Fire repair and hardening in Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County
Stucco Repair and Rebuilds in Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach stucco repair for walls that stain, bulge or crack along the studs, rebuilt down to new sheathing, building paper, lath and a draining base.
Plaster stained, swollen or split along the stud lines of a Manhattan Beach house is the condition that calls for stucco and exterior repair before anything else. That pattern says water is behind the finish, soaking the paper while the sheathing softens and the lath rusts. A surface patch would bury it. We cut back to sound, dry material, rebuild each layer in order and finish with noncombustible plaster that also stands up to embers.
Mapping the wet area
A small test hole lets a probe reach the sheathing, and its resistance shows whether the wood is firm or soft. Working outward from each stain, we tap the plaster until it sounds solid and mark that boundary on the wall. A moisture meter confirms where the wet zone stops. Window corners and the bottom of the wall get extra readings, because water collects there. The cut line is drawn onto a photo of each wall face, measured and entered in the scope, so the opening we make matches the damage we found.
Building the wall back
New sheathing replaces anything soft, then 2 layers of weather resistive paper go on, each lapped so water runs down and out. Galvanized lath follows, with a weep screed at the base so moisture behind the plaster can escape. The plaster goes on in 3 coats: a scratch coat scored for grip, a brown coat trued flat and a finish coat that carries the texture, each allowed to cure. Flashing at windows and doors is tied into the paper before plaster covers it. Permits come from the City of Manhattan Beach, whose inspector signs off the lath before the scratch coat goes on.
Work we take on in Manhattan Beach
Every service on this list is offered here. The exterior and fire work comes first, then remodeling and new space.
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