Tag Archives: stucco

Efflorescence and Stucco Repairs

Posted by Admin on September 12, 2011 None comments
Stucco Efflorescence

Water that has penetrated the finish coat can cause efflorescence, further damaging the finish coat.

The base coat in stucco (both traditional and EIFS, or synthetic stucco) is a cementitious material. Because of the composition and nature of cement, salts that are naturally present within the material can be drawn out with water or moisture. Wikipedia defines Efflorescence as:

In chemistry, efflorescence (which means “to flower out” in French) is the loss of water (or a solvent) of crystallization from a hydrated or solvated salt to the atmosphere on exposure to air.

“to flower out” in French. How romantic.

Efflorescence occurs in stucco when it is not properly protected with a finish coating, either because it was improperly applied or when water has seeped in from another source. The damage – while initially only aesthetic – can lead to further decay of the finish coat and base coat. It’s an indicator that water is getting in from somewhere, and should not be there. The base coat in stucco should never be exposed to water.

Efflorescence is like a cancer that spreads rapidly, causing more extensive damage if left untreated. Before doing any stucco repairs, the root cause of the problem must first be addressed. Is the water entering from another location, perhaps above the stucco?, at the soffit? Through an improperly sealed window or hose bib?

Once the root cause has been fixed, the extent of the damage must be evaluated. Does the system need to replaced right through the insulation, or just the base coat and finish coat? Stucco repairs aren’t just a one-size fits all. Though a full replacement of the wall will fix nearly any problem, this is typically overkill and far more expensive than is actually required. A qualified stucco / EIFS inspector, manufacturer rep or reputable contractor will help you determine what needs to be done. While going back to the original contractor to get it repaired under warranty is the best bet, ensure that the EIFS manufacturer gets involved – after all, it’s in their best interest to get it repaired as cheaply and inexpensive as possible.

Why You Don’t Want to Select the Lowest Quote

Posted by Admin on August 23, 2011 None comments

The answer is simple: Accountability.

Businesses exist to make a profit. Profits are how businesses hire new employees, stay in business year after year, and respond to claims/defects regarding their product.

If a business is not generating a profit for the owner, then the owner has no reason to countinue running their own company. It makes shutting the business down at the first offer of a good job seem like an attractive proposition. What happens when something falls apart 3 years after being installed, and you can’t find the company who originally installed it? The $2,000 you thought you saved by going with the less expensive stucco quote turns into a $4,500 repair. And that’s coming out of your pocket.

So why go with the contractor that your gut is telling you is the right one, but your brain can’t wrap itself around because it’s a slightly higher investment? Because that contractor will stand behind his work. He knows he will be around in 10 years and doesn’t want to have to go repair his shoddy work, so he does it right. That extra $2,000 you invest will save you $2,500 (because the $4,500 repair won’t need to be done).

So why don’t you want to select the lowest quote?

What Are Geometrically Defined Insulation Boards?

Posted by Admin on February 12, 2011 None comments

A relatively new modification to modern Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS, or “Synthetic Stucco”) are what is called (geek alert) Geometrically Defined Insulation Boards. What exactly does that mean?

It’s a complex way of saying insulation with grooves cut into the back. The purpose of the grooves is to provide a way for water to drain out that gets behind the system. This helps to ensure that no moisture becomes trapped, causing mould or rot.

Why is this necessary? Well, it’s not if EIFS is installed by a skilled applicator, but was implemented to further assuage the fears of Architects. The problem is that even when the Architect properly specifies a system, General Contractors (and home owners) don’t always pay for true skilled applicators – and the applicators who charge less typically do so because they’re inexperienced. Less experience means higher chances of screwing up some part of an EIFS installation.

A popular argument against EIFS with drainage channels formed from cementitious adhesive (the grey streaks in the picture above) is that  the ribbons are flattened out once  the exterior insulation is pressed in place on the wall. The argument goes that if the ribbons are flattened, there is no longer any way for water to drain out if it gets behind the system. Unfortunately, there is an element of truth to the statement – I have seen insulation torn off walls as part of an inspection and observed a complete lack of drainage space because the insulation was pushed against the wall too hard.

If this was to happen, the weather-barrier that is required by EIFS manufacturers would help to protect against mould and rot problems. The majority of the time however, the vertical ribbons of adhesive stay in tact when the insulation is pressed in place (by a skilled applicator).

