Building and Construction - Ugly bottom edge.

Author

Ugly bottom edge.

AustinScoobee

2006-07-23, 5:25 pm

Hi guys.
We are working on a traditional stucco house ( 3 coat over
ply-vapor-and lath) and the owners dont like the look of it where the
stucco ends at the bottom edge.It is built on slab, and overhangs it,
such that it looks like the bottom plate and framing+sheathing was
flush with the edge of the slab, then the stucco of course is another
1" out.

I realize you should allways see about 8" of the slab above grade, but
I wondered if there is any way to make it look nicer? In places, the
bottom metal edge of the stucco is even rusting from exposure.

If we carried the stucco down below grade we would be making a
potential hidden way in for termites..if they got behind it.

Any solution would have to be retrofit, and since the house has
excellent stucco, with virtually no cracking after 15 years, he wont
want to rip it all off.

Are ther any typical ways people make this look better?
One contractor suggested a foam trim to below grade , then rendered
over, but ditto--the termites are know to tunnel right up through the
stuff...

Any ideas surely will be welcome
Cheers,
G

clintonG

2006-07-23, 5:25 pm

Get creative. Snap a string 12"-15" (or as desired) above the slab around
the entire perimeter of the house. Using a proper blade in a 6" circular saw
cut a kerf through the stucco cutting along the snap line around the entire
perimeter. Using the back end of a claw hammer claw the stucco off the house
around the entire perimeter and clean up the surface. Use cedar rough sawn
boards for example and cut and nail a board and batten skirt around the
entire perimeter (vertical board and batten). Cut the battens 1" shy of the
top so you can nail trim around the entire perimeter covering the kerf.

That is one idea how you can "bulk up" the lower area of the wall to fool
the eye into thinking the house has been built on a plynth (a classical
design element commoners call a "base"). The effect becomes more dramatic if
you put up two or more layers of skirt using the rough sawn cedar as the
final dressed layer.

You could do the same with fake brick or fake stone.

<%= Clinton Gallagher
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://www.metromilwaukee.com/clintongallagher/

"AustinScoobee" <gordnally@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1153680991.546252.21130@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Hi guys.
> We are working on a traditional stucco house ( 3 coat over
> ply-vapor-and lath) and the owners dont like the look of it where the
> stucco ends at the bottom edge.It is built on slab, and overhangs it,
> such that it looks like the bottom plate and framing+sheathing was
> flush with the edge of the slab, then the stucco of course is another
> 1" out.
>
> I realize you should allways see about 8" of the slab above grade, but
> I wondered if there is any way to make it look nicer? In places, the
> bottom metal edge of the stucco is even rusting from exposure.
>
> If we carried the stucco down below grade we would be making a
> potential hidden way in for termites..if they got behind it.
>
> Any solution would have to be retrofit, and since the house has
> excellent stucco, with virtually no cracking after 15 years, he wont
> want to rip it all off.
>
> Are ther any typical ways people make this look better?
> One contractor suggested a foam trim to below grade , then rendered
> over, but ditto--the termites are know to tunnel right up through the
> stuff...
>
> Any ideas surely will be welcome
> Cheers,
> G
>

Italian

2006-07-23, 9:25 pm

Why not just skim coat the slab edges the same color as the house? This
way although it will not be flush but will appear from curb that it is.
Or why not cover the slab with stucco stone complementry to the house
style. Whats their budget? you have 2 options at either end of the
scale. Stucco stone is about $6-7 sq ft for materials (cost) and labor
is...well atleast that. The skim coat/color coat is...practically
nothing.
AustinScoobee wrote:
> Hi guys.
> We are working on a traditional stucco house ( 3 coat over
> ply-vapor-and lath) and the owners dont like the look of it where the
> stucco ends at the bottom edge.It is built on slab, and overhangs it,
> such that it looks like the bottom plate and framing+sheathing was
> flush with the edge of the slab, then the stucco of course is another
> 1" out.
>
> I realize you should allways see about 8" of the slab above grade, but
> I wondered if there is any way to make it look nicer? In places, the
> bottom metal edge of the stucco is even rusting from exposure.
>
> If we carried the stucco down below grade we would be making a
> potential hidden way in for termites..if they got behind it.
>
> Any solution would have to be retrofit, and since the house has
> excellent stucco, with virtually no cracking after 15 years, he wont
> want to rip it all off.
>
> Are ther any typical ways people make this look better?
> One contractor suggested a foam trim to below grade , then rendered
> over, but ditto--the termites are know to tunnel right up through the
> stuff...
>
> Any ideas surely will be welcome
> Cheers,
> G

AustinScoobee

2006-07-24, 9:25 am

The problem is, building inspectors round here need to see the slab,
they claim that if you skim to below grade, if it fails, or starts to
detach from the concrete it provides unseen access for termites, so we
are really looking at just making the bottom look better I guess.

G

Italian wrote:
> Why not just skim coat the slab edges the same color as the house? This
> way although it will not be flush but will appear from curb that it is.
> Or why not cover the slab with stucco stone complementry to the house
> style. Whats their budget? you have 2 options at either end of the
> scale. Stucco stone is about $6-7 sq ft for materials (cost) and labor
> is...well atleast that. The skim coat/color coat is...practically
> nothing.

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