Exterior insulation finishing system
EIFS became popular in the mid-1970s due to the oil embargo and the resultant surge in interest in insulating wall systems that conserve energy used for heating and cooling.
[6] EIFS systems installed at lower building levels are subject to vandalism, as the material is soft and can be chipped or carved resulting in significant damage.
In these cases, heavier ounce reinforcing mesh can drastically increase the durability of the EIFS system.
[1] In the United States, the International Building Code and ASTM International define Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS) as a non-load-bearing exterior wall cladding system that consists of an insulation board attached either adhesively, mechanically, or both, to the substrate; an integrally reinforced base coat; and a textured protective finish coat.
Traditional stucco is a centuries-old, hard, dense, thick, non-insulating material which consists of aggregate, a binder, and water.
EIFS are typically attached to the outside face of exterior walls with an adhesive (cementitious or acrylic based) or mechanical fasteners.
EIFS are attached with mechanical fasteners (specially designed for this application) when installed over house wraps (sheet-good weather barriers) such as are commonly used over wood sheathings.
Research, conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and supported by the Department of Energy, has affirmed that EIFS are the "best performing cladding"[11] in relation to thermal and moisture control when compared to brick, stucco, and cementitious fiberboard siding.
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2006 — EIFS "outperformed all other walls in terms of moisture while maintaining superior thermal performance."
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has evaluated the five life cycle stages of the environmental impact of EIFS alongside brick, aluminum, stucco, vinyl, and cedar.
Depending on a variety of site and project specific conditions, EIFS have the potential to save money in construction costs and contribute toward energy efficient operations and environmental responsibility when correctly designed and executed.
PM EIFS use extruded polystyrene insulation (XEPS) and a thick, cementitious base coat applied over mechanically attached glass fiber reinforcing mesh.
The most common type of EIFS used today is the system that includes a drainage cavity, which allows any and all moisture to exit the wall.
[16] The moisture barrier is applied to the entire wall surface with a mesh tape over joints and a liquid-applied membrane or a protective wrap like tyvek or felt paper.
General contractors switched to EIFS because they were supposed to be easy to install with unskilled or semi-skilled labor and would not crack like traditional stucco.
In turn, thousands of EIFS installations were noncompliant and suffered severe water intrusion and mold as a result.
