Stucco Contractor
Howard Beach Queens

Howard Beach, Water and Stucco

Howard Beach sits on Jamaica Bay and much of it is low lying, which makes water the organizing fact of every job here. Salt air attacks the top coat, wind driven rain off the bay finds openings a sheltered wall never gets tested on, and the ground itself holds moisture against the bottom of the wall for longer than it would further inland.

A large part of the neighborhood was affected by Sandy, and the rebuilding that followed created a detail we look at specifically: houses that were elevated or had new foundation height added, with stucco tied into older wall above it. That transition line is a frequent leak point, because the two assemblies move differently and the joint between them was often treated as cosmetic rather than as a flashing detail.

The core stock is detached and semi detached housing from the 1950s through the 1970s, much of it with hard coat stucco over block. Sixty years of salt exposure means the surface is usually the first thing to go, but what decides whether you are looking at a repair or a rebuild is whether the coat is still bonded. We sound the wall before quoting anything.

On waterfront and near waterfront blocks we specify a finish rated for marine exposure as standard rather than as an upgrade. It costs slightly more and it is the difference between a repair that lasts a decade and one that looks tired in three years.

Serving Howard Beach from Our Brooklyn Shop