About EIFS Stucco

  EIFS is an acronym for Exterior Insulation Finish System. This "synthetic" type of stucco uses a styrofoam layer that is coated with a thin amount of concrete and an acrylic layer of textured stucco. There are many benefits to using this type of stucco including increased insulation, the ease of installing this product, reduced cracking of the finished wall, the ability to rasp the foam to straighten out a crooked wall, and the wide variety of design shapes that can easily be created using the foam materials. These photos show a job where Master Stucco was contracted to install an EIFS stucco exterior on a Huddle House restaurant.

  Some detriments associated with EIFS stucco include the inability of the wall to drain any water or allow evaporation of any water that migrates behind the stucco, the fragile nature of the finished wall due to the thin layer of cement that cannot withstand even small amounts of impact, and mold related problems that result from long term moisture problems.

  EIFS stucco continues to be used on commercial and other non-residential properties where the roof and window designs are different from those used in residential applications and are therefore less likely to allow moisture to migrate into the structure. If you own a stucco home or building that was built between 1982 and 2000, you most likely have EIFS stucco.

 Styrofoam Layer and Base Coat

  The foam layer is either glued onto the wall, or mechanically attached with nails or screws.

  After the foam layer is installed and rasped, a thin cement layer, called the base coat, is applied with a fiberglass mesh embedded into the cement coating. This layer of mesh dramatically increases the strength of the thin cement layer.

  The type of cement used on an EIFS wall is different from the type of cement used on a traditional concrete based stucco wall. EIFS cement can be applied in a very thin layer and usually dries overnight. One of the benefits of EIFS is the ability to apply the texture immediately on to the cement layer because it does not have to "cure," a process that can take up to 28 days. This benefit also eliminates most of the cracking that is common with traditional cement-based stucco applications. To learn more about Traditional Stucco, click here.

 Finish Coat

  After the base coat layer is applied and dried, the finish coat is troweled on. This layer includes a sand texture that can be tinted to almost any color of the rainbow using paint pigments.

  The photo to the right shows the final job after the colored finish coating had been installed.

  To determine if a building has an EIFS type of stucco applied to it, you can knock on the wall. If the wall sounds hollow, then it is most likely EIFS that was used. You can also check the locations where the stucco terminates, for example at the base of the wall, under an exterior light, or inside the hole where the foundation vents are located. Look for the fiberglass mesh and styrofoam which you will see at one of these locations.