EIFSFACTS.ORG

The Real Facts About EIFS  

- What to do if You Have an EIFS Home - 

• We tell EIFS homeowners to Get Educated, Get Tested and Get Active

• Get educated by reading the following information about the problems with EIFS. Read anything else you can get your hands on. There is much info on the Web, not all reliable. Go to AltaVista and search on "synthetic stucco" and "EIFS".

• Get tested by following the recommendations below. Beware the Statute of Repose in your state (5 years in Virginia).

• Get active by telling anyone you know about the problems. Ask them to spread the word to their friends. Realize that this is a grass-roots effort and we are up against a multi-billion dollar industry represented by EIMA (the EIFS Industry Members Association). They have known about these problems for at least 16 years and have continued to market the products. We have copies of numerous "smoking gun" documents to prove this. There are many similarities to Big Tobacco.

• Have your home tested by a qualified, independent forensic moisture intrusion specialist. It is vital that you verify the qualifications of a potential inspector. We recommend you ask:
  • How long the inspector has been in the business of Moisture Intrusion Inspection.
  • How many homes s/he has inspected. Fifty might be considered a reasonable minimum.
  • Enquire as to which test protocol they use. Beware of responses like "what do you mean, test protocol?" or "we use our own". The EIFS Review Comittee (ERC) is the only nationally-recognized protocol and is one of the most robust. Seek out an inspector that uses it. The Georgia Association of Home Inspectors (GAHI) also appears to be quite robust.

Image 1: Make Sure Your Inspector Checks as High as Safely Possible

• Make sure the inspector will be providing an extensive, high-quality report, including photographs. Should you end up in litigation or arbitration you will not have to pay to have additional testing and photographs done.

• Local home inspectors, in general, are not qualified to do this testing. We have checked out many. Many still think this is a "North Carolina" problem. There is a 4 y.o. home in Great Falls that has serious moisture intrusion problems. Some of the problems are openly visible to the trained eye. The family bought the home from the first owners six months ago and had the home professionally inspected. The home inspector they used, an ASHI member, gave the home a clean bill of health and never even mentioned the possibility of problems with EIFS. The worst thing you can get is a false negative. Forensic moisture-intrusion inspection is a specialty. You wouldn't go trust a GP to look for a brain tumor would you?

• Realize that as the word about EIFS problems spreads there will be a growing industry of "professionals" offering "testing and repair" services. Be extremely critical. Many of these people are unqualified and inexperienced. Ask which testing protocol they follow. Beware of those offering both testing and repair services. This is a conflict of interest and is illegal in some states. There was an article recently in a painter's trade magazine that talked about the problems and urged painters to find a way to "get in on the action".

• Beware of any inspector who claims to be able to do a thorough moisture intrusion inspection without invasive probing. The experts are unanimous in their agreement that invasive probing is required to accurately assess the health of the sheathing under the EIFS. Surface scanning cannot find areas of dry-rot. Figure 1 is a detail showing dry rot. The 1/2 inch CDX (one of the most hardy of exterior sheathings) was dry, and so would have been passed over with a moisture scanner. The experienced inspector detected the problem while probing. The hand shown in the figure is that of an 8 year-old boy, who was able to push his finger through the sheathing.

Image 2: Dry Rot

• Make sure you have a copy of your Homeowner's Warranty.

• Ask your builder for a copy of the EIFS Express Warranty. You are entitled, by law, to a copy of any express warranty given for components of the home. The best method is to send a letter certified mail w/ return receipt to the builder. If the builder is no longer in business send it to the EIFS manufacturer. The warranty will specify the type of EIFS system you have. Most synthetic stucco homes have a "barrier" or "non-drainable" system. These are the types of systems that are currently of the greatest concern. If you have an inspection, make sure to have the inspector verify that you have the type of system your warranty/builder says you have.

• Also ask your builder to have the original EIFS applicator supply you with a Letter of Compliance for your application. This letter should show that the applicators verified that the application was done in accordance with manufacturer's specifications for your system. Again, certified mail is the best way to go.

• Your builder may offer to provide a free inspection. Allow the builder to do so and get a copy of the results. But you still need to get the independent expert's test. The builder's personnel are not qualified to do this testing reliably. Do not let the builder dissuade you from getting other tests!

• Do not believe that problems are only somewhere else or that it only happens in homes built by "shoddy" builders and applicators. This problem is due mainly to the design of EIFS. Many critical builders have been shocked when finding damage in their own homes.

• If the home was built in late 1997 or 1998 it may be a "drainable" or "water-managed" system. These are generally found on more expensive homes. These systems incorporate a drain field inside the wall to allow moisture to escape. These systems are designed to reduce the chances of moisture problems. We have two major concerns with these systems. First, the systems must be installed correctly. We have seen many installations where the systems have drain holes (weep holes) blocked by mortar or that terminate at grade or against stone. Thus, moisture cannot escape effectively. Secondly, the industry has done very little in the way of long-term testing of these systems. They are being field tested now, on people's homes.

• If the home was built in late 1997 or 1998 it also may be a Direct-Applied Exterior Finish System (DEFS). This is a system in which the base coat and fiberglass mesh are applied directly to cement board. It therefore, has no foam to absorb and hold the moisture. In theory, this system should have fewer problems than EIFS. We know of a home, however, that had it's DEFS system totally removed because of problems. If you knock on your system with your knuckles and it feels hard and sounds solid, like concrete, it may be DEFS.

• Realize that the drainable systems are the results of the industry's desperate attempts to get something out that works. This despite many years of claims that there is nothing wrong with EIFS.

• If you are in Northern Virginia let us know the results of your test. We are keeping statistics for the local area. The local test statistics will be sent to the state building code officials in Richmond. Talk to us before entertaining any offers of repair.

• Send us a copy of any sales literature, advertising or brochures concerning the exterior of your home. A lot of the original propaganda has mysteriously been disappearing from the industry's files. They are thus unable to produce them upon subpoena.

• Realize that diligent maintenance is required to EIFS homes to minimize moisture intrusion. Caulking should be watched carefully and maintained on a monthly basis. You must use a caulk recommended by the EIFS manufacturer. These are not the normal, everyday caulks you buy at the local hardware store. Technically they are not even caulks, they are specialized sealants. A good local source is The Kenseal Corporation in Chantilly (703) 263-0793.

• Remember the old adage: "If you don't have it in writing, you don't have it". More importantly, remember that the adage also applies to those to whom you are complaining. Always put it in writing.