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When Faux Stone Is Installed With Faux Glue - Elmer's?

By Jay Markanich

Home Inspector with Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 3380-000723

January 18, 2012 10:15 PM

We all know Elmer's Glue should not be used to install most housing products, but what really happens when faux stone is installed with faux glue?

Actually faux stone is not installed with glue at all, but a mortar-based mastic. It is heavy stuff!

IT MUST BE GLUED ON CORRECTLY OR IT WILL NOT STICK!

Virtually all over this house the faux stone was coming loose.

Some of it was sagging so much, it was bulging under its own weight.

I could push on it and move it.
I could pull on it and move it.

My client said, "That's really bad stuff."

My answer was that it is fine, when installed correctly and there are many links to many manufacturers that I could send him to show him proper installation techniques.

I did pull off one really loose stone and showed him why it was coming loose. The "scratch" coat of mastic had not been scratched! The stone had not been "back buttered," a term I really dislike but is a perfect description of what must be done.

Final result? NO STICKO! (Sorry to dip into my home inspector dictionary for technical wording there...)

This house is five years old. And this stuff has been coming loose for most of those five years.

My recommendation: people often ask me if this or that is a good builder. The answer to the question is this: it depends on the supervisor who is one site every day, and the subcontractors the builders use. I don't often know which builder did a particular house. But I can ALWAYS tell when the super or subs were not the best around!

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Susan Neal

RE/MAX Gold, Fair Oaks - Fair Oaks, CA

Fair Oaks CA & Sacramento Area Real Estate Broker

That is so sad, Jay. You know it was a lot of hard work for someone to put all of that up. What a shame that they couldn't have done it properly, and it would have been great. Now it's just a disaster.

Jan 20, 2012 04:24 AM

Reba Haas

Team Reba of RE/MAX Metro Eastside www.TeamReba.com - Bellevue, WA

Team Reba, CDPE

Wow, I appreciate you highlighting this particular issue because faux stone has been being used in so much construction over the past 10 years, I don't recall whether any inspector I've worked with before has ever tested it. However, I'm assuming that there must be a visual cue that lets you know right up front that there is something wrong, but now I know I'll be looking for it in initial walk-arounds with my clients.

Thanks!

Jan 20, 2012 04:27 AM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

You got it Loren.

Jeanne and Ralph - the builder installed this stuff!

Wayne - it has to be done properly.

Susan - I always say, when choosing builders, it depends on the supervisor on site and the subs.

Reba - I was going to include some links for you to see diagrams on installation of faux stone, but they would not come out properly.

And here are a couple of previous faux stone posts of mine:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1988935/how-not-to-install-stone-veneer-siding

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1797862/how-not-to-trim-a-door

Hope they help!

Jan 20, 2012 05:12 AM

Rob Ernst

Certified Structure Inspector - Reno, NV

Reno, NV-775-410-4286 Inspector & Energy Auditor

I have a new idea, Peel and sick stone. It will be all the rage. Another amusing post. Thanks

Jan 20, 2012 05:32 AM

Gary L. Waters Broker Associate, Bucci Realty

Bucci Realty, Inc. - Melbourne, FL

Eighteen Years Experience in Brevard County

I use the same reasoning when the wiring has been reversed...supervisor was off at lunch!

Jan 20, 2012 05:44 AM

Sandy Acevedo

951-290-8588 - Chino Hills, CA

RE/MAX Masters, Inland Empire Homes for Sale

Hi Jay, no it is not perfect Spanish. In fact, it is really bad English.

Jan 20, 2012 05:54 AM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Thanks Robert. I won't steal your idea! Go for it! And if you call now, we'll double the offer!

Gary - these guys were all out to lunch!

Sandy - Sí, sé, mi hermana. ¡Hay algunos de nosotros Gringos quienes no son mudos! Hablo muy bien la lengua y hago muchas inspecciones en Español... También, tengo muchos clientes.

Jan 20, 2012 06:21 AM

Sandy Acevedo

951-290-8588 - Chino Hills, CA

RE/MAX Masters, Inland Empire Homes for Sale

Bueno. Uno tiene que tener cuidado sobre lo que dice acerca de otra nacionalidad en un foro público.

Jan 20, 2012 07:31 AM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Por supuesto Sandy. Mucho tacto y mucho ojo, siempre digo, antes que se meta la pata.

¡Y "No sticko" es perfecto Inglés! Si se entiende, se comunica.

Jan 20, 2012 09:01 AM

Cynthia Larsen

Cotati, CA

Independent Broker In Sonoma County, CA

No Sticko. That should have translated into No Pay-o when it came to paying the subcontractor. Oy!

Jan 20, 2012 01:16 PM

Evelyn Kennedy

Alain Pinel Realtors - Alameda, CA

Alameda, Real Estate, Alameda, CA

Jay:

Glad to hear that the cure would be to remove the stone completely. I was afraid that the stones might be glued in place.

Jan 20, 2012 03:03 PM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

But at that point it was a new house and the stuff probably hadn't started stripping off yet Cynthia! But this is a horrible job!

Evelyn - they are glued in place! Onto the wall (theoretically anyway) and to each other! This will be a big job to fix.

Jan 20, 2012 11:32 PM

Vince Santos

StepByStep Home Services LC - Canton, MI

Southeast Michigan Home Inspector

I really like the way stone stucco looks and see it on plenty of homes around here. Unfortunately often times it seems as though the installer said heck with the manufacturer install doc. But I've never seen it as bad as in your photos.

Jan 21, 2012 01:35 AM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Yes, this was bad Vince. It was coming off all over, precisely because they did not pay attention to proper installation recs!

Jan 21, 2012 01:37 AM

Goran Utvic

Goran Utvic Real Estate Broker/Construction Consultant - Chicago, IL

Chicago 2 Flat Specialist

Jay...a lot of time I imagine, it's like ceramic tile...people often trowel on too much of an area and by the time they get to the end the mastic has skinned over.

Jan 21, 2012 09:03 AM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Could be Goran. Where it was stuck over foundation wall it had only been glued. There was no preparation on the foundation wall to receive the stone!

Jan 21, 2012 08:30 PM

Reuben Saltzman

Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN

Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

Bad times! Just about every installation of lick-em stick-em stone that I've seen has been done improperly, but I've never actually seen it falling off like that! Tear it off and start over.

Jan 22, 2012 01:24 PM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

There were bulges everywhere Reuben! Maybe the Elmer's would have worked?

Jan 22, 2012 10:10 PM

Jack Gilleland

Home Inspection and Investor Services, Clayton - Clayton, OH

Nice wall Jay. Hey does Billy sell that glue?

Jan 23, 2012 07:58 AM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA