But as homeowners begin spending more time outdoors, some may notice something less welcome: a crack in the stucco that wasn't there before.

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.

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?"*

While Houston doesn’t often experience deep freezes, our winter weather can still fluctuate dramatically — warm and humid one day, windy and cold the next. These swings in temperature cause building materials to expand and contract, and stucco is no exception.