As a result, homeowners have spent millions fixing their homes, several class-action suits have been brought and some municipalities have banned EIFS siding. Manufacturers have now come up with a new EIFS technique they are convinced will allow water that does get behind the finish to drain harmlessly away. Many companies, including Dryvit Systems Inc., Parex, Sto, Finestone, Synergy and U.S. Gypsum, claim their new versions will put an end to moisture failures. Plus, the redesign has seen a recommitment to quality installation, claims Doug Doscher, residential marketing manager for Dryvit Systems. Along with these new systems, we are also seeing more attention to installation details.
Contractors are careful now to follow the manufacturer's specifications.
With the old EIFS system, the synthetic stucco, which is comprised of a base coat and a finish coat, was troweled onto insulating foam board nailed to the wall sheathing. One of the major differences with the new system is that two layers are added to the sheathing before the rigid insulation is applied. Some installations skip the mesh and simply notch the back of the foam board that is applied next to create drainage channels. The final step is the application of the base and finish coats of synthetic stucco. If your house has synthetic stucco applied before 1996, have a home inspector check exterior walls for rot with a moisture meter.