EIFSFACTS.ORG

The Real Facts About EIFS  

- Metroclean Systems -

Dryvit Systems (an RPM Company) says "Dryvit uses specially developed polymers to maximize resistance to dirt pickup, but all exteriors get dirty to some degree. Thankfully, your Dryvit finish is relatively easy to clean."

However, another RPM company, Metroclean Systems, says in their company brochure:

"Cleaning the exterior of buildings clad with EIFS is a very tricky proposition and an important part of the routine maintenance required on EIF Systems. When Dryvit, the nation's leading EIFS manufacturer, needed to clean the exterior of its national headquarters in West Warwick, RI, it encountered difficulty finding an exterior cleaning company with experience cleaning EIFS with the low pressure required to maintain and protect the integrity of the surface"

"To quote Victor Kiam, Dryvit officials liked the company so much 'they bought the company'. 'We were so impressed with the unique approach and the speed with which Metro Clean was able to accomplish its work that we immediately began discussions about purchasing the company.' 'I can think of no greater testimonial than that', said Steve Collins, Vice President for Marketing at Dryvit Systems, Inc."

Metroclean also lists Dryvit as a "Parent Corporation" on their web site.

Dryvit Systems document DS152, "Cleaning and Recoating" now includes no information about power washing, but Dryvit's web-based document on home-owner maintenance still does. The following e-mails between Metroclean and Dryvit clearly show that Dryvit intentionally sanitized the document:

Subject: Revised CARE binder

Date: Wed, 07 Ju1 1999 09:29:15-0400

From: "Joseph J. Hotter, Jr." metroclean@erols.com

Organization: Metro Clean Systems

To: barbarac@dryvit.com, pioscoe@dwgroup.com

Barbara, Phil

Some thoughts regarding your July 2 e-mail.

I think a major PR launch is exactly what is needed. We have been advocating this since Day 1 here. We are educating our clients, mostly property managers on the benefits of low pressure - even though most of them deal with surfaces harder than EIFS.

What a boom to MCS and Dryvit - this could be! I'm all for it and would be delighted to assist and/or spearhead that effort.

Dryvit could really benefit from promoting and educating this new technology. We (Metro Clean) do not have the resources and/or name to do it independently.

IF WE DON'T DO IT - YOU CAN REST ASSURE THAT ONE OF OUR COMPETITORS WILL!

As far as changing ALL of the literature - Certainly DS152 (?) the cleaning piece - needs to be changed IMMEDIATELY. The others could be prioritized and/or changed as they cone up for printing (as originally planned).

As to the actual binder - if it is supposed to be a technical piece - it certainly isn't. In launching the CARE program. -you really need a good marketing piece to explain the "why". If this is the piece that is explain the "how" - it needs to be changed throughout.

Subject: Copy for Metro Clean Section

Date: Fri, 2 Jul 1999 14:14:57 -0700

From: Barbara Catlow <barbarac@dryvit.com>

To: metroclean@erols.com, ploscoe@rdwgroup.com

CC: dougd@dryvit.com

Attached is the revised of the Metro Clean section of the CARE binder. My overall thought is that it is too PR heavy. This was intended to be a technical manual, not so much a fluff piece. Phil, as we discussed, I'd like you to trim it back a bit.

Also, I have a real concern that it talks so much about power washing and how it destroys the surfaces of EIFS finishes. All of our literature currently states that you should power wash a Dryvit surface to get it clean. Not only should we change all of that literature first before introducing this CARE manual and brochure, but I strongly believe that Dryvit should initiate a big PR launch informing architects, GC's, contractors, engineers, the Pope, etc. of our newly found information. One of the two points that the Class Action Attorneys in NC are able to argue on is that Dryvit did not warn!!!! I'd hate to be going through this again in another 5 years.

What do you think???

Barbara