Tag Archives: insulate

EIFS Insulates and Controls Moisture Better Than Hardiboard, Brick, Stucco

Posted by Admin on March 22, 2009 1 comments

The results of a Phase II U.S Depart of Energy study on EIFS (synthetic stucco) have been provided, and confirm what building professionals have known for years: EIFS insulates walls and manages moisture better than alternative building products including hardiboard, brick and (traditional) stucco. The study was done over the course of 3 years in the worst climate possibly — a mixed, coastal, Zone 3 (hot and humid) climate.

This puts EIFS as the front-runner for U.S President Obama’s stimulus package, which includes provisions to re-clad buildings with a more energy efficient siding. Add to these results the fact that EIFS is typically less expensive than alternative cladding products and has the widest range of design options (you can match ANY colour, there are multiple varieties of textures, and an unlimited possible designs via architectural mouldings), you have a clear winner among the siding options available for buildings today.

View EIMA’s executive summary of the study at: http://www.eima.com/pdfs/EIMA%20ORNL%20ExecSum%20Final.pdf

Sources Of Heat Loss/Gain In A Home

Posted by Admin on January 29, 2009 None comments
Sources of Heat Loss: 35% Walls, 25% Windows, 25% Attic, 15% Basement

Sources of Heat Loss: 35% Walls, 25% Windows, 25% Attic, 15% Basement

Heat is lost or gained in various ways from a home, and every home is different. Generally, on unrenovated homes, 35% of a home’s heat dissipates through walls, 25% through windows and doors, another 25% through the attic and finally 15% through the basement. It is for this reason that money is best spent on insulating your walls before other renovations.

An 80%-90% reduction in heat lost through walls (which isn’t at all uncommon with EIFS) results in 25-30% overall energy savings, more than 100% of windows/doors or the attic! Compare this to a 70-80% reduction you might see in replacing your windows and it’s obvious where your money is going to make the most difference.