Exterior Insulation & Finish System (EIFS)
What is EIFS?"EIFS" is an acronym for "Exterior Insulation and Finish System" It is a type of building material that is placed on the outside of exterior walls of buildings that looks like stucco. It provides insulation, weather proofing, and a finished exterior surface in a single product.
What does EIFS consist of?
Atypical exterior insulation& finish system consist of:
- Insulation layer (a layer of insulation attached to the outside face of the building exterior wall with adhesives,and mesh reinforcement).
- Base coat ( a layer of adhesive and mesh reinforcement).
- Finish ( the outermost, colored, textured).
One of the primary reasons is that EIFS provides energy savings due to the external lacation of the continuous layer of insulation. It also adds aesthetic, requires minimal maintenance, and offers a wide range of colors and textures. Properly designed, detailed , and installed, these systems have proven to be very suitable for pacific climate.
Where is EIFS used?
EIFS is on of the most popular types of exterior wall products and can be used on a wide variety of building, including but not limited to:
- Single-Family Residences
- Apartments
- Condominiums
- Hotel & Motels
- Shopping Centers & Malls
- High Rises
- Is the contractor a trained applicator of the system you've chosen(Verify with the EIFS manufacturer
- How current is the contractor's applicator training?
- Beware of EIFS applicator offering cut-rate prices; EIFS is not a system that lends itself to cutting corners.
Stucco As Exterior Cladding
In general "Stucco" is the term commonly used to refer to an exterior cladding assembly comprised of Portland Cement, lime Plaster, building paper,lath and trims.Stucco is a versatile exterior cladding material. As part of a wall assembly, it provides a durable and aesthetically pleasing exterior wall cladding assembly. It is primarily a weather resistant facing on the exterior of the building structure and is therefore a non-structural element. Stucco has been commonly and successfully used on residential and commercial building projects throughout North America for hungreds of years.
Stucco cladding protects the building's structural assembly based on the principle of a "concealed barrier" system. The stucco façade is designed to act as a primary barrier to the elements and protect the weather barrier under it. Incidental moisture carried onto the system is directed away from the structural building by the "concealed barrier" composed of properly flashed penetrations, correctly applied building paper, and appropriate metal flashing and trims.
Acrylic stucco refers to either a standard cement basecoat with an acrylic finish coat, or a polymer-modified cement basecoat with acrylic finish as specified. Typically the term refers to a standard cement basecoat with the acrylic finish coats.
Features and Benefits of Stucco Cladding
There are many reasons for the increase in the use of Stucco as an exterior cladding system in recent times. It has many advantages over other exterior protection that few disadvantages are not really significant.
- Versatility of Design
- Conforms to any variety of shapes, forms, arches and ornamental configurations.
- Aesthetically Pleasing
- Stucco can be applied in an almost limitless variety of textures, finishes and colours.
- Creates large monolithic uniform surfaces.
- Weather Resistance
- Stucco finishes are fully resistant to weather. Water does not pass through it when properly mixed, applied and densified.
- Stucco performs in a variety of climate conditions, enduring wet/dry and freeze/thaw cycles without a problem.
- Fire Resistance
- Stucco clad walls will provide up to 1 hour of fire resistance, a feature that sets Stucco apart from other economical wall cladding finishes.
- Low Maintenance Costs
- Stucco is a durable surface that is easily cleaned with water hose. It has excellent colour retention, and can be refinished with a top coat of the same or different colour.
- Stucco will not breakdown, fade, or decay. It does not rust, peel, or flake and can be easily repaired.
- Insect Proof
- Stucco is not susceptible to attack from insects, rodents or other drilling or boring creatures.
- Impact and Abuse Resistance
- Stucco's hard surface and metal lath reinforcement make it highly resistant to physical abuse.
- It can be reinforced with security mesh to provide extra security for walls assemblies.
- Noise Resistance
- Stucco's monolithic nature and heavy mass reduce noise transmission much more effectively than other competing cladding choices
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