A Houston rainstorm passes, the sun comes back out, and before long most of your home's stucco looks dry again. Except for one spot.

A home doesn't experience weather evenly. In the Houston area, south- and west-facing walls typically receive the most intense afternoon sun. Those surfaces heat up significantly during the day, then cool after sunset.

Sometimes it's a thin hairline near a window. Other times it's a longer crack following a corner or expansion joint. The natural question is: *"Should I be worried?"*

You might think winter is the quiet season for your home’s exterior — less rain, no hurricanes, cooler temps. But those small cracks, faint stains, or strange soft spots in your stucco? They could be warning signs that moisture is building up behind the surface.