They say knowing is half the battle. EIFS renovations are complicated and expensive, even more so when you don’t do it right the first time. Investing a few hours in educating yourself about what you’re getting into can save you anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a minor problem, to tens of thousands of dollars for having to rip down improperly installed stucco and replacing it (as well as the walls behind it!). While hiring a professional project manager is the way to take care of your interests is the best way to go about doing an EIFS renovation, with a little educating you can save a lot of head and heart ache.
While the main site is being developed to connect home owners to stucco applicators, the blog contains articles of the most common questions, concerns and issues dealing with EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finish Systems, or Synthetic Stucco).
The articles are broken down into categories for all levels of people, from beginners with no understanding right through to experts needing a resource or refresher. You may also choose to keep abreast on new developments in the ever-expanding EIFS industry with our “News” section, or view some of the horror stories of installations gone wrong in our “Hall Of Shame”.
Select the articles you’re interested in from the categories up top.
Beginner and Intermediate articles provide a general knowledge of EIFS and generally how to avoid the pitfalls of a poor EIFS installation. The Advanced section is accessed through a subscription, and contains information, checklists and step-by-step instructions on hiring, scope of work and supervising applicators to ensure your walls are done correctly to reap the maximum possible return on your investment.
Steph
/ November 27, 2009I needed to verify what my stucco contractor told me in the submission, with the help of your site, I was able to double check all the necessary steps, thank you very much, the site is very detailled!
sergei
/ May 18, 2010i want to stucco my garage. but I want to do it myself.
where is the best place to buy all necesary materials.
thanks ahead.
Admin
/ June 23, 2010Hi Sergei,
In Toronto, the major manufacturers are Durabond and DuRock. While you can likely purchase material directly from them, it is still recommended you hire a stucco contractor to actually apply the stucco, as it is a skilled trade. It’s the little nuances that can make the system last 20+ years, or fail after 5.
lulu
/ July 13, 2010wondering if my house four wall is brick, should it be done with siding or stucco better? some say siding and some say stucco, also is it stucco more expensive than siding? in the future, if i doesnt want stucco anymore, can it be remove and leave it as it was before? thanks in advance
Admin
/ July 18, 2010When re-doing the siding of your home, it’s really a question of personal taste whether you would like to do it in vinyl siding or stucco (in this case, stucco meaning EIFS – see “what is EIFS“). They are 2 very separate looks, and most would prefer EIFS over vinyl siding.
On average, EIFS will be more expensive than vinyl siding. It makes up for this over the long run by being more energy efficient than vinyl siding.
EIFS is very difficult to remove, and because of the way it is attached, the brick underneath will be unsightly if it is removed. Renovating with EIFS is a permanent decision and the time and care should be taken to do it properly the first time.
Lawrence
/ October 10, 2011The Toronto Stucco guy (Skylar) in my area was very helpful. He was responsive and knowledgeable. A great resource when it is so easy to be taken, or simply to support my decision making process.