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EIFS or traditional stucco for my top floor?

Last Post 19 Aug 2013 02:25 PM by Dana1. 9 Replies.

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andrey73

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11 Aug 2013 07:06 PM
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Good evening guys, I am having a hard time choosing, should I make my top floor of the with EIFS or Traditional stucco? I am afraid that traditional one will not keep my house as warn as EIF, and may crack sooner, vs. EIFS may develop mold issues if drainage not done properly. Contractor is willing to do either for the same price. I am in Staten island, NY. Contractor stated that he has been doing both for many years and EIFS is better, keep house warmer, technology has been perfected with time, vs. traditional one does not keep house as warm and may crack with time, they usually do it on basement level, high traffic floors only. Can you advice? Thank you, Andrey <!--[if gte mso 9]>

Lbear

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11 Aug 2013 11:42 PM
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Lbear

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11 Aug 2013 11:43 PM
Posted By andrey73 on 11 Aug 2013 07:06 PM I am afraid that traditional one will not keep my house as warn as EIF, and may crack sooner, vs. EIFS may develop mold issues if drainage not done properly. Contractor is willing to do either for the same price. I am in Staten island, NY. Contractor stated that he has been doing both for many years and EIFS is better, keep house warmer, technology has been perfected with time, vs. traditional one does not keep house as warm and may crack with time, they usually do it on basement level, high traffic floors only. I don't see how EIFS would keep a home "warmer" since EIFS has a R-Value of about R-1. The same goes for traditional stucco. I believe your contractor is misinformed as to the R-Value of EIFS and/or stucco. The EPS backing on either stucco or EIFS is what provides the R-Value, not the EIFS or stucco itself. In a colder climate like NY I would lean towards EIFS to help with cracks and EIFS is usually stronger, depending on the brand. Did he state what type of synthetic stucco? I read about StuccoMax but have yet to see it in person.

andrey73

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12 Aug 2013 11:23 AM
He did not mention, what kind do u recommend?

FBBP

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12 Aug 2013 12:37 PM
EIFS = Exterior Insulating Finishing System. Acrylic stucco applied over minimum 1" eps. I suspect the contractor knows his stuff. eifs is stronger i.e. less cracking because the foam decouples it from the wood structure. It also provides a bit better air seal. Both stucco methods suffer more from human error than bad product. If the contractor knows how and where to install flashing either will do provided he applies the appropriate thickness of material. I would go eifs every time a it give a thermal break on the outside.

cmkavala

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14 Aug 2013 10:23 AM
Posted By FBBP on 12 Aug 2013 12:37 PM EIFS = Exterior Insulating Finishing System. Acrylic stucco applied over minimum 1" eps. I suspect the contractor knows his stuff. eifs is stronger i.e. less cracking because the foam decouples it from the wood structure. It also provides a bit better air seal. Both stucco methods suffer more from human error than bad product. If the contractor knows how and where to install flashing either will do provided he applies the appropriate thickness of material. I would go eifs every time a it give a thermal break on the outside. conventional paper backed wire lath provides a drainage plane and also decouples from wood frame (bond break)

Chris Kavala<br>[email protected]<br>1-877-321-SIPS<br />

FBBP

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15 Aug 2013 11:53 PM
Posted By cmkavala on 14 Aug 2013 10:23 AM conventional paper backed wire lath provides a drainage plane and also decouples from wood frame (bond break) Sort of. The paper provides a plane except for the 4 to 6 hole per square foot. It decouples the stucco from direct contact but not from direct wood movement. While staples are much more flexible than the older roofing nails, the stucco still moves with every thermal and moisture shape change of the the wood substrata. With EIFS, the foam can be installed a number of ways that will provide either a water resistant barrier or a drain plane. The big difference is that the foam protects the framing from much of both the thermal and moisture changes that effect the wall behind the traditional stucco. With say R4 foam in the stack up the wood doesn't move very much plus the foam has a bit of give in it such that the movement that is in the wood will most often not break tape joints on the outside of the foam or transmit to the stucco face. Given that a stucco cladding in my area goes from -30 C to plus 30C every year and some walls will do -40 to +40 some years, we see much less cracking in EFIS than in scratch and wire stucco.

Dana1

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Posts:6991

16 Aug 2013 02:36 PM
I'd be reluctant to use either over an OSB sknned SIP in a place with as much wind-driven rain as Staten Island. OSB is mold-food, and needs better drying capacity than other sheathing types. EIFS is too vapor impermeable and doesn't provide a ventiliation gap, hard-stucco stores too much moisture and needs an even bigger air gap between the stucco & OSB to get sufficient drying during springtime rain & sun burst type weather, with extreme moisture vapor drives. Whatever the siding, the OSB needs a drain-plane weather-resistant barrier material and at least a 1/4" of "rainscreen" air gap (or a polypropylene mesh, like Obdyke Home Slicker) between the siding & OSB. But if hard-stucco make the gap 3/4" created with screened venting holes at both the top & bottom of to promote convection drying.

Lbear

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16 Aug 2013 09:07 PM
Posted By Dana1 on 16 Aug 2013 02:36 PM EIFS is too vapor impermeable and doesn't provide a ventiliation gap, What about EIFS on top of an ICF wall structure (2.5" EPS x 6" concrete x 2.5" EPS)? There is debate whether or not a weep screed is needed in such an application and if a drainage plane is needed. StuccoMax (EIFS) claims that it is not needed but then I was told by another StuccoMax rep that it is needed.

Dana1

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19 Aug 2013 02:25 PM
Posted By Lbear on 16 Aug 2013 09:07 PM Posted By Dana1 on 16 Aug 2013 02:36 PM EIFS is too vapor impermeable and doesn't provide a ventiliation gap, What about EIFS on top of an ICF wall structure (2.5" EPS x 6" concrete x 2.5" EPS)? There is debate whether or not a weep screed is needed in such an application and if a drainage plane is needed. StuccoMax (EIFS) claims that it is not needed but then I was told by another StuccoMax rep that it is needed. Climate matters. You can't put a low permeance exterior over wood without back-venting it in Staten Island without high risk of moisture issues, particularly OSB. Even over ICF it's not risk-free, since all ground moisture wicking into the concrete would apply a vapor pressure on the interior side. With excellent bulk water management, gravel backfill, perimeter drainage at the footing, and and a capillary break between the footing and wall (all details that would be important in any build, any climate) you'd be in pretty good shape with an EIFS clad ICF wall though.