco in general since he is responsible for bonding this stuff.
5. I have not had any issues with this stucco…I have never seen any discoloration or humidity or interior paint discoloration or anything. It is supposed to be a solid product. The stucco that has ruined the reputation for stucco is EIFS. That is the cheap stuff used back in the 80’s early 90’s that had the class action lawsuits etc…..Hard coat was the standard after that period and the product I have is actually a hard coat with a few extra upgrades. Basically it has a better moisture barrier behind it and it hard coat over the top.
6. Another point, I have gutter guards installed all the way around the house, this keeps any leaves out of the gutters, A clogged gutter could send lots of water down the side of the house and cause issues with siding, brick or stucco, so that issue has been eliminated as well.
7. Also, I have no problem paying for a full stucco inspection from a stucco expert if that will help things. I am confident that there are no issues with the stucco…

Lastly, on a different topic….I have a garage door repairman there right now inspecting one of the garage door motors…he will be replacing that motor in the next couple of days and servicing that door. The other door was recently serviced, so both doors will be working correctly this week. The other door has new internal drive gears, so it is as good as brand new.
I love Kevin Duncun (the seller). I can’t believe this may actually work out…