The Cause Of The Problem

As with all potential problems with skilled trades, it comes down to hiring the right contractor. Selecting the cheapest bid will not get you actual skilled applicators who know how install EIFS properly. This is the case with all skilled trades though, and not a problem exclusive to the EIFS industry. The problem is that every idiot GC or home owner brags when they get EIFS installed for $6 per square foot, when what they’re really doing is shooting themselves in the foot. The $6/sf “contractor” is typically an applicator who was in the industry for a couple of years and is willing to charge less because they won’t take the time to install the system properly. Whether that’s because they’re not aware of how to properly install EIFS or they just aren’t ethical people is another topic entirely. Other people hear about this then think that paying $6 per square foot for EIFS is the norm, and are shocked when something inevitably goes wrong. The few hundred or thousand dollars they save ends up costing many thousand in the long-run and in their ignorance they blame EIFS.

The purpose of the geometrically defined insulation boards is to help “idiot-proof” an EIFS installation. By creating a second layer of drainage that is difficult to clog up (in addition to the cementitious ribbons), the EIFS industry is essentially helping general contractors and home owners who are otherwise too ignorant to hire the right contractor. While the industry is aware I’m sure that someone out there is working hard to create a better idiot – it’s still a step in the right direction and will undoubtedly help a few projects.

Additional Thoughts

Notice that in the image above, the edges of the insulation board are also cut back so that there is additional means of drainage around the perimeter of the insulation boards as well as within it. Also note that this only works if the insulation boards are installed horizontally (how it’s being held in the picture) so that water can drain vertically down the cavities.

Some people have commented that cutting into the insulation reduces it’s R-value. Studies by the EIFS manufacturers have found the reduction in R-value to be negligible as less than 5% of the insulation is removed to create the channels.

EIFS Cracking Due to Lack of Mesh

Posted by Admin on February 7, 2011 None comments

Exterior Insulation Finish Systems incorporate a coated fibreglass mesh designed to allow flexibility due to expansion and contraction, and prevent the base coat and finish coat from cracking. In situations where the base coat and finish coat crack, water is able to get into wall system where it can and will go through freeze/thaw cycles – which over time, cause further deterioration of the EIFS. This mesh needs to be applied where ever there is a penetration or break in the EIFS, and over the entire surface of the insulation. In the image below it is apparent where the contractor decided not to apply the mesh, to save the “hassle” of cutting a small section where the soffit is.

You can clearly see the edges of the full 2′ x 4′ insulation board used in EIFS due to the fissuring of the base coat and finish coat over just a few years. Without the mesh to deal with the stresses and maintain the integrity of the coating, the base coat and finish coat have both cracked. While the location (a small corner of a soffit) is not likely to cause massive damage to the building because of moisture having a means of ingress, it’s both an eyesore and a potential problem nonetheless.

What was done correctly on the project was incorporating the drip edge. By extending the EIFS that makes up the wall slightly below the soffit, any water that runs down the wall is forced to fall to the ground instead of running along the underside of the soffit due to surface tension. This leads one to believe that the building was properly designed by the architect, and the fault of the improper installation lies on the contractor. Because this is just one building in a large commercial complex surrounding one of Toronto’s largest malls, one wonders if the other buildings suffer the same lack of proper care.

Early Spring for Stucco in Toronto

Posted by Admin on February 4, 2011 None comments

According to the all-knowing groundhogs, we can expect an early spring in Toronto. It’s a silly tradition, but anything that signals that this cold weather will be disappearing is a welcome sign. There are a few groundhogs throughout the U.S. and Canada that seem to predict how much longer winter will last pretty accurately. While it wasn’t a unanimous decision, the majority of the groundhogs agreed that winter will be short this year. The exception was Calgary’s psychic groundhog, who did see his shadow, indicating another 6 weeks of winter. But that’s Calgary.

EIFS (known typically as Stucco) can not be installed when the outdoor conditions are below 5 degrees Celsius. While it’s possible to get around this cold weather stucco application limitation with the use of tarps and propane, it’s an imperfect system because tarps blow off with the wind and propane cylinders run out prematurely.

Hence our optimism that somehow, groundhogs make good meteorologists.

The Toronto Sun article can be viewed at: http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2011/02/02/17122971.html

Head over to Toronto Stucco Contractor to request your quote and get your project lined up for the spring.