DrDarell
Nov 29, 2006, 03:09 PM
My house is about 6 years old. When it was new, and I was doing the walk-through in an unfinished area of the lower level, I could see light from outside at the base of the wall and the floor. I probably should have gotten my own inspector at that point and had them tear down the stucco if necessary. However, after living in a motel for over a month I let the builder convince me that it was no big deal and they sealed up the bottom of the house with that expandable foam stuff.
Well we’ve had a drafty house ever since. In one bathroom there is a Jacuzzi tub that sits along an outside wall, a strong draft comes through the access panels of the tub and chills that bathroom and the bedroom.
I looked under the bottom of the Stucco walls and the Stucco hangs down below the slab foundation a couple of inches. It is also a good ½ to ¾ of an inch away from the foundation. At one point where there is none of that foam stuff I can see some wood up in there, but I can’t tell if that is making any kind of a good seal or not. If I look where they shot that foam stuff, it’s been eaten away in nice little holes so the ants can have easy access to my house.
When I complained to my builder about the drafts they say it’s just the weep holes in the windows and there is nothing they can do… I’m thinking there’s a lot more to this and I need to seal up the bottom of the house between the foundation and the stucco walls.
Can someone confirm my suspicions and let me know if I should seal this up with something? I don’t know what to seal it with, but I’m thinking that the foam stuff, while easy to work with is a very temporary solution.
Thanks!
Well we’ve had a drafty house ever since. In one bathroom there is a Jacuzzi tub that sits along an outside wall, a strong draft comes through the access panels of the tub and chills that bathroom and the bedroom.
I looked under the bottom of the Stucco walls and the Stucco hangs down below the slab foundation a couple of inches. It is also a good ½ to ¾ of an inch away from the foundation. At one point where there is none of that foam stuff I can see some wood up in there, but I can’t tell if that is making any kind of a good seal or not. If I look where they shot that foam stuff, it’s been eaten away in nice little holes so the ants can have easy access to my house.
When I complained to my builder about the drafts they say it’s just the weep holes in the windows and there is nothing they can do… I’m thinking there’s a lot more to this and I need to seal up the bottom of the house between the foundation and the stucco walls.
Can someone confirm my suspicions and let me know if I should seal this up with something? I don’t know what to seal it with, but I’m thinking that the foam stuff, while easy to work with is a very temporary solution.
Thanks!