Eifs
20 years of EIFS industry here as well. I remember very well how a few contractors swept through my part of the region, and to this day, I can take you through large scale housing developments, visually picking out every house executed by these contractors. Some have since been replaced, some remain to this day, no kick outs, no caulk joints, EIFS terminated tight to the roof, visible areas of EPS separation from the sub-straight, some of which you can actually count the EPS board, as well as see the exact number of really rough plasterers having worked on the job, by the many different textures still present, and the finish aggregate behavior,blend lines and overall appearance. Three of these contractors are still in business to this day, even in the wake of so much rough work. I am also seeing contractors who are not EIFS Smart, EIFS certified and or have any real experience in applying these products, bid and sub out their work to illegal aliens. This is an alarming trend that stands to once again increase the amount of EIFS going up the wrong way, and is no doubt fueled by the increasingly slim market place and high competition. I have seen homeowners completely blindsided by substantial cost to repair a home they had only recently purchased. And like yourself, I firmly believe a homeowner needs to be vigilant and learn exactly what to look for during the application. I tell people to photo each step taken, so if there is a future problem, another EIFS professional can most likely view those images and get a good idea what is contributing to the problem. I was lucky enough to have served under James Justice the very EIFS consultant/engineer who was featured on 20/20, MSNBC, NBC, CBS and other television networks, having been a key role member in the bulk of the EIFS litigation, and class action suits. I had 8 Simultaneous government projects going at one time, for which he was the architectural consultant and inspector. That was many years ago, and those building still look new today. In my experience there are some failures that must fall back to the manufacturers, not every project that failed was due to contractor application procedures. Most of these type failures were early on, and many of the products and specified methods of application have long since been discontinued, however EIFS still has its weaknesses in a few areas of performance, whereby normal natural process can cause big problems. Statistically EIFS repairs here in Indiana that are not due to improper application/installation are primarily due to hail damage. In our experience it is better to have substantial hail damage, rendering an immediate repair, rather then slight, hardly visible hail damage. Small Hail, can, has and will continue, to make small unseen holes in the EIFS surfaces, allowing natural precipitation to saturate the EPS and eventually the Sub-straight. Its always a good idea to have your home inspected post hail storm to identify unseen damage that may cause big problems down the road. Indiana has a ton of really good third party inspectors. As a contractor, we take steps to place preventative measures into our applications, eliminating these type problems. With 20 years of EIFS experience, I'm sure you know just how valuable a second layer of mesh can be along the tops of accent bands, window bands and any other EIFS surface areas that are exposed to skyward impact zones. These are steps i believe all contractors should take, and furthermore, would have thought I would have seen a bulletin or spec by now from at least one EIFS manufacturer. As far as residential, I would have to disagree with your comment on "water prevention verses water management" Residential projects are more prone to roof leaks, window leaks, chimney leaks and other forms of incidental moisture. A home that is water tight, is also air tight (Non-permeable) and cannot breath, seriously accelerating the biodegrading process of the " A Typical " combustible construction materials we use here in the states (wood/gypsum) causing mold/mildew and rot in much less time. Furthermore anytime you are applying EPS, especially in more elaborate designs, you are affecting the insulation performance of the wall, at different levels and at varying rates and locations across any one wall due to the varying thicknesses of foam you are applying. When you are pitching so many levels of r-factor at so many varying rates, you no doubt change interior wall temperatures, quite possibly causing the dew point to be located in the wall cavity, as the outside temperatures drop during the night, causing condensation/dew to form inside the wall, much like you see in some forms of double/triple pane windows. This form of incidental moisture has proven to be a problem as well, in many case studies, and in all these cases a water management system is far more valuable in the residential market place, for the above reasons, as well as their ability to insure proper management of incidental moisture in cases where any other system/material may fail.
Jeff Johnson
OPCMIA PL/PX
Indiana Wall Systems CEO
