Monday, November 26

Kernan Forest DR Horton Stucco Problems

stucco on DR Horton house in Kernan Forest, Jacksonville, FL
I typed the above search phrase into Google and didn't come up with much. I did this for two reasons: our house has a couple of replacement windows, and a house down the block just had a window replaced. That doesn't seem too odd on the surface, but stucco problems are below the surface. They're also, when you find them, probably beyond the time frame for litigation. So do homes in Kernan Forest / Jacksonville have problems that are the result of shoddy construction back in 2003-2005 (and before), or is this all just normal wear and tear? And if there are problems, should previous owners and inspectors be expected to know?





I have not seen a lawsuit filed against DR Horton Homes in my own neighborhood, though the company has been sued by a condo association on Beach Blvd. And KB Homes is getting nailed in Florida, too. More than likely, if there were any issues with my own area, those were taken care of secretly. I understand that home builders tend to keep the wraps on these issues (ironic because poor window wrapping is probably one major concern). My own inspection report only had these comments about stucco:

The expansion joints on the stucco wall on the rear of the home have cracking. I recommend caulking to prevent water intrusion. [...] The stucco on the front columns is missing at corners. [...] There is minor cracking on the right side of the home underneath the window and at the expansion joint. I recommend caulking to prevent water intrusion.
I would have to ask my new neighbors who had the major window repair down the block if their inspector found a lot more than my inspector. In that repair, the window was replaced and stucco was pulled off to reveal several feet of rotten wood framing below the window. That image scared me a bit, forcing me to check my own walls again, as well as wonder what's underneath those walls.

House in Lenexa, Kansas, with hardboard
I know all about the stucco problem in Florida for homes built after 2006. My house is not supposed to be part of this problem. I'm wondering if that's true. Those homes have cracks all over and documentation that a single layer of stucco was used rather than the three mandated. In my mind, stucco siding is supposed to last until after all of Jacksonville is under water from rising sea levels. I have cedar wood siding on my Milwaukee house that has done fine since 1980. My 1978 house in Kansas had hardboard (pressboard) siding that had a few rotten areas that I caulked and painted, but nothing else, and that stuff's made from "wood fibers, flakes or chips that are held together by glues and resins."

I have a siding in Florida that's made from cement, for heaven's sake! It's impervious to everything except poor craftsmanship, so I'm just wondering if there are a lot of Jacksonville area homes built before the acknowledged stucco problems that are just waiting to be exposed.

I'd love to hear from anyone with a house built from 2005 back to the 90s who is having problems with stucco. If you've repainted and caulked every few years, you're supposed to get 50 to 60 years out of the siding. Somehow, I don't think that's true even of the older stucco in Florida.

Anyhow, here's a list of siding materials and how long they are supposed to last (NAHB and InterNACHI):
Aluminum - 25 to 40 years
Brick - 100+ years
Fiber cement - "lifetime"
Stone - 100+ years
Stucco - up to 100 years
Vinyl - 60 to 100 years
Engineered Wood - "lifetime"
Wood - 20 years



Thanks for reading. See more of my content:

Satisfamily - Articles about being happy as a family
Passive Ninja - Web Design in Jacksonville
McNewsy - Creative Writing
Educabana - Educational Resources
Brave New Church - Church Website Design
Voucher School - Pros and Cons of School Vouchers
Luthernet - Web Design for Lutheran Churches
Sitcom Life Lessons - What we've learned from sitcoms
Mancrush Fanclub - Why not?
Epic Folktale - Stories of the unknown
Wild West Allis - Every story ever told about one place
Educabana on Teachers Pay Teachers (mostly ELA lessons)
Real Wisconsin News - Satire from Wisconsin
Zoo Interchange Milwaukee - Community website
Chromebook Covers - Reviews and opinions

Brian Jaeger - Resume (I'm always interested)

Contact Me

Contact Brian

Name

Email *

Message *

Pennies From Heaven AKA Welfare for Writers

The reason why we have ads on this site is because that's one way writers make money online. Your presence on this site right now might make a penny for our family. Clicking on an ad might get us closer to $.50. Buying something online as a result of clicking on a link can make us a few dollars. We will not get rich from this money, but every penny helps out. Every like or share or re-post or follow. Please, make a donation to our family by clicking.

JAX Weather

Labels

Jacksonville jax money Florida crime housing activities vehicles economic development school home news transportation planning police Duval website design kids politics traffic research TV neighbor reviews sports taxes parks statistics East Arlington writing history environment St. Johns roads travel water employment fun men previous owner rankings Arlington weather women beach review business church jaguars pollution dating fashion football guns hurricane library race tourism fatalities health care zoning baseball music JEA Mayport restaurant summer animals games military unf Lyft St. Augustine education flooding pets spanish AC Halloween farms film french hockey noise ocean po radio Duval County Fletcher high school armada cats christmas controversy debate decision fall fort caroline style superhero 2021 AAA Roadside Assistance Advice Blowhard Cambridge AICE County Sheriffs Duval County Public Schools Easter FDOT FL Google Gyros Haretna Hilton Honors James jaeger Kernan Boulevard Lutheran Milano's Ocala Pressers SEO St. Johns County Starbucks T-shirts Tim Tebow VW acting ad of the week addiction again all balls arts asked avoid behavior belief best bi-polar boo celebration chances chump colleges column common comparison consequences councilmembers credit card cuisine difficult to use don't work doors driving games entertainment experience expression faith finding food frustration future gambling gaming gas station grass hack handles high school exchange homes housing market humor illegal traffic stops impact importance improve indians informed infrastructure insightful issue. killing language last chance light boat parade lights local dating scene lottery love made mascot meaning mental health merchandise mistakes mood swings no U-turn sign no brains notebooks opening opinion origins ownership party paying for hotels personal opinion pet ownership pitbull play players pooper popular pound sand program protect real estate reason reform religion request revenue rewards program rights road trip save school identity school pride school spirit service simple sketchy slang someone state struggle support system take down taste teachers thank you timucuan traffic laws traffic stop universities unpredictability usage vehicle pet peeves welcome workplace