General Information
Exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS), often called “synthetic stucco”, is a type of exterior cladding system that was frequently installed incorrectly prior to the year 2000. Some EIFS installations after the year 2000 may still have issues. Prior to 2000, most EIFS installations did not include a water barrier (such as Tyvek®) between the EIFS and the wood sheathing of the wall. If impeccably installed and well-maintained, water does not enter through EIFS. However, cracks do occur and water often does enter around windows and other items. The water then becomes trapped between the EIFS and the unprotected wood to rot the wood and wall framing.
Our consultants complete detailed assessments of EIFS cladded buildings to determine current areas of water entry, physical damage to the structure, exposures to occupants to mold growth, and areas where future issues may occur.
Proper EIFS assessments first include a physical assessment of the exterior and interior. Next, we scan the exterior using a specially designed EIFS scanning moisture meter. Areas that may have water concealed in the wall may then be further tested using a thin probe that penetrates into the wall. The building may also be viewed using a thermal imaging camera, which detects temperature difference in areas that are damaged. Air and dust samples may be collected from the interior to determine if loose mold debris is releasing from the wall cavities to impact air quality.
Our services
Real Estate Transactions
An EIFS assessment should be strongly considered during real estate transactions on both older and new buildings. Water damage and framing decay resulting from EIFS issues can be very extensive and can sometimes require removal of the entire system.
Periodic Assessments
For EIFS buildings that do not include a water barrier between the EIFS and the wood sheathing, consider retaining Environmental Initiatives to conduct a physical assessment using a scanning EIFS moisture meter to determine if new areas of water entry have occurred or if maintenance is required.
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