Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - cracks in new stucco

Hi

I have expanded the LR/DR by 200 feet. One wall is 30' long. The stucco brown coat has been applied over a Dow Blue board with chicken wire about 6 weeks ago. I see cracks have developed at all windows corners that extend all the way to the top of the wall (from the windows top corners) and all the way to the bottom of the wall (from windows lower corners). ALso, I see cracks between the old stucco and the new brown coat along where the old met the new. I have asked a sales person at the stucco factory and was told to just fill in the cracks before applying the finish coat and also to prevent re occurence, have the stucco person add a butter fly to the windows corners by cutting 8-10 inch strip of the brown coat at 45 degrees and add a metal mesh then brown coat it. My concern is, if the butter fly is being added now by cutting the brown coat, wouldn't it crack along the new seams of the butter fly mesh again? any advice on how to deal with the cracks is appreciated both to cover what exists now and to avoid having it again.

Thanks

It cracks in those areas because they are the weak points in the wall. A properly designed and lathed wall would have expansion joints at each corner of the windows and doors running vertically. In addition, each panel of 200 Sq foot should be divided by expansion joints.

As for a repair, the crack will mirror through in most cases.

Tscarborough

Thanks for the reply. Now that the brown coat is on for few weeks, does it make sense to cut through the windows/doors corners and add the expansion joints?

Thanks

Not really. Patch the cracks, apply an uncolored cementious finish, then use an elastomeric coating for your color and to bridge the cracks.