Quit fighting my stucco cracks, finally tried the backer rod trick

For years I patched the same hairline cracks on my east wall every spring, then they came back by August. A guy at the building supply place in Rio Rancho told me I was wasting my time with plain patching compound. He had me dig out the crack wider, stuff in a foam backer rod, and then top it with flexible sealant. It took about 4 hours total for a 30 foot stretch, but it's held through two monsoons now. Has anyone else had luck with that method, or do you just accept reapplying every season?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabethtaylor20d agoMost Upvoted

Backer rod was a game changer for me too. I fought the same corner crack for years until I tried it, and it has stayed put through three winters now. Digging it out wider felt wrong at first, but that flexible sealant really does need somewhere to flex.

the_nina18d ago

Right, because EVERYONE loves spending a Saturday morning excavating their own foundation like they're on some kind of DIY archeology dig. Three winters is impressive though, that's basically a lifetime in crack-repair years. Maybe I should stop pretending my caulk gun is decorative and actually try this.