I need your home building expertise

[cx]

That block is the final finish, Rigo?

[Rigo]

Hi CX, hope all is well. Sucks to hear some of the pros here are sick. Hope y'all get well soon. No CX, they are putting on Stucco over the block. They slapped on a coat in the back last week and waiting for the block guys to finish to do the front.

[cx]

Naaa, all is well at my casa. Get a little cancer now and then, but who doesn't?

I'm surprised they'd put a full masonry veneer on there for a stucco finish. Those are full 8" blocks?

Your part of the country I'd expect something similar to EIFS if stucco was the final finish. Learn something new here every day, we do.

[Rigo]

Damn, sorry about that Cancer CX. Yes sir 8 inches tall and 4 wide, not sure on the length. The builder gave me 3 options. Brick, Hebel, or block. I saw something here that had my head spinning. Im not sure how common it is, but alot of the houses that are being built around me, have durock sheets (the sheets used for shower walls) for exterior panels then stucco. Some even have hardie backer and then stucco. And then I see some houses with cheap white looking foam then stucco.

[cx]

When I mentioned 8 inches, I meant the depth of the block. I think you're saying yours are 4 inches deep. That's from the sheathing to the outside face, right? And that would make more sense to me than full 8" blocks - as in 8x8x16 inches.

The stucco over a Hardie product, in my experience, would be over the 4x8 siding panels, but in your climate zone, the Hardiebacker would be approved for the application, I believe. As would the real CBUs, such as the Durock. Properly done, I would expect all to work fine. The foam you spoke of would seem to me to be something similar to the old EIFS, which got a bad name back 20 or more years ago. But I thought they had sorted out the problems with the original methods of that construction and brought it back. Maybe not.

Given your available options, I like the idea of the CMUs as the stucco backing. Presuming, again, that it's properly done.

[Rigo]

Yes sir 4 inches deep is the block. I didn't like the fact that I could push that foam in. My house in AZ had foam and stucco and it had cracks everywhere.

[lochrie22]

Foam Stucco Called EIFS had all sorts of problems when installed incorrectly, But did offer a lot of extra R-value

Here we use Hydrotex (2 ply WRB) over OSB or Plywood, staple chicken wire over that (I'm sure there's a more Professional name) brown coat then color coat

never seen block and then Stucco seems overkill

[cx]

"More professional" name would be poultry netting, Chad. But we know it's still chicken war.

[Mathman]

Many if not most homes in Central Florida are block with stucco siding.

[lochrie22]

Poultry netting! I like it

[lochrie22]

I can understand a block home and then have the finish be Stucco but not block in front of a sheared Plywood wall frame and Stucco

Different styles and methods for different climates I guess

[Mathman]

Ah, I see. Forgot about the earlier pictures of the wood framing. Not what is done here.

[Rigo]

Here's the foam that most houses in my neighborhood are being made of. And also do you guy's ever use this type of bench?

[cx]

That looks like the beginnings of an EIFS exterior, Rigo. Are you saying they apply a cement-based stucco over that instead?

"Type of bench" as in steel framed or as in not continued to the floor?

[Rigo]

Yes sir, foam, chicken wire then Stucco. Yep, that's a floating bench, just never seen one on here or youtube. Just wondering if they were any good. I'm also gonna tell the builder to take that liner off cause there is no pre-slope.