Al Carrell: Do you know somebody that lives in a stucco house like this. Isn't that beautiful. It's a magnificent home. If you've been out house looking, you probably have seen how many stucco homes there are on the market, and there's a reason for that. And today we're going to take a look into this growing fad.
Michael Holigan: Actually, in most new construction today, a stucco-like system is used. It's not the traditional stucco. It's a technique that's usually called EIFS for short.
Jane Davis Medlin: And that's an acronym for Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems, and that's exactly what it is. It's applied to the exterior and it provides insulation as well as a beautiful textured finish on the outside.
M.H.: After the house has been wrapped in plywood or OSB, the first step in the EIFS process is attaching polystyrene foam with a strong adhesive. You can use thickness' of of an inch to 4 inches thick, depending on how much insulation you're looking for. Every inch of foam will give you an insulation R-value of about 4. You've probably heard us talk about R-values before. It's simply a measure of the resistance to heat transfer.
J.D.M.: When compared to bat insulation, which is between the studs, it doesn't how much you have, you still have what we call thermal break at the studs, at windows, at the joints, the wall joints and when you have an EIFS system, it's literally wrapping your house in an envelope.
M.H.: After the foam is on, it needs to be smoothed out to a seamless, flat surface with a process called rasping. Then the cement based stucco mud is applied over a reinforcing fiberglass mesh. And on top of that will come the textured finish coat. What's different between EIFS and conventional stucco homes?
J.D.M.: The acrylic polymer technology in the finish and the base coat allows it to be a much more flexible system So it's much less prone to cracking than stucco, brick or concrete.
M.H.: Jane, if you're facing a golf course, is there anything you can do to strengthen the side of the house that might be hit by golf balls?
J.D.M.: Oh, absolutely. You can make the system essentially as impact resistant as you want to by adding layers of reinforcing mesh.
M.H.: And you do that when you put on your base coat?
J.D.M.: Exactly.
M.H.: Putting an EIFS system on your house is usually about a three day process, depending upon the size of the house. And there are some important things to make sure your contractor does right.
J.D.M.: It's absolutely crucial, as with any cladding, to make sure you caulk the windows with the proper sealant as specified by the manufacturer. Especially at windows. Each manufacturer recommends a certain type of sealant for their system and it's crucial that you use that sealant around the windows, just to make sure that the system performs correctly.
M.H.: When it comes to color, you can have an EIFS finish in just about any color you want.
J.D.M.: It's mixed just like paint.
M.H.: Okay.
J.D.M.: The pigment's added just like paint, with a tinting machine and you're virtually unlimited in terms of colors. The advantage of the acrylic polymers in the textured finish, you rarely have to come back and repaint. It resists fading, chalking and even if you scratch the surface, it's integrally colored and behind it it will remain the same color.
M.H.: All the way through?
J.D.M.: All the way through the finish.
M.H.: Compared to brick, vinyl siding and other exterior finishes, EIFS is competitive, and in some regions, even less expensive than brick.
J.D.M.: You can create a Victorian look, an ultra modern, sleek look, a typical stucco look. You can do just about anything. With cornices, the foam is cut to replicate just about anything, architecturally, that you desire, at a fraction of the cost.
M.H.: So really, any shape that you can cut or sand foam into, you can have it on your house?
J.D.M.: Absolutely.
M.H.: EIFS finishes are most popular in the south and out west in states like California and Arizona, but it's being used more often in the Midwest and northeast these days as well.
J.D.M.: Say Wisconsin, you're going to realize more thermal efficiencies, or if you're in south Florida, with a thermal blanket you'd keep your cool in the summer and heat in the winter. The thermal efficiencies and the design flexibilities make it an entirely versatile product that can be used anywhere.
A.C.: The beauty about it is, it's also low maintenance. You just turn on the water to clean it. Now if you're going to build a house with a stucco foam system, be sure your contractor follows the flashing and water prevention techniques that are recommend by the manufacturer.
For more information on EIFS (Flexible Stucco Exteriors) and a qualified EIFS contractor near you, call 1-800-294-3462.
Episode 37 1996 - 97 Season
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