Tag Archives: cladding

EIFS Outperforms Other Claddings

Posted by Admin on February 15, 2010 None comments

ATLANTA, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ –

50 Year Product Life Tops in the Industry – Sustainable construction with Energy Efficiency

Sto Corp., the innovative world leading manufacturer of energy-efficient cladding systems and high performance architectural coatings, has released a life-cycle study of Sto engineered claddings systems showing they outperform other wall claddings over a full 50-year product life.

This new Life-Cycle Inventory (LCI) of wall cladding products was conducted to compare energy use and environmental impacts associated with several residential wall types. Three Sto Corp. cladding systems – StoTherm® NExT EIFS, StoPowerwall™ NExT stucco, and StoQuik® Silver NExT cement-board stucco – were analyzed and compared to typical brick and stucco walls, with and without foam insulation, for a typical residential property.

The LCI results demonstrated good life-cycle performance of the Sto cladding systems in terms of waste, emissions, and energy used in production, construction and building operations. In particular, StoTherm NExT EIFS claddings excel in reducing life-cycle energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions. Key findings included:

  • StoTherm NExT EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finish Systems) required the least production energy (manufacturing phase) of the insulated claddings. In the “cradle-to-wall” phase, StoTherm NExT also requires the least energy.
  • In operations, uninsulated brick and stucco consume about twice as much heating/cooling energy as StoTherm NExT.
  • Over the full 50-year life cycle, energy demand is lower for StoTherm NExT than for uninsulated brick or stucco.
  • All the Sto Corp. systems, including StoTherm NExT, contribute less solid waste than typical brick or stucco.
  • StoTherm NExT has the lowest total greenhouse-gas emissions.

“Using StoTherm NExT is the ideal way to clad a project that will perform efficiently and protect the way no other cladding can,” said David Boivin, President and CEO of Sto Corp. “The system approach of using EIFS plus a superior waterproof air barrier allows architects to confidently design a structure that is both energy efficient and durable.”

Copies of the LCI are available at: Sto Corp. LCI Report

About Sto Corp.

Sto Corp., based in Atlanta, Georgia, is an innovative world leader and producer of a broad range of versatile cladding and coating systems for building construction, maintenance and restoration. Sto Corp. is ISO 14001:2004 (environmental management) as well as ISO 9001:2008 certified.

For more information, visit www.stocorp.com or call toll free (800) 221-2397 or (404) 346-0755. Follow Sto Corp. on Twitter as well as the Sto blog “Building with conscience” at http://www.buildingwithconscience.com/

Source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sto-corp-life-cycle-study-proves-eifs-outperforms-other-claddings-84236577.html

To find an toronto exterior insulation contractor, head over to the mainsite at http://TorontoStuccoContractor.com/

EIFS Council Quality Assurance Program a first for cladding systems

Posted by Admin on June 18, 2009 None comments

This summer, the Exterior Insulation Finish System (EIFS) Council of Canada will launch its quality assurance program (QAP) in Ontario (rollout in other provinces will occur in the fall) under the trademark EIFS Quality Assurance Program Inc. (EQI).

It is the first QAP for any building cladding type in North America, according to the council.

Meanwhile, a shorter quasi trial for the program is under way in Muskoka.

It will see the installation of about 17,000 square feet of EIFS on a four-storey seniors’ residence being built in Gravenhurst.

The job will be closely watched by the EIFS Council to ensure the EQI elements that the architect incorporates into the specs are fulfilled during EIFS installation, said John Garbin, president of the EIFS Council.

The project is by Kitchener-based Robert J. Dyck Architect & Engineer Incorporated, which has designed about 60 retirement complexes (many with EIFS) in southern and eastern Ontario.

Dyck chose the EQI because it lays out a controlled process to ensure consistent and proper design and installation for the EIFS, he says.

That process will give any architect confidence that a project’s contractor (regardless of where the job is in Canada) is qualified to complete the job to the program’s stringent specifications.

The EQI will also make life easier for architects because only contractors certified under the program will be able to bid EQI contracts, adds Garbin.

The EIFS Council’s long-term goal is to see the EQI applied to every EIFS job in Canada.

“Whether we end up having 100 or 100,000 projects, we want to ensure that the highest possible level of selected EIFS design, installation and life cycle performance is delivered,” he said.

Garbin pointed out that whether the project ends up being EQI or not, the Council would like to see the program’s philosophy applied to all EIFS projects.

“It means that EIFS manufacturers, contractors and industry stakeholders will be aligned with how they respond to all project opportunities in Canada,” he said.

To fulfill the program’s requirements, the project must first be designed in accordance with the EQI’s specifications.

At the tender stage, the EQI assists owners, architects and the general contractors in pre-qualifying certified contractors to suit the scope of the project.

During installation an EQI auditor inspects the EIFS at regular intervals to ensure it meets the predetermined requirements. The EIFS Council doesn’t expect a big drop-off in business through the recession because of the advantages EIFS has over competitive cladding systems.

Apart from its obvious merit — energy efficiency — EIFS also scores high marks in the sustainability arena.

