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Rusting Corner Beads in Florida House

piasano
11 years ago

We built four years ago. Rust was coming through on the corner beads in some places even before the contractor signed off on the completed house. His solution at the time was to spray Kiltz on the rusting areas. More and more areas are beginning to show rusting beads. Before I Kiltz those areas, does anyone know why this is happening? The house is a split level. The rusting is happening on the upper level. We are sure this has to do with the high hunidity here in Florida. We are on a canal, and very near the ocean. We do have the windows open ~ especially in the Master bedroom, alot. So, my question is, is there something better to use to seal those corner beads than Kiltz? Would it be a good idea to use something like CLR to dissolve the rust prior to Kitlzing?

Is anyone else having this kind of problem?

Thanks!

Comments (27)

  • woodbutcher_ca
    11 years ago

    Hi. I don't think Kiltz stops rust. It is used to prevent bleed through. I would sand the rust and steel wool it. Then apply Rustolium primmer. If you have the skill remove the steel corner bead and install plastic cornerbead.
    Good Luck Woodbutcher

  • energy_rater_la
    11 years ago

    corner beads on what?
    can you post a picture?

  • rwiegand
    11 years ago

    You can either lower the humidity (by closing the house and using AC or dehumidifiers) or replace the metal beads with plastic. Any surface treatment will be temporary at best.

  • doug_gb
    11 years ago

    Untreated metal will rust when covered with latex (water based) paint. The corner bead material apperently wasn't treaed.

    They need to be sealed with a solvent based primer.

  • millworkman
    11 years ago

    Metal Corner Beads are Galvanized so I believe lowering the humidity would be the proper thing to do. The current ones will rust through again after being sealed

  • Jumpilotmdm
    11 years ago

    Most likely those corner beads were rusting BEFORE they were installed, i.e. stored improperly. That rust will be stronger than anything you can spray/throw at it. The only permenant solution is costly and messy and that is cut them out and replace them.
    Sorry...

  • piasano
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks to all for your responses. Wood Butcher, I will try the Rustoleum. :O)

  • Jumpilotmdm
    11 years ago

    Rustoleum is over rated. If you choose not to tear them out, prime them with ANY rust inhibiting primer, preferably red oxide, them prime with stain blocker, then paint with anything you want, oil or latex.

  • energy_rater_la
    11 years ago

    replace with plastic corner beads,
    why take the chance of it happening again.

    best of luck.

  • delphi216
    11 years ago

    If your drywall was installed before 2009 I would be suspicious that it could be defective drywall that was imported from China from 2001 thru 07 - 08. That could possibly the cause of your corner bead rusting through. I know this might be out of the construction time frame but close enough to be worth the mention.
    Delphi

  • PRO
    moca23
    8 years ago

    "Piasano", could you please make a follow-up comment? How did you resolve the problem and how were the long-term results? My house is a new construction (finished early 2014). I see a lot of cracks in the stucco, rust appearing threw the stucco at most corners of the house and white stripes in those areas on the formerly beige stucco. We are still under warranty but I want to make sure this is being fixed correctly so that the problem doesn't reappear. We live in Arizona, so there is no excessive humidity here but I suspect rainwater could enter the stucco through the cracks. As with previous problems with the house, I am sure the builder and contractor will want to propose a quick fix.
    Thanks!

  • Ichabod Crane
    8 years ago

    millworkman

    Metal Corner Beads are Galvanized so I believe lowering the humidity would be the proper thing to do. The current ones will rust through again after being sealed

    I've seen non-galv sold at big box stores. I agree with energy: use HIGH quality plastic or vinyl.

  • PRO
    moca23
    8 years ago

    ichabod crane, thanks for your comment. Since they are installed on the outside of the house, lowering the humidity is not really an option.

    So I should probably have all corner beads removed and replaced by vinyl for a long term fix?

  • millworkman
    8 years ago

    These are on the exterior of the home? What is your siding? Any pictures?

  • PRO
    moca23
    8 years ago

    Yes, on the outside of the house. We have stucco. The picture shows the edge of a windowsill. As I said our house is only 1 3/4 years old.


  • Ichabod Crane
    8 years ago

    We don't use stucco up here in snow-world, but my first thought, seeing that picture, is...water intrusion from behind?

  • Vith
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Metal corner bead for stucco? Just sounds like a bad idea to me. They definitely sell them though, doesn't mean they are a good idea. I guess it depends on what type of stucco, if they used the acrylic based stucco it shouldn't let water affect the corner bead but if it is concrete based then those are supposed to get wet and dry normally. If the corner bead keeps getting wet it will keep rusting. I am guessing they didn't use wire mesh backing or that would all be rusty too.

    Here are some vinyl ones. Best of luck.

    http://www.amico-lath.com/stucco/cornerbead.htm

    And here is some knowledge about stucco types.

    http://thestuccoguy.com/acrylic-stucco-vs-traditional-stucco/

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    8 years ago

    This has nothing to do with humidity and everything to do with proper EIFS detailing. An experienced independent consultant is the way to go here.

  • PRO
    Sombreuil
    8 years ago

    An over-exuberant kid with the drywall sanding pole can quickly burn through the electroplated galvanizing on corner bead, and the latex paint does the rest.

    Casey

  • scottsavageau
    8 years ago

    @ Caterina's post. The beads are metal ,probably sat exposed during construction , the stucco isn't covering them all over , and the paint isn't going to do all the heavy lifting on it's own.Maybe some attention to the beads before painting would've prevented this. It gets so bad here in Florida that the beads actually lift out and water gets in them. Here's an example before it's started to wear and rust...


    I have used a textured elastomeric patching compound to float over all of these areas and match the finish with success. Some knife grade patches work very well. I'd clean and prime the rusted areas with a alkyd or shellac primer then cover everything with elastomeric patch textured to match then prime and paint....Should last...It's rubber.... even the paint is rubber based usually...I don't have a finished picture but, you should get the idea...

  • PRO
    moca23
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Thanks for all the comments and answers. We are currently waiting for the recommendation from the corner bead manufacturer as to which product to use to prime. Since nobody I talked to has seen this problem before, I am wondering if a unlucky combination of materials could have caused a chemical reaction which would also explain the white marks we have on the paint now in the affected areas. If anybody readings this has had a similar situation and knows of the cause and best remedy, please let me know. @beyond specialty, I will forward your info. Thanks!

    Oh and by the way I have learned in the meantime that vinyl cornerbead in Arizona is a bad idea since it crumbles and dissolves over time .

  • scottsavageau
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    That sounds like a plan. I wonder if the stucco was still "hot" when it was painted.If the stucco isn't cured for long enough, it needs to be conditioned properly as to prevent any efflorescense, which can cause paint to fail rather quickly and turn white in areas that have water intrusion. Usually where there are streaks, the paint is failing and there are settling cracks to be found. Some builder's contractors will rush and just try to load up paint on stucco that is too fresh without conditioning it first.This really isn't just limited to corner beads however and you'd know it if you saw it . Good luck!

  • PRO
    Sombreuil
    8 years ago

    I looked this up; they make two grades of stucco corner bead, galvanized steel and "zinc alloy" which sounds like what you would want to use outside in a marine environment. Maybe they have stainless; they make stainless expanded metal lath for stucco.

    Casey

  • scottsavageau
    8 years ago

    Yikes. I wonder now how many stucco homes I've seen were EIFS systems..

  • sdello
    8 years ago

    google "Chinese drywall" and see if this describes your problem.

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