Long Lake is a tight-knit community in Orono township territory along the west metro corridor, sitting just off Highway 12 near Wayzata Boulevard. The neighborhoods closest to the lakeshore tend to have older homes from the mid-20th century, and a lot of those exterior walls have original stucco that's been patched and painted over for decades. That layered history means repairs take more diagnostic work, and shortcuts show up fast once another Minnesota freeze-thaw cycle hits.
The climate here is no joke. Long Lake sits at roughly 45 degrees north latitude, which means full exposure to hard freezes from November through March, and sometimes into April. Water gets into small cracks, freezes, and pushes the stucco apart from the inside. By spring, what started as a hairline crack is now a chunk missing from your foundation wall or gable end. We've seen it on practically every type of home in this area, from the lakeside cottages off North Shore Drive to the newer construction closer to the Highway 12 corridor.