Real Stucco Inspections: No Fear-Mongering, Just Honest Solutions

Stucco was once the gold standard in wall cladding—durable, beautiful, and long-lasting. However, in recent years, it’s gained a reputation as the "problem child" of the building industry. This shift is largely due to the widespread use of low-cost materials and the use of unchecked "single trade applicators" who prioritize budget over craftsmanship. If your home in Philadelphia was built in the 21st century and features stucco, you may be facing serious issues. Unfortunately, many homeowners are paying high fees for stucco inspections, only to discover that their inspector lacks the in-depth knowledge needed to accurately diagnose the problem - another letdown from recently established modern specifications.

Call a Trusted, Experienced Stucco Inspector in Philadelphia.

The stucco industry is filled with individuals who may not fully understand the complexities of what’s going wrong with your home. It’s easy for inspectors to blame the stucco itself, but often the issue resides much deeper. While it's true that stucco quality has declined, simply recommending vinyl siding—especially on taller buildings where manufacturer specifications are exceeded—is not always the right solution. The path to finding and fixing your stucco issues can be costly and overwhelming, but working with a true professional makes all the difference. A seasoned expert brings decades of real-world, hands-on experience—not just book knowledge. This practical experience is what allows us to uncover the true causes of stucco issues, rather than repeating the mistakes that led to the problem in the first place.

The Root of the Problem is Often Bigger Than just the Stucco failure

The recent surge in stucco inspections in Philadelphia reflects a growing demand for knowledgeable professionals who can identify the true causes of stucco failure. Issues with stucco are often symptoms of larger problems, including: Lower standards in cladding materials; The shift away from the traditional three-coat stucco method; The trend of tightening walls for thermal efficiency, which can trap moisture; Missing vapor barriers in basement floors that cause condensation inside walls; Faulty bathroom vents, ducts, and roofs that allow water to seep into the walls; These factors can all contribute to stucco failure, but too often, the focus is solely on the stucco itself. We take a more comprehensive approach, looking at all aspects of your home’s construction to accurately diagnose the issue. You don't want a single-trade applicator following after an inspector whose report was incomplete, missing a lot of damage, and then your contractor hits you with surprise charges.

We Won’t Scare You, We’ll Solve the Problem

Unlike some companies that rely on fear-mongering to sell services, we believe in providing clear, honest assessments. Our goal is to help you understand what’s really happening with your stucco and find a solution that works for your home.

Get Your Free Consultation Today

Don’t let confusion and misinformation make your stucco problems worse. Schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced stucco inspectors today. Click the link below to get started with your free estimate or inspection.

Note: You may hear different opinions from others in the industry. When it comes to situations with legal implications, traditional inspection methods should still be followed, even though they often overlook the true source of the problem and they are paradoxically destructive and contrary to the accepted (and in our opinion improper) theory of Stucco and the emphasis upon (the defacto primary waterproofer) underlayment. These methods are the ones typically accepted in court. That said, the actual cause of an issue can differ from what is reported by industry-approved inspectors. Our focus is always on identifying and fixing the real cause so the problem doesn’t return. Too often, even full stucco replacements fail because key details about wall-cladding systems were misunderstood by inspectors or installers. Our motto is simple: don’t repeat the cycle. We say it often — and passionately — because getting to the root cause is what truly protects your home.We are here to help, so please look through our site, which is full of valuable information that can help, and then give us a call so that we can answer any questions you may have.



(We know most have some reservations to AI, however it does scour the entire web to return the best answer it can muster and in this case it is mostly accurate:)

FYI:

Do Stucco Inspections Miss the Real Cause?

Yes — and understanding why can mean the difference between a cosmetic fix and a permanent solution.

Many homeowners assume a stucco inspection will tell them exactly what’s wrong. Unfortunately, most inspections only document surface symptoms while missing the actual cause hidden inside the wall.

At FSI Restorations, our work begins where traditional inspections stop: identifying the true construction flaw that allowed the failure to occur.

Why Traditional Stucco Inspections Fall Short

1. They Focus on Symptoms, Not Causes

Moisture readings and visible damage tell you something is wrong — not why it’s happening.

