Stucco/EIFS Inspections
The  first thing you need to know about Hardcoat STUCCO and EIFS is the difference  between the two. The biggest difference is in the substrate material used. With  Hardcoat STUCCO, the coating is applied over a steel mesh material attached to  plywood sheathing or OSB (oriented strand board). With EIFS, there is a slightly  different method. The coating is applied over a plastic mesh material attached  to a Styrofoam Substrate. The Styrofoam provides outstanding energy efficiency  and substantially reduces heating and cooling costs. Hardcoat STUCCO does little  to aid energy efficiency but it does have a slightly higher resistance to termites  and water damage.

Problems  associated with Hardcoat STUCCO and EIFS include water damage and insect damage. Typically, when Stucco is applied  to a house, it is done on a different day from the installation of the roofing system,  windows  and doors. This is one of the biggest problems. Because the stucco is applied  separately from the roofing, windows, and doors, the communication between contractors  is lost. There are preventative maintenance measures, such as flashing,  that should be applied to certain areas of the roof, windows and doors that will protect the Stucco and the underlying wood from water.  Over a period of just a few years or even less (depending on the conditions),  window frames, door frames, and even wall frames can rot and deteriorate heavily, seriously compromising the structural integrity of a home.

Landscapers  play a significant role in the gradual deterioration of a Stucco home as well.  After the Stucco has been applied to the home and the building process is for  the most part complete, a landscaping crew pulls in its bobcats and other equipment  and proceeds to push the surrounding dirt right up against the bottom of the Stucco.  This is NOT GOOD. It provides a clear and easy path for termites and other wood-destroying insects to enter the home and eat it from the ground up. This problem  is typically bigger with EIFS than with Harcoat STUCCO and according to the termite  companies. There is still some debate among Home Inspectors and industy  professionals as to Hardcoat STUCCO's resistance to termites.

One thing that the Hardcoat STUCCO and EIFS applicators both tend to get wrong is  the type of sealant used to protect transition joints (the spaces between the  stucco and other exterior materials such as trim). Most applicators will use some  type of caulk (if anything at all) for this purpose. This is a poor practice because caulk is not designed to stop water. Its main function is to stop  air and noise. A good example of a sealant that should be used is Dow  Corning 795 Sealant, which IS designed to stop water. This sealant should be used  at all transition joints and anywhere there may be a penetration through the stucco  such as utilities, hose bibs, etc.

 

Remember!

Stucco  veneer is a system! Stucco systems must:

Have  proper kickouts and flashings.

Have  ground clearance.

Have  properly flashed decks.

Have  all penetrations, transition joints, and trim completely sealed with Dow Corning  795 sealant. (or equivalent)

Have  proper flashing and sealants around windows and doors.

Have  clean, properly installed gutters.

Have annual inspections. 

Contact us to schedule a Stucco/EIFS inspection today!