How long, Spax?

[Hovannes]

The stucco soffit is sagging above my home's front door.
There's no indication of water leaks and I can register the ends of the trusses with a stud finder on the fascia board, so I figure jacking up the soffit and shooting some Spax screws every 6" or so should keep it from pulling down (this happened on the patio two years ago and that's how the contractor fixed it.)
Stucco is heavy and the lath was originally stapled up some 60 years ago so go figure.
Anyway the stucco is about 1" thick so I'm wondering how long the spax screws should be?
Will 2" do the job or should I get longer ones?

I figure you guys would know.

[FredS]

Without commenting on whether or not this will fix the issue, I'd get longer screws. 3" min so you get 2" into the joists/trusses. You'll need a pretty stout drill/impact driver to sink them in that deep.

Did the contractor use some sort of washer or plate to spread the load or just count on the head of the screws?

[Del]

Sounds like you'll want some of these:

SPAX GRIP-PLATE® GALVANIZED STEEL WASHER

1-1/4" diameter galvanized steel washer for lath attachment & plaster repair (stabilize sagging plaster or stucco to lath). Attaches lath for stucco / stone veneer applications, even over continuous insulation. Also, can be used to attach exterior gypsum sheathing for high wind-load areas. Available with large or small center hole (for screws or pins).

1-1/4" diameter galvanized steel
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Use with appropriate screw to attach lath as per ASTM C-1063
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Use as tested or recommended to support heavy adhered masonry cladding over layers of continuous insulation
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Keyholes for plaster / basecoat bonding
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Attaches exterior gypsum sheathing in high wind load areas
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Compatible with screws or pins
Made in USA

I tried searching for ASTM C-1063. It is quite a rabbit-hole to find code specs for your specific repair.

[sweetandsour]

Without commenting on whether or not this will fix the issue, I'd get longer screws. 3" min so you get 2" into the joists/trusses. You'll need a pretty stout drill/impact driver to sink them in that deep.

Did the contractor use some sort of washer or plate to spread the load or just count on the head of the screws?

I'd also use longer screws. I don't know if it's a similar issue but a gate post pulled out of our garage wall, which is Hardie plank fiber cement attached to exterior plywood wall. I used the longest narrowest lag bolts I could find to re-secure the post to the wall, being careful about locating electric wiring since there was an outlet on the opposite side.

Anyway good luck.

[Hovannes]

I'm fortunate that a clerk at my local ACE is a retired contractor who knows his stuff. Those Spax washers are called "stucco buttons."

[Del]

I'm fortunate that a clerk at my local ACE is a retired contractor who knows his stuff. Those Spax washers are called "stucco buttons."

I just tripped over that. I am not handy and I wondered what SPAX screws were. After FredS's post about washers, I thought it was interesting.

Stucco is not popular in Wisconsin, and not much compatible.

Oddly, the Planned Parenthood death center in Madison has a sort of stucco siding. Little birds peck holes in it and build nests. PP patches it with a dark caulk or cement that doesn't match the paint, resulting in a pox-like appearance.