2. Critical Issues Are Hidden to the Untrained Technicians

The most important components are concealed. Common failures include:

• Missing kick-out flashing
• Improper or incomplete lap of fascia terminations
• Deck-to-wall connection errors
• Missing caulking kerfs at openings
• Missing or poorly configured control joints
• Deck-to-wall Stress Point Flashings
• Low Stucco Stop Beads (Inappropriately referred to as 'Weep Screeds')
• Integral Channels in Windows and fenestration frames
• Winter Interior Moisture Rotting the Walls out from the inside from condensation at dew points

3. Moisture Readings Can Be Misleading

Moisture meters show where water is present — not how it got in. Without causation, repairs are guesswork.

4. Checklist Inspections Miss System Behavior

Generic inspection checklists often ignore real-world issues such as new-age design latittude, flawed construction other than stucco, unusual transitions, or multiple-layer systems.

5. Real-Estate & Legal Inspections Avoid Intrusion

These inspections are intentionally limited to non-intrusive observations, producing reports that look official but rarely identify the true root cause of a failure. Relying solely on those limited findings to address a rotting wall will almost certainly lead to repeat failure. A genuine forensic inspection requires experience, construction knowledge, and cross-disciplinary expertise that most standard stucco inspectors simply do not possess. We repeat: Don’t repeat the cycle.

Our Approach: Causation First

At FSI Restorations, we perform forensic-level inspections to determine why a wall is failing. Only then can repairs be accurate, targeted, and permanent.

The Bottom Line

Yes — traditional stucco inspections often miss the true cause of the problem.
They document what is visible. We uncover what is happening behind the scenes — scientifically and structurally.

Need a Forensic Stucco Inspection?

If you want more than a moisture reading, we provide inspections that reveal the root cause — and the correct solution.

Schedule an Inspection

START HERE

Please take a few moments and educate yourself on Stucco and the issues surrounding the industry. Rather than follow failing trends that are the result of compromise and profiteering, we will not offer any recommendations based upon flawed new-aged specifications. Please watch this video and then return here for more information as time allows so that you can be educated on the proper course of action. Note: The links in the video do not work but you can return here to connect with us and we will provide an initial free inspection and offer advice. Thank you.

11 min. Informative Video

Stucco Destructive Inspections

Destructive inspection is often called for in matters of legal proceedings or even real estate transactions. A stucco inspection to perform resistance and moisture readings involves drilling small holes into the stucco at strategic locations, then inserting a moisture probe through these holes to measure the electrical resistance of the wood behind the stucco, thereby indicating the conductivity which is translated into a moisture content reading on a specialized instrument. The resistance is a subjective measurement by the expert that indicates the presence of rotting substrate and overall structural integrity. Regardless of the claims that this type of inspection is not destructive, it is a destructive test. Caulk is used to seal the holes.

Expert Visual Analysis

Most often leaking stucco is the result of penetration flashing and the inspection need only be visual and non-destructive as the trouble spots are evident to seasoned professionals. The destructive inspection methods are often so targeted and restrictive that the ability to render definite information is very limited and the analysis is just subjective and not able to be relied upon fully for actual hidden conditions. Often, far more reliable is the eye of a professional that has years of experience in the proper flashing of windows and doors and lapping of trim elements and flashing of roofs and related intersections. The destructive inspection does become just a formality in the end scheme of things.

Often a Visual Inspection is Enough

On most inspections, drilling into the wall is not necessary to ascertain failure. Even with the desrtuctive testing, target areas are chosen based upon the obvious condition observed in the visual inspection. Take the job depicted above where failure was obvious and destructive testing would have been a waste of time and money.

Experience Counts

We have done a lot of work in your city. We are not an inspection company looking to sell you a high-priced stucco evaluation. We have a wealth of knowledge and industry experience from which to draw. You will gain more knowledge about your situation from an hour with one of our experts than you will with one from and inspection company. We are not 'single trade applicators' looking to make a buck. We are going on out 5th decade in this industry. We know the trends and we know the industry inside-and-out. We are skilled in more than just one trade or sub-trade or disipline, so we can diagnose causation and get to the root of critical flashing details. There is no charge for an initial visit.

The Underlayment Craze

The construction industry has come to rely upon underlayment and typical inspectors are also steeped in this new-age concept. Underlayment is not flashing and runoff should never reach the underlayment. Stucco doesn't have a drainage plane and it is tightly fastned to the wall so when water hits the underlayment, it enters the structure. Misguided industry specifications call for reliance on housewrap or tarpaper which is wrong. See the video below that shows how this is a very bad idea and explains the flaws in this new-age idea and also see the video above that has the heading 'START HERE' for more information.

Job Video