Care and Maintenance

Congratulations on purchasing a building with stucco installed by Kenyon Plastering, Inc. Kenyon has applied stucco to over 200,000 homes, apartments, condos, restaurants, retail stores and other commercial structures since 1978 and is considered one of the largest Stucco contractors in the United States. The mission of Kenyon Plastering is to ensure that the stucco on your building performs properly and that you, the owner, are satisfied.

Maintenance of Your Stucco

Windows, doors and other wall penetrations

Where stucco meets a window, door, electrical box, vent or any other wall penetration you may notice a small expansion gap. Gaps are normal and should be expected since dissimilar materials will expand and contract at different rates thus causing slight separations. Such gaps can allow excessive amounts of water to get past the stucco and therefore should be caulked at least on an annual basis. The best method is to obtain a quality tube of caulking (25 year) from your local hardware store and squeeze the caulk directly into any gaps. You can use your finger or a putty knife to ensure that the caulking is pushed into the gaps entirely.

Window weep holesĀ 

At the bottom of each windowsill you will find several small holes that allow water to exit from the windowsill track. With the passage of time, dirt, leaves or other items can clog these weep holes causing the water in the windowsill to leak over the windowsill track into the building. When you first move into your new building, all window weep holes should be carefully inspected to ensure that they are clean. Sometimes during construction window weep holes can be filled with stucco, paint, or other construction debris. Cleaning window weep holes can be easily performed with any small sharp object such as a pen or an extended paper clip.

Stucco

Stucco should be cleaned and inspected annually. Stucco can be cleaned with water, a brush and mild detergent. Each year stucco surfaces should be inspected for any holes, significant cracks or separations. If stucco repairs are needed, it is important that such repairs be completed on a timely basis before damage can occur.