masonry question on stucco trim

[tstex]

Hello to All,

We added a covered patio in fall of 2015. Since then, we've had plenty of rains, but in the last 3-4 months, it's slowed down...

Do the pic's indicate more than normal settling? I also have 4-5 very small hairline cracks in the stucco trim too. I took a flathead screw-diver and took out anything that was loose btw the cracks so it might look a bit exaggerated. Pic one is close-up, and pics 2 & 3 are to give you a better perspective.

After removing the loose material, I cleaned trim and soffit w soap and water and it's clean. was going to caulk, let it dry. then paint all. I think vertical cracks are so thin paint will cover, but should I hit w caulk too. Any other suggestions?

Note, we had 12 10ft bell-bottom piers placed per PE: one on each column, 3 under fireplace and the rest throughout the concrete slab under covered area..it was 5" w a 2'x2' perimeter bean and 1 or 2 other center beams. At the beam intersections is where the other bell-bottom piers were placed.

thank you very mucb, tstex

[cx]

Welcome, Tom.

What part of the structure are we looking at in your photos?

[tstex]

Thank you CX.

This is an add on to a back yard living area completed in late 2015.

The covered walkway to the right and straight ahead are the areas that were added. basically the perimeter areas just next to the soffits outside of the roof line. Does this help?

thank you very much,
tstex

[cx]

Nope.

Perhaps one of the less dense members will understand what you're describing.

[tstex]

Ok, the first pic is the stucco trim w the soffit at the top showing a close-up of separation btw soffit and top of stucco trim piece

the next pic a little further back of the same area, but shows the stucco beam that the trim is on top of, then the soffit again

the third pic is an overall view of the structure. Before the addition, it was just the window to the right to the corner [where the pillar w Austin Stone on bottom was added adjacent to the house].

if you look at the gutters, they are new and so is the immediate structure they are secured to. You have the gutters, then hardie fascia, then the hardie soffit, then then the stucco trim in question, then the stucco beam.

Hope this helps CX...I appreciate your effort...tstex

PS - the pictures do not have anything like a black line separating them so I can see the confusion..

[Carbidetooth]

So this is transition from horizontal Hardie soffit to vertical wall covered in stucco?

The horizontal crack in plane change might be truss lift and normal, that assumes trusses were used. Even dissimilar material movement might explain it.

The vertical cracking might concern me more. When you say stucco, are you talking about EIFS with foam behind or traditional stucco with wire and masonry only.

[tstex]

Thank you Peter, pls see my answers below:

So this is transition from horizontal Hardie soffit to vertical wall covered in stucco? The soffits are horizontal btw the fascia by gutter and stucco trim piece that is on a stucco covered LVL beam.

The horizontal crack in plane change might be truss lift and normal, that assumes trusses were used. Even dissimilar material movement might explain it. The stucco covered beams w the stucco trim at the top, were made from three LVL beams of approx. 2" x 20" by X feet, and all three beams were secured together.

The vertical cracking might concern me more. When you say stucco, are you talking about EIFS with foam behind or traditional stucco with wire and masonry only. The beams as described above had a Tyvek Home Wrap, then I believe felt paper, then the stucco wiring, then stucco'ed. I am not sure if the actual trim pieces had a separate piece of wiring for it or if it was built on the stucco from the beam. I can dig up a few pics of what the beams look like before, during and after if you wish....

Thanks again Peter, tstex
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Peter

[Carbidetooth]

Given the span and material, I wouldn't be at all surprised if things are moving around/acclimating. I'd probably caulk and paint it.

I'd suggest you run it by your contractor as he's in a better position to judge the situation.

[tstex]

Thanks Peter...I'm inclined just to caulk and paint too unless there something radically wrong w that decision