EIFSFACTS.ORG

The Real Facts About EIFS  

- Toll Brother's -

We have received far more complaints from frustrated home-owners who have homes built by Toll Brother's than any other local builder. There is a substantial history of denial and deception involving Toll Brother's here in the D.C. area.

Approximately one and a half years ago, Toll Brother's quietly transitioned from EIFS to a more traditional one-coat system (over a vapor wrap). The transition is very obvious when you take a look at local Toll Brother's developments. All of the sections completed through 1997 are clad with barrier EIFS. Thos completed after 1997 are clad with one-coat.

While visiting Hunter Mills Estates, a large Toll Brother's development in Reston, VA, to distribute information in the Fall of 1998, several residents in the development told NOVASHOC about a complete EIFS tear-off in the development. Subsequent investigation and discussion with the Fairfax County Inspections Department confirmed that a 2 year-old home in Hunter Mill Estates had undergone a total tear-off and window replacement. The home was reclad with hard-coat.

Also in the Fall of 1998, Toll Brother's held an open house at several Northern Virginia communities. Several NOVASHOC members attended the festivities to learn about Toll Brother's experience with EIFS. Members inquired as to the type of "stucco" used on the outside of the homes. As soon as the subject of stucco was mentioned, sales people immediately went into "alarm mode". In one community NOVASHOC members were passed up the chain to the lead sales person. In another, we were told to speak with the Superintendent. No matter with whom we spoke, we were told that the type of stucco used in Toll brother's homes was a type of "synthetic stucco", but was not EIFS. When we asked if they had ever used EIFS, and without mentioning anything about problems with EIFS, we were told "Yes. But we never had a problem with it". When asked why they had stopped using EIFS if they had never had a problem with it, we were told that it was "due to bad publicity stemming from the problems in N.C." and that those problems were due to "bad builders and applicators". We subsequently called John Elcano, the V.P. of Toll Brother's in charge of the communities. When asked "Yes or No: has Toll Brother's ever had a problem with EIFS?" he repeatedly replied "I'm not going to answer that question".

NOVASHOC was subsequently contacted by several Toll Brother's home-owners who inquired as to whether we could send someone to address home-owners at their annual HOA meeting. We told them that we would be happy to. That plan was shot down, however, because the HOA was still in the builder-controlled phase. The home-owners were told that a 5-minute presentation "just couldn't be worked into the schedule".

In the last 6 months we have heard from numerous irate owners. The complaints have been very consistent. Letters from home-owners have gone unanswered. Calls go unreturned. Home-owners were promised that the houses would be tested in December, 1998. As of this date (May 1999) testing has not begun.

Currently, the model home in Hunter Mill Estates, a barrier-EIFS home now some two years old, is for sale. It has undergone a patch-n-match job, so there was obviously damage. We do not know how much about the EIFS crisis is being disclosed to potential buyers. We do know, however, that one of the homes featured on Dateline was a Toll Brother's home Great Falls.

Update 09/10: Toll Brothers had the applicators back out recently and the same area shown below was cut out and patched again.

Update 10/18: The home has apparently been sold. We will contact the owners to see how much information was disclosed and update again.

Figure 1: Patch-n-Match on Hunter Mill Estates Model

Figure 2: After the Patch-n-Match

Figure 3: All Patched Up and Ready to Sell!