Tudor Touches
I wouldn't call it Tudor or Cape Cod. It's basically a two story box with cottage details. Very pretty. Those "dormers" are really an illusion created by the false steep gable trim on the sides, so it's not a Cape. And although the house is stucco and the front gable is steeply pitced, the house lacks other details such as timbering, extensive stone or brick work, casement windows and greater material mixing which identify the Tudor style. It also lacks the heaviness and darkness associated with Tudor. All of this is not to say that it is not a beautiful house, because it is. But I think it falls into a general cottage style category. Please preserve the stucco. Interestingly enough, my house is a 1931 Sears house, "The Randolph," which is basically a brick Cape Cod with a Cotswold style stucco and half-timber gable front and massive brick chimney. Definitely Tudor!
From Joe:
I own a 1940 Tudor, and had the same problem with paint adhering to the stucco. My building inspector told me that before I bought my house it should not have been painted at all. Stucco, because it is a natural material, needs to breathe. The paint traps the moisture behind the finished paint and the stucco can't breathe. Ultimately it will cause damage to the stucco. The proper method for finishing stucco is something called dashing. You need to contact a company that specializes in dashing stucco finished homes.
Nice house. Take good care of it. Thanks, Joe Minneapolis, MN
From Dan:
There are more tudor elements here than Cape Cod. Note that the windows have muntins on only the upper half of the double hung windows where the cape would have a combination of 6x6 or 6x9 pane windows. The Cape is also more symmetrical than this house with window balancing, which defines that type of home. The fireplace is certainly more tudor like, in that it intersects the front of the home and the cap of the chimney is more ornamented than a Cape. The Cape would normally utilize a center chimney (internal) or one or two chimneys on each end of the house--again, repeating the theme of balance which the tudor style does not incorporate.
Jennifer, you definitely have a Tudor on your hands. In my part of Minneapolis, we see lots of variations on the Tudor theme. The dormers are rather typical of Tudors here, especially on the story and a half ones. And they have stucco exteriors which would be a shame to cover in vinyl. I would like to say it's an Elizabethan Tudor, but I know enough to be dangerous, as they say, but not enough to be an expert. As for the paint problem, go to a building supply store or a paint store and ask the manager or an older clerk for help. They should be able to advise you on type of paint, paint preparation methods, etc.
From Alan Durham:
Your house does have elements of the Tudor style typical to this 1930's such as steeply pitched gables and a prominent brick chimney on the front facade. Higher style Tudor homes usually have half timbering and diamond paned windows.
As far as a siding choice, avoid aluminum or vinyl siding. If water (or humidity) get trapped beneath the new siding, your stucco may crumble or become infested. You might try a higher quality of exterior oil paint.
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