Excerpts from Relocation Industry Report on EIFS.

Home inspector Jim Whalen of EIFS Inspections, Inc., Fredericksburg, VA, who has worked with synthetic stucco for more than 20 years, says water intrusion problems are a thing of the past. He said water damage in EIFS homes built earlier this decade was the result of an industry that did not fully understand the installation process.

One industry consultant said that there has never been a better time to buy an EIFS home. "Because of all that happened in North Carolina, today EIFS contractors are under tremendous scrutiny. They must follow code. A real spirit of cooperation has begun to be seen."

Whalen said he has inspected between 450 and 550 new homes for relocation companies in the past three years and has found only two or three to have "really major (EIFS) problems." Whalen said, for example, that home-building company Stanley Martin a year ago used EIFS on 120 homes in Northern Virginia. He gave those homes their initial inspection and just recently gave them their one-year check up. "We found no problems with the homes," he said.

--"Special Report on Synthetic Stucco," Mobility (the magazine of the Employee Relocation Council of Washington, D.C) October 1999

"EIFS manufacturers have waged a fierce battle with moisture buildup claims against their systems. In actuality, it is the installation practices that are to blame, rather than the EIFS systems themselves, for the problems associated with water."

--Builder/Architect November/December 1999

"Though Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) resemble stucco, they are far more versatile. They consist of polystyrene or similar foam insulation boards, a base coat reinforced by fiberglass mesh and an acrylic-based finish coat. The system is adhered to the wood framing of the home with an adhesive or by mechanical fasteners. EIFS offers the advantages of superior energy efficiency and ultimate design flexibility. It can be applied to almost any shape of surface. Architectural details such as window and door surrounds can also be made of EIFS.

"Drainage systems have been added by some EIFS manufacturers in response to early water infiltration problems. It is important to point out that independent experts who investigated problems with the systems of several manufacturers named in lawsuits in North Carolina found that the problems there were not the result of the EIFS, but rather were due to things such as improper or non-existent detailing, low-quality windows and doors and poor workmanship. However, the consensus of the industry appears to be that adding the drainage systems are a necessity given the other realities found in today's residential construction that may introduce water to EIFS walls."

-- Builder/Architect, July 1999

Dear Panic-Stricken:

"...As I understand it, only 'improperly installed' EIFS will allow moisture in to the area between the exterior and interior walls of a building. My information is that EIFS, if properly installed, lasts longer and is more efficient than non-artificial stucco. The question seems to be whether the EIFS was installed properly."

--"Ask George", George Stephens, Houston Chronicle, June 1999

"According to (Steve) Starling, there are over a billion square feet of EIFS applied in the U.S. alone. Only a small percentage of 'problem' EIFS applications have been documented, and virtually all of these problems were found to have been caused by improper installation or design."

-- The Sacramento Bee, April 25, 1999

"Here in the Dakotas and Minnesota, millions of square feet of EIFS have been applied without any of the problems that have been linked to the EIFS industry in the Carolinas."

"The high quality of construction in the Dakotas and Minnesota, coupled with the excellent network of highly trained EIFS applicators, has given this product a superb reputation for exterior cladding in this part of the country. ... Contractors in this area need not have any reservations about recommending an EIFS exterior cladding system to their clientele."

-- North Dakota & Northwest Minnesota Builder/Architect, September 1997

"Coronado Synthetic Stucco Systems, the largest synthetic stucco installer in the Washington area, said it applied EIFS on 300 homes last year. So far this year, the company has already applied it to 200 homes. To date, Coronado's president, Bernard A. Franks, said he has seen no widespread problem. The handful of problems he has seen have occurred when customers have added decks or exterior lighting or other objects to the exterior without applying proper caulking or flashing to keep the stucco watertight."

-- The Washington Post, July 26, 1997

"'It's [moisture damage in EIFS homes] usually caused by a leaking window or a design flaw that lets water in,' says Frank Lesh, president of Homes Sweet Home, a home inspection firm in Indian Head Park. Nonetheless, he says, he doesn't consider the Chicago area to have significant problems."

"'We didn't have proper flashing,' said Gloria Rooney, an Aurora homeowner. 'The gutters were running the water right at the EIFS. We were able to repair it quickly and easily,' she says, adding that she now advises her neighbors in the Stonebridge subdivision to periodically check their homes' exteriors for places that need caulking, in order to prevent moisture intrusion; she tells them that if they suspect moisture intrusion, they should hire an inspector who has specific experience in detecting it.

'And don't panic,' she says. 'A lot of this is competitive propaganda from the lumber and masonry industries.'"

"Other industries have campaigned against the material, both in advertising campaigns and in less obvious ways. For example, SHOC is an acronym for the Stucco Homeowners Committee in Cumming, Ga., which was described as a 'homeowners advocacy group' by Lauren Sidman, who fields queries for the organization, she said. Nonetheless, she admits that she is a paid publicist hired by companies that manufacture building products. 'There are some masonry people paying for us,' she said, plus several others that compete with EIFS. 'Basically, it's everyone but the EIFS manufacturers.'"

Chicago Tribune, August 16, 1997

"The bottom line is that EIFS has been and will continue to be an appealing choice of exterior cladding for many homeowners, architects and building owners."

-- Walls & Ceilings, January 1997

"... the [EIF] system provides a durable, water-resistant cladding that also beefs up a wall's insulating power ... EIFS enable designers to employ a wide variety of architectural details and finishes that would be impossible or cost-prohibitive using conventional stucco, brick or stone."

-- Building Products, Winter 1997

"Today's new [EIF] systems are dependable ... durable and offer a number of design features not available in other exteriors."

-- Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 26, 1996

"EIFS has two major advantages over other building materials: maximum energy efficiency and design flexibility. EIFS bring insulation to exterior walls to provide an unbroken layer of insulation, which significantly reduces air infiltration."

-- Blue Ribbon Home Plans, Fall 1996

"It [EIFS] allows aesthetic-minded home builders many options in shape, style, texture and color. ... By applying EIFS over wood frame construction, wonderful details are easily and affordably created."

-- Virginia Builder, October 1996

"Adding rigid exterior insulation covered with durable synthetic stucco is also an excellent method to upgrade the exterior appearance [of a home]. [It] is available in 50 colors and many textures."

-- The Evansville Courier, Evansville, Indiana, July 28, 1996

"... with EIFS, house designers can depart from linear forms and boxy design. Instead, they can think about creating interesting facades that have soft curves, geometric patterns and abstract shapes ..."

-- Woman's Day Home Remodeling, June 1996

"EIFS is considered so promising that it was used on four 21st Century Town Houses nearing completion in the Research Home Park of the National Association of Home Builders at Bowie, Md."

--Orlando Sentinel, May 12, 1996