Stucco / EIFS Home Renovations

Renovating your home with Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS, more commonly known as "stucco") is the choice for home owners in the Toronto area who are looking to:

• Advanced protection from moisture problems that lead to mould and rot
• Insulation that reduces heating and cooling bills
• Unlimited colours, with various texture options
• The ability to customize windows and doors with mouldings
• Grants/Rebates from the government for "weatherizing" your home

Through a combination of increased resale value, Government rebates and grants and reduced heating/cooling bills, a stucco renovation is able to achieve a return-on-investment of 150% or more. Find out more information from the choices below and get started today by submitting your information on the right-side for a free quote.

What is Stucco & EIFS?

The term "stucco" is an ambiguous term, but is most commonly used to refer to EIFS in the Toronto and surrounding areas. EIFS is the beautiful material you see on homes that has a fine texture, is typically customized with mouldings, and has an unlimited range of colours. Under the surface, it has a layer of modified cement with an embedded fibreglass mesh that makes it simultaneously strong and flexible (to prevent cracking), a layer of energy preserving insulation, and a weather barrier that prevents mould in your walls by keeping moisture from entering them.

EIFS itself has a spotted history, and there are many different systems and materials out there. When acquiring bids, you want to ensure that all the contractors are specifying the same system - the most up to date one. Previous EIF-systems used inefficient screws to adhere the insulation, did not have a weather barrier and used cheaper materials, resulting in pre-mature failure.

Here's a scenario that plays itself out constantly: On a $15,000 renovation a home owner got a quote for $13,000 from a contractor because they did not ask the right questions, and the contractor used an old faulty system (or simply excluded some unseen components). The home owner, thinking they were a great negotiator, thinks that they saved $2,000. However, 5 or 10 years down the road during a standard home inspection mould and rot is discovered. Not only has it affected the stucco and sheathing, but it made it's way into the studs. You now have costs of $7,000+ for mould remediation, $10,000+ to replace your structural wall studs, $15,000 to re-do or repair your stucco the right way, and if you can find the contractor, another $30,000 to sue them. It might not be covered by your home insurance policy either. Not only that, but if you sell your house - the next home owner can sue YOU because of the modifications YOU made. Isn't it just so much easier to do it right the first time?