Standard stucco, none of the fake stuff. Philadelphia, Pa. First
contractor put up scratch coat over chicken wire and building paper.
Aggressive rake. Contractor got very sick and had to go out of
business. Comes winter - and it's too cold to put up cement stucco.
This was last November.

It's now May 15th. A new contractor was awarded the job to finish
what the ailing contractor started. I signed a contract for:
1) Bonding coat
2) Second, middle, "brown" coat
3) Finish coat. Penn Crete stucco brand.

Problem: Contractor skipped second coat. The finsh coat doesn't look
as good as the houses around my home. What's more, I'm concerned that
there will be moisture problems and cracking DUE TO LACK of
application of the middle "brown" coat. Finally, because the "bonding
agent" was not applied to the 7 month old scratch coat, I'm concerned
the top layer(s) might break away.

PS: The existing but erroneous finish coat is pretty smooth

Help:

1) How important is the second coat which was skipped? Must I force
the contractor to take all of the stucco off and do the job over
again?
2) Can a third coat be applied over the existing coat to make up for
the error?
3) What about that bonding agent? It wasn't done.

The reason this all happened is because the current contractor
subcontracted this out rather than doing it himself though he put it
in writing that he would do all the work himself. I think he didn't
communicate requirements to the sub.

Thanks to all

Fran

Fran wrote:
The reason this all happened is because the current contractor
subcontracted this out rather than doing it himself though he put it
in writing that he would do all the work himself. I think he didn't
communicate requirements to the sub.

Thanks to all

Fran


I hope you haven't paid for the work yet...

Bob

Fran writes:

Must I force
the contractor to take all of the stucco off and do the job over
again?

You didn't pay him and have a written contract right? Nail 'im.

Why do you need a bonding agent

(m Ransley) wrote in message ...
Why do you need a bonding agent

The contractor noted that the scratch coat was up since last November,
thus close to seven months old. He said dirt, grime, and all other
big city polution stuff could have affected the "sticking power" of
last Friday's application. The sub, as you know, didn't use a bonding
agent..

I don't want to rip this all down and start over, so if the bonding
agent is not needed, score one for diplomacy between me and the
contractor.

And if a third coat can go up on top of the Penn Crete finish coat,
which looks really lumpy (because they skipped the brown coat), we
could all win. Do you think it might be possible to score or scrape
some "keys" or ruts in the erroneous second coat to make it a good
surface to put up the third and final coat? Would Penn Crete brand
finish coat thusly scribed be OK as a brown coat?

Thanks all so much.

Fran

I can see a powerwashing would have been smart, bonder im not sure of.
Why not call Penn crete they know their product best. If you have
litigation you will need their testimony and should follow their advise
on your house. Ive done Stucco but never waited 7 months. You should
try to finish the job, ripping down -redoing work will only cost you
alot money now. Even if you win in court you may never collect a penny.
I hope you didnt pay yet till its all worked out.

On 17 May 2004 16:20:30 -0700, (Fran) wrote:

Standard stucco, none of the fake stuff. Philadelphia, Pa. First
contractor put up scratch coat over chicken wire and building paper.
Aggressive rake. Contractor got very sick and had to go out of
business. Comes winter - and it's too cold to put up cement stucco.
This was last November.

It's now May 15th. A new contractor was awarded the job to finish
what the ailing contractor started. I signed a contract for:
1) Bonding coat
2) Second, middle, "brown" coat
3) Finish coat. Penn Crete stucco brand.

Problem: Contractor skipped second coat. The finsh coat doesn't look
as good as the houses around my home. What's more, I'm concerned that
there will be moisture problems and cracking DUE TO LACK of
application of the middle "brown" coat. Finally, because the "bonding
agent" was not applied to the 7 month old scratch coat, I'm concerned
the top layer(s) might break away.

PS: The existing but erroneous finish coat is pretty smooth

Help:

1) How important is the second coat which was skipped? Must I force
the contractor to take all of the stucco off and do the job over
again?

If your contract says you can.

2) Can a third coat be applied over the existing coat to make up for
the error?

Yes.

3) What about that bonding agent? It wasn't done.

If your contract stated it was to be done, you have recourse as
specified in your contract.

The reason this all happened is because the current contractor
subcontracted this out rather than doing it himself though he put it
in writing that he would do all the work himself. I think he didn't
communicate requirements to the sub.

None of which matters. Your contract matters.

