A family living in a two-story, Colonial-style house in suburban Marlton, New Jersey (about 15 miles east of Philadelphia) thought they just had a case of dirty stucco siding. LIttle did they know that the brown and black staining in multiple areas on the 28-year-old home was actually a severe outbreak of mold resulting from moisture behind the stucco.  This is a major problem in the region due to temperature fluctuations and high precipitation amounts throughout the year. Instead of cleaning the siding and going back to their busy lives, they decided to have it checked out by a stucco contracting specialist, and it's a good thing they did.

An issue like this is more common than homeowners think. Those with stucco on their homes - particularly stucco that's installed close to the ground - should familiarize themselves with the warning signs of mold or water damage, which include staining or cracking of stucco, and dried, shrunken or completely deteriorated caulking around areas like doors and windows. The water can seep into the foundation and cause the cement to crack and break down over time as well. If not caught early, the damage can be detrimental to the home's foundation - and the homeowner's wallet.

They couldn’t tell how bad it was until they pulled off a portion of the stucco. After assessing the damage, the specialist determined that a full stucco remediation was imperative. To ensure the damage wouldn’t spread any further and the mold wouldn’t make its way inside the home, the entire exterior system of the home—including housewrap, siding and trim—would need to be removed, and the mold completely cleaned off of the framing of the home. Then, a whole new system would need to be installed. The homeowners hired contractor Dean Mainardi of Only the Best Builder in West Berlin, New Jersey to complete the project.

The homeowners did not want to put new stucco on the home, and they discussed the many different exterior material choices with Mainardi. Being a Certainteed customer for over 20 years, Mainardi highly recommended Certainteed products because Certainteed offers a complete suite of products designed to work together. Mainardi connected the family with Certainteed's Delia Franchi.

"Delia came in and showed product samples to our customers, so they could pick exactly what they wanted," said Mainardi. "It was also great having her meet with them because it provided a certain comfort factor that Certainteed was so invested in the project."

For their new siding, the homeowners chose Cedar Impressions® Single 7-inch straight Edge Perfection Shingle siding in the color Driftwood Blend. Cedar Impressions polymer shingles are water-resistant and virtually maintenance-free. CertaWrap™ housewrap was installed beneath the siding to help avoid another moisture management disaster.