Creative Construction of Wisconsin

Quality Contracting

So You Bought a Stucco Home…

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So you bought a stucco home and it looks fantastic. Just absolutely stunning. But now you are wondering how to keep it that way. While there is no such thing as maintenance free, you can follow these tips to keep your stucco home low maintenance and beautiful for years to come.

Stucco Homes are just as durable as they are beautiful
Stucco Homes are just as durable as they are beautiful

  1. Keep sprinklers away from your freshly primed and painted stucco. When water gets on the stucco then dries, it can create some not pleasant “chalk” marks. We know that rain storms are unavoidable, but do the best you can.
  2. When painting your stucco, use a heavy and thick roller and make sure to work the paint into all of the nooks and crannies. This is the time in your life where more is better. Apply the paint liberally and avoid spray-paints. You want a nice thick seal to lock out moisture.
  3. Speaking of paint, put a new layer of paint on your home at least once every 10 years or so to keep your stucco protected. Paint acts as a nice sealant. Stucco isn’t waterproof but paint makes it. The paint will also give your faded stucco a fresh new look. You will need a primer if there is a lot of raw or fresh stucco exposed.
  4. Fix cracks immediately. If there are small cracks, use caulk and not paint. Caulk is more elastic and will move with the cracks if they expand which in turn will help keep water out. If the cracks are larger or there are chunks missing or damaged, call us to get them fixed right away. Water can be nasty element. It can easily erode the crack and make it larger and if it freezes, it will guarantee that the crack will morph into a hole.
  5. Be careful about vines. Although they can look pretty they can also actually grow into your house’s siding and cause damage.

Follow these 5 quick tips and you’ll be enjoying your stucco home for as long as you live there and beyond that.

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Ice Damming

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It's the most wonderful time of the year! …Where your home’s insulation and ventilation are put to the test.  Fun fact--You can easily spot if your home is well-insulated just by looking at it after a snowfall. Go outside and look up, if your roof is evenly covered with snow, you have nothing to worry about. But, if you can see your shingles in some spots or your neighbor’s have snow on their roof and you don't, your roof needs some help.

What is ice damming you may ask? It happens when there is a little wall of ice built by Mother Nature that prevents the melting snow from draining off your roof and causes it to leak into your home through tiny cracks and openings. This can cause damage to the integrity of your walls and ceilings and create water stains on your ceiling.

A visual break down of ice damming

When there is inadequate insulation in your roof and attic and decreased ventilation, your attic will get warmer than it should. The warmth causes the snow to melt and drip down your roof. When it gets below freezing, the dripping water will begin to freeze when it gets to the overhang of your roof and cause a buildup of ice. Thus, an ice dam is born on your roof.

The damage begins when snow continues to melt and gets blocked by the dam and as stated above, sneaks into your home or office.

To prevent this from happening, you should first ensure your roof and attic are well insulated and ventilated. This will prevent the damming from happening. In the meantime if your roof needs a little help, try to get as much snow off of the edge of your roof as possible. A roof rake is the tool for the job! You can find them at your local hardware store. Remember to be careful! We do NOT recommend going on an icy roof. Get one with a long enough handle so you can stay firmly planted on the ground.

We at Creative Construction are glad to fix any water damage that occurs from ice damming! But only after the roof issue is resolved. We don’t want to have to come back every spring to repair your ceiling!

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Preparing for Winter

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Keep your home happy this winter
Keep your home happy this winter

This winter is predicted to be cold and snowy. While you are stocking up on hot chocolate and snowman making supplies, follow these tips to ensure that your home is ready for winter.

  • Clean out your gutters. When the leaves are falling in them they create little dams so the melting snow and ice cannot drain properly causing your siding to get damaged in a hurry.
  • Make sure there are no tree branches leaning up against your house’s stucco. When the heavy wet snow falls, the branches can’t always hold the weight and will break causing your snowy evening to be one heck of a messy night.
  • Check your stucco and bricks for cracks and chipping. When water freezes it expands so when water gets into the cracks and freezes it will cause them to grow. This issue has been known to cause some serious damage.
  • Check your smoke detectors. With heaters going constantly and fires to warm you up, you don’t want to take any chances.
  • Make sure to turn off all exterior water sources and drain your hoses. It is a good practice to store your hoses in your garage or basement so they don't freeze and crack.
  • Make sure your snow blower is working properly or you have good quality shovels ready to go. It also helps to have salt or sand for icy sidewalks.
  • Have a plan for snow days if school gets canceled and work doesn’t.
  • Make sure you have flashlights in case the snow brings down power lines.
  • When hanging Christmas lights, make sure the electrical outlets can handle the extra energy load. Don’t plug all of your lights into 1 outlet either, it is best to spread them out to several energy sources.

Spring is supposed to be filled with new growth, don’t let it get filled with home repairs from winter damages.

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