"Art" wrote in message hlink.net...
FIrst of all there is real old fashion stucco and there is synthetic stucco.
The latter is a problem because it may trap humidity in the walls and
eventually the structure rots out. It has been outlawed in many areas and
has dragged down the value of real stucco homes even though there is nothing
wrong with real stucco.

Brick requires a footing. Stucco does not. So there is no footing there
except where the stacked stone is assuming it is real and not a veneer.

Bricking up a house is a major deal and quite frankly, you don't sound like
you know enuf about houses to get involved unless you can find a top notch
contractor which is rare. Most brick houses are not flashed correctly and
the brick is not tied to the framing correctly. In your case, how can the
brick be tied to the framing since the framing studs are no longer visible
thru the exisiting siding. You are asking for trouble but if you want to
pursue it visit the Brick Industry Association site and read their technical
notes about installing brick. There's a lot more to it then you (and most
contractors) know.



"raiden" wrote in message
m...
We found a house that we really liked last week and it matches our
criteria. There a couple of questionable things about this house.

This house has a real stucco with stacked stone front and concreted
siding on the sides and back. This house is built in 1997 by Ryland
homes in Atlanta, Georgia, well maintained interior and exterior and
looks impeccable.

I like brick fronts and my agent told me that he does not even list
stucco houses in general.

I heard from a friend that because the house is real stucco, we can
pay a contractor to make this to brick front. Is this a good idea ?

Is it common to convert a real stucco to a brick front ?.

Does it effect the resale value of the house ?

What is a rough ball park number for converting?

Please please help.


Thanks for your advise. I am a first time buyer. I will try and look
for the house with the brick front instead of doing custom work. You
guys helped me make the decision. Thanks for your help.