“This will play itself out even more as the amount of retrofit work increases during the new construction downturn,” noted the council president.

The good news doesn’t stop there.

“We think we are raising the bar not only for EIFS but for other competitive cladding types because all the EQI elements that make sense for EIFS should make sense for other products. Owners and architects will take note of our QAP even when they are using other (cladding) materials and will begin to view EQI as a benchmark,” he said.

BY DON PROCTER,
correspondent
Source: Daily Commercial News

Drainage EIFS Wall Section: Durabond EW17

Posted by Admin on November 8, 2008 2 comments

Here’s a diagram of a “dual barrier” EIFS wall cross section. Notice there are 4 substrates shown: Concrete, Masonry, Glass Mat Gypsum Board and Cement Board. A Water Penetration Barrier is designed to keep incidental water off the substrate, similar to a building wrap. Unlike a building wrap however, insulation can be adhered using insulation adhesive in drainage channels, to allow incidental water to run down the wall. Because the insulation is not mechanically attached (using screws) — you don’t have anything penetrating through the water barrier. The remaining components are similar to all other synthetic stucco cladding.

Drainage EIFS Wall Section: Durabond EW17

To have the EW17 system installed on your home in toronto, visit: stucco toronto and request that Durabond be used as the supplier.

Renovating House Siding With Stucco: Substrate Considerations

Posted by JamesCarnegie on November 5, 2008 None comments

On renovations and other non-new construction, the potential for hidden problems (read: costs) is always there. This holds particularly true in renovating your siding, where you never know what condition your substrate is in. Does this mean you should avoid the issue altogether? No. As they say: Kill the monster while it’s small, before it has the chance to become a full grown problem.

Replacing old Siding
You may be looking at EIFS for a multitude of reasons; saving money on your heating bill, damaged siding, or you may just be looking for a more modern look. A good portion of homes built in the 70s, 80s and even 90s used unattractive and incorrectly installed vinyl or board and batten siding. These days, not only is the siding considered retro and shows signs of aging, but in most cases it wasn’t properly sealed and may be covering serious rot and mold. The fact is you don’t know if the subdivision builder slapped the walls together as quickly and cheaply as possible, at a time comparable to medieval age in terms of knowledge about weather resistance.

Stucco Substrate Condition
In replacing your siding with stucco, you will be forced to take a good look at your substrate and it’s suitability for synthetic stucco siding. Any instance of mold or rot will need to be replaced before the trowel-applied weather barrier can be applied. The substrate is required to be free of surface contamination, including (not not limited to); dirt, form release agents, efflorescence, oil, chalkiness, and cracks greater than 1mm. Even in situations where the substrate is fine, it may not be approved to have EIFS applied over it. EIMA defines a suitable substrate as: “gypsum sheathing in compliance with ASTM C 1396 (formerly C 79), glass-mat gypsum sheating in compliance with ASTM C 1177 (Dens-Glass Gold® or BPB GlassRoc), and gypsum fiber panels in compliance with ASTM C1278 (Fiberock® Brand, Aqua Tough™)” and certain manufacturers such as Durabond have products for exterior grade plywood (which also acts as lateral bracing). Felt paper or building wrap is no longer recommended because it requires mechanical attachment, which penetrates the weather barrier, allowing moisture in. Certain substrates such as exterior-grade drywall (gypsum sheating) may also require lateral bracing between studs. Lateral bracing is used to prevent excessive horizontal movement and assist in absorbing wind loads transferred to it from the stucco wall. When in doubt, you may want to have an engineer look at your walls so as to avoid having your siding crack down the road. A final note is that most EIFS manufacturers require less than 1/4″ deflection per 60″ span (L/240) — a feat that a good portion of construction projects wouldn’t meet if measured.

Retrofiting Stucco with Brick and CMU
With brick and CMU (concrete masonry units), your sheating and cladding may not need to be touched at all. Brick contains an air gap between itself and the substrate — usually covered in a building wrap. This means that while you may need to level the brick face with basecoat to properly adhere the styrofoam, you need not worry about replacing the substrate, adding a drainage layer or the stucco causing moisture problems. Along the same lines, CMU construction can not rot or support mold growth and usually acts as a partial weather barrier (note: they usually have poly installed between the masonry and interior drywall.) In this case, the styrofoam may be applied directly to the CMU. Even on brick and masonry, it is a good idea to to have the drainage channel to prevent water from becoming trapped behind the EIFS cladding; and they still need to comply with sheating requirements (free of dirt, form release agents, efflorescence, oil, chalkiness, and cracks greater than 1mm.)

Overview
It’s important to realize that whatever is currently on your house will have an impact on how any siding replacement proceeds, and stucco is no exception. It is a good idea to have some extra money budgeted and an agreement with you stucco contractor as to what will happen in the event you run into unsuitable substrate. Stucco Contractors rarely do sheating replacement and you will likely need to find a general renovation contractor to do this before they can proceed. You will also need to have a large bin on site to dispose of your old sheating and substrate, or specify this as part of your general contractor’s job. In the case of applying stucco directly over brick or masonry, you may even be able to save some money because there’s one less layer to be applied.