Total Wall
I am having a problem with a new building that has walls coated with synthetic stucco made by Total Wall. Apparently water is actually entering the stucco!
We've checked flashing, caulked, an recaulked, resealed the roof flashing. And finally hired a leak detection company that thermal imaged the wall and performed probing / moisture testing.
The result - walls that had the Total Wall synthetic stucco have really high moisture levels within and behind the sheathing; conversely adjacent walls that were finished w/ standard cement stucco had low (normal) moisture levels.
The construction is not EIFS. Its standard stucco technique. The sheathing is Zip wall, w/ taped joints upon which felt was stapled, wire lath nailed followed by a scratch and brown coat of standard cement/stucco. The only difference is the final coat - some walls not facing the street received standard stucco top coat and others got the Total Wall Synthetic stucco.
The manufacturer claims their product is 'highly water resistant & breathable' ... like Gore Tex. They insist that the leaking is from elsewhere..Well I've got wet feet more than once wearing GoreTex.
Most of what I read blames design - installation, flashing, caulking, etc for Synthetic stucco leaks but I have walls that are exactly the same in every way except for the finish coat that have major differences in internal moisture. Am I crazy, or is there something wrong with the actual Synthetic Stucco in this application?
I see there are products that can be applied to seal Synthetic Stucco. Do they actually work?
PS - Can you recommend a sealant-type product that will bond to the Synthetic stucco and form a lasting water barrier?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Anyway, I always appreciate seeing the work of a good craftsman and it’s clear you care about your work! Thanks for doing what you do and for documenting it to share with the world.
I use Total Wall brand synthetic finishes whenever we need synthetic finishes. We are use synthetic finishes when replacing EIFS with stucco, and one coat stucco with real stucco. I prefer synthetic finishes when using odd colors like bright blue or orange. These colors would look terrible if they bleed or streak like natural finishes do.
This bright blue would have looked awful if I used a natural cement finish. The mottling and fading just would look defective.
This orange color is just way too dark for cement finishes. I know that this color will stay nice for years.
I have a good relationship with the Total Wall supplier. He is talented at matching colors and provides great service. What I like the best about Total wall synthetic finish is it sets real slow, and the sand is screened marble dust, and not plastic sand like other brands such as dryvit.
Where I think your problem lies is in the Total Wall one coat basecoat. The official name for these basecoats is one coat stucco. These basecoats are a lot thinner than conventional basecoats. Our cement base coats are at least 3/4", and more when replacing EIFS. The foam board for EIFS is one inch thick, so we fill the wall out
A lot of stucco failure we find on old houses where the mortar was too thin. The contractor was too cheap or else people were pressured to hurry up. On old houses where the mortar was 3/4" thick, even with no tarpaer, the sheathing lumber was still in good shape and showed no signs of getting wet.
The total wall basecoat is for one coat stucco and should never be confused with conventional stucco.