Jeff

Jeff Cochran wrote in message . ..
On 17 May 2004 16:20:30 -0700, (Fran) wrote:

Standard stucco, none of the fake stuff. Philadelphia, Pa. First
contractor put up scratch coat over chicken wire and building paper.
Aggressive rake. Contractor got very sick and had to go out of
business. Comes winter - and it's too cold to put up cement stucco.
This was last November.

It's now May 15th. A new contractor was awarded the job to finish
what the ailing contractor started. I signed a contract for:
1) Bonding coat
2) Second, middle, "brown" coat
3) Finish coat. Penn Crete stucco brand.

Problem: Contractor skipped second coat. The finsh coat doesn't look
as good as the houses around my home. What's more, I'm concerned that
there will be moisture problems and cracking DUE TO LACK of
application of the middle "brown" coat. Finally, because the "bonding
agent" was not applied to the 7 month old scratch coat, I'm concerned
the top layer(s) might break away.

PS: The existing but erroneous finish coat is pretty smooth

Help:

1) How important is the second coat which was skipped? Must I force
the contractor to take all of the stucco off and do the job over
again?

If your contract says you can.

2) Can a third coat be applied over the existing coat to make up for
the error?

Yes.

3) What about that bonding agent? It wasn't done.

If your contract stated it was to be done, you have recourse as
specified in your contract.

The reason this all happened is because the current contractor
subcontracted this out rather than doing it himself though he put it
in writing that he would do all the work himself. I think he didn't
communicate requirements to the sub.

None of which matters. Your contract matters.

Jeff

The contract CLEARLY states that contractor shall apply a bonding
agent on the seven month old scratch coat, then a brown coat, and
finally a finish coat. Period.

Now, from this group, and people I talked to about this situation, it
appears the bonding agent was not necessary, although I would have
liked it or, as one person said here, at least a power wash. As for
as a final coat, people in this group say I can have a third coat
applied to what is there now (the suposed last coat). Do you all feel
this is so? I have read that the brown coat is quite smooth with
little or no scoring or keying. Yet is ready for the final finish
coat.

Now, from this group, and people I talked to about this situation, it
appears the bonding agent was not necessary, although I would have
liked it or, as one person said here, at least a power wash. As for
as a final coat, people in this group say I can have a third coat
applied to what is there now (the suposed last coat). Do you all feel
this is so? I have read that the brown coat is quite smooth with
little or no scoring or keying. Yet is ready for the final finish
coat.

the finish coat is just that, which is purely decorative to give you
the desired look and feel. The paper/scratch and brown is doing all
the work!... If you are after a rough knock down type finish, you
should be fine to go ahead an apply it directly to the brown... A
really smooth finish coat will be alot harder becuase you would have
had to do it when the brown coat was still a little green (wet).
Sounds like you desire a rough finish coat anyways, so have them toss
it up!... I wouldn't sweat all the issues of bonding agents etc, its
just roughly 1/4 inch of concrete bonding to another 1/4 inch, there
is very little load so to speak? Stucco cracks/stucco fails, stucco
is easily repaired from normal issue as is ages...

Unfortuneately, I have done alot more stucco than I care to admit!

(Lake) wrote in message . com...

Now, from this group, and people I talked to about this situation, it
appears the bonding agent was not necessary, although I would have
liked it or, as one person said here, at least a power wash. As for
as a final coat, people in this group say I can have a third coat
applied to what is there now (the suposed last coat). Do you all feel
this is so? I have read that the brown coat is quite smooth with
little or no scoring or keying. Yet is ready for the final finish
coat.

the finish coat is just that, which is purely decorative to give you
the desired look and feel. The paper/scratch and brown is doing all
the work!... If you are after a rough knock down type finish, you
should be fine to go ahead an apply it directly to the brown... A
really smooth finish coat will be alot harder becuase you would have
had to do it when the brown coat was still a little green (wet).
Sounds like you desire a rough finish coat anyways, so have them toss
it up!... I wouldn't sweat all the issues of bonding agents etc, its
just roughly 1/4 inch of concrete bonding to another 1/4 inch, there
is very little load so to speak? Stucco cracks/stucco fails, stucco
is easily repaired from normal issue as is ages...

Unfortuneately, I have done alot more stucco than I care to admit!


Yoe are kind. The longer I look at the job, the more I can accept it
as it is. The ball is in the contractor's court. As soon as I know
what he wants to do, I'll let you know. I still have 2/3 withheld
until he does the job according to the contract. I want him to put up
that last coat just to smooh the lumps out. Thanks again. Until then
....

FRan