MEDIA ALERT

UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY APPLAUDS EIMA’S REVERSAL OF POSITION ON EIFS DRAINAGE

Urges EIMA To Take Further "Water-Managed" Steps For Complete EIFS Reliability

WHO: United States Gypsum Company (USG), the EIFS industry’s leading proponent of the "water-managed" principle in all EIFS construction.

WHAT: In late 1998, the EIFS Industry Members Association (EIMA) announced that it is now recommending the use of "drainage" or "water-managed" EIFS for one and two family residential construction. Prior to this announcement, EIMA recommended the use of barrier EIFS for residential and commercial construction. EIMA still recommends barrier EIFS for multi-family residential and commercial construction. USG applauds [EIMA's] reversal from its earlier position, but encourages the organization to take additional steps towards fully supporting a total "water-managed" system. While EIMA’s position is a step in the right direction, USG recommends that:

Proper sealing, flashing and weeping must be applied strictly according to manufacturers’ instructions around windows and other penetrations.

Installation must include a weather-resistant barrier, which functions as a drainage plane providing a second line of defense against water damage.

"Water-managed" EIFS should be used on all forms of residential and commercial construction, not only on one and two family residential dwellings.

HISTORY: Problems with barrier-type EIF systems were first noticed in mid-1995 when building inspectors in Wilmington, N.C. discovered moisture damage on hundreds of barrier EIFS-clad homes. Since then, moisture intrusion problems have been discovered on homes and commercial buildings across the country. USG recognized the serious nature of the problem and stopped manufacturing barrier-EIFS in the spring of 1996. USG now manufactures only "water-managed" systems, available through a national network of distributors. USG’s water-managed systems feature a water barrier, flashing and weeping components that effectively protect against moisture intrusion problems.

RESEARCH: Numerous field visits and laboratory studies conducted by the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC), a recognized leader in the research of building envelopes, determined water-managed systems provide adequate protection from moisture accumulation in a wide range of climates in the United States.

For more information: More information on EIFS is available on USG’s EIFS NEWS Web site (www.usgeifsnews.com). For a copy of the NRCC studies please contact Mitch Koppel at 312/832-9300 ext. 205 or Marty Duffy at 312/606-4523.