How Are Tampa Communities Affected By Stucco Defects?

See What Communities Are Affected By Defective Stucco

Stucco homes are prevalent in Florida. From the Florida/Georgia line all the way down to Naples, stucco homes, townhomes and condominiums are a common sight. As many will recall, back in the early 2000s, the home building went on a tear. The demand for new homes was unprecedented. Builders were constructing homes as fast as humanly possible in order to keep up with the extraordinary demand.

Many homes throughout Florida were constructed with wood frames in this time period and continue to be constructed today. Two-story homes throughout much of our state have either two floors of wood frame or wood frame on top of the masonry. These wood frame homes require numerous weatherproofing steps that are time-consuming when done correctly.

With rapid construction came the cutting of corners. Stucco was put on too thinly, improper accessories were used and stucco was not allowed to cure properly (to name a few issues).

Unfortunately, this rapid construction meant that building inspectors were spread thin and the builders themselves were simply unable to properly supervise all of the construction projects occurring at the same time. Even when the building inspectors were able to inspect the homes, stucco inspections were not (and still are not) required in most, if not all, counties. Thus, there were no official building inspections of the installation of the materials underlying the stucco including the house wrap, paper, lath, control joints and other stucco accessories like weep screeds. Additionally, most home builders did not maintain the level of supervision necessary to make sure that the home was constructed pursuant to the Florida Building Code.

Not surprisingly, many of those stucco systems that were installed in the mid to late 2000s are now failing. Stucco is cracking at an alarming rate and this has led to water intrusion in many homes across the state.

Because the weather in Florida is so warm and humid, stucco systems in our state can progress from minimal to the extreme in just a matter of months. A few small horizontal cracks can lead to delamination and ultimately, stucco falling off the home completely.

In sum, these failing stucco homes are everywhere in Florida. 

If you have a stucco home that you suspect was built in violation of the Florida Building Code, call Burnett Law, P.A., at (813) 491-8272 for a free consultation.