1 Scope

NOTE This standard covers the materials, water management, attachment, application, sealing, and field verification of Class PB exterior insulation and finish systems that form the visible cladding of the above-grade exterior wall. (1.1)

NOTE An EIFS is a layered assembly rather than a single product. Working outward from the sheathing it comprises a water-resistive barrier, the adhesive or fasteners that hold the insulation, an expanded polystyrene insulation board, a glass fiber mesh embedded in a reinforcing base coat, and a finish coat, together with the back-wrapped edges, reveals, joints, terminations, and flashing interfaces that close the assembly where it stops. (1.2)

NOTE Those components are designed, tested, listed, and warranted as one matched set, and the system's code-compliance listing, drainage data, wind load data, and fire test data are properties of the set rather than of any component within it. A base coat from one system over an insulation board from another, or a substituted water-resistive barrier, is a different assembly from the one that was tested. (1.3)

NOTE Two water management classes are within scope, and the choice between them is the largest single configuration decision the standard carries. An EIFS with drainage provides a water-resistive barrier on the sheathing and a drained cavity behind the insulation, so water that passes the finish reaches a drainage plane and weeps back out at the base. A barrier EIFS has no drainage cavity, and the finish face together with its sealed joints and terminations is the whole of the water management. (1.4)

NOTE Where the wall behind the system is moisture-sensitive and incidental water reaches it, the absence of a drainage path turns an ordinary sealant or flashing defect into concealed accumulation against sheathing and framing, which is the mechanism behind the barrier EIFS moisture failures of the 1990s and behind the building code's present drainage requirement over framed construction. Where the substrate is concrete or unit masonry, the substrate itself is not moisture-sensitive in the same way, and the code recognizes that difference. (1.5)

NOTE The boundary of work under this standard runs from the face of the finish back to and including the water-resistive barrier on the sheathing and the means of drainage. The following are boundaries of this standard rather than work it governs: (1.6)

The exterior sheathing and the framing or structure behind it, which are furnished under the framing and sheathing scope and are referenced here for the properties the EIFS depends on
The continuous air barrier where it is a system separate from the EIFS water-resistive barrier, covered by Air BarriersAir BarriersResolves to the current edition.sync/air-barriers
The stud cavity insulation and the continuous insulation of the wall assembly generally, covered by Building Thermal InsulationBuilding Thermal InsulationResolves to the current edition.sync/building-thermal-insulation
The sheet metal flashing, copings, and trim that meet the EIFS, covered by Sheet Metal Flashing And TrimSheet Metal Flashing and TrimResolves to the current edition.sync/sheet-metal-flashing-and-trim and Through Wall FlashingThrough-Wall Flashing and Masonry Moisture ControlResolves to the current edition.sync/through-wall-flashing
The perimeter and movement joint sealants and their backing, covered by Joint SealantsJoint SealantsResolves to the current edition.sync/joint-sealants and Exterior Weather SealantsExterior Weather SealantsResolves to the current edition.sync/exterior-weather-sealants
The windows, doors, storefronts, and curtain walls as manufactured units, covered by GlazingGlass and GlazingResolves to the current edition.sync/glazing, Glazed Curtain WallsGlazed Curtain WallsResolves to the current edition.sync/glazed-curtain-walls, and Aluminum Entrances And StorefrontsAluminum Entrances and StorefrontsResolves to the current edition.sync/aluminum-entrances-and-storefronts

NOTE The connection of the EIFS to each of the systems listed above is within this standard even where the adjoining system is not. (1.7)

1.8 The EIFS shall comply with the exterior wall provisions of the adopted building code, with ASTM E2568, and with ASTM C1397.

1.9 The EIFS shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's published instructions for the listed system.

1.10 The water-resistive barrier, adhesive, insulation board, base coat, reinforcing mesh, and finish coat shall be components of one manufacturer's listed system and shall not be mixed across systems.

2 Referenced Standards

2.1 Materials, application, and installation shall comply with the latest adopted edition of each of the following unless a specific edition is cited in the Contract Documents.

2.2 Where the Contract Documents, the adopted codes, the manufacturer's published instructions, or a referenced standard conflict, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.

Standard	Title
IBC	International Building Code (exterior wall, weather protection, and foam plastic provisions)
IECC	International Energy Conservation Code
ASCE 7	Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures
ASTM E2568	Standard Specification for PB Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems
ASTM C1397	Standard Practice for Application of Class PB Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) and EIFS with Drainage
ASTM E2570 / E2570M	Standard Test Methods for Evaluating Water-Resistive Barrier (WRB) Coatings Used under Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) or EIFS with Drainage
ASTM E2273	Standard Test Method for Determining the Drainage Efficiency of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Clad Wall Assemblies
ASTM E2486 / E2486M	Standard Test Method for Impact Resistance of Class PB and PI Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS)
ASTM E2098	Standard Test Method for Determining Tensile Breaking Strength of Glass Fiber Reinforcing Mesh for Use in Class PB Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS), After Exposure to a Sodium Hydroxide Solution
ASTM E2430 / E2430M	Standard Specification for Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Thermal Insulation Boards for Use in Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS)
ASTM C578	Standard Specification for Rigid, Cellular Polystyrene Thermal Insulation
ASTM C1177 / C1177M	Standard Specification for Glass Mat Gypsum Substrate for Use as Sheathing
ASTM C1396 / C1396M	Standard Specification for Gypsum Board
ASTM E84	Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials
UL 723	Test for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials
NFPA 285	Standard Fire Test Method for Evaluation of Fire Propagation Characteristics of Exterior Non-Load-Bearing Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components
NFPA 268	Standard Test Method for Determining Ignitibility of Exterior Wall Assemblies Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source
ASTM E330	Standard Test Method for Structural Performance of Exterior Windows, Doors, Skylights, and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference
ASTM E331	Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference
ASTM E283	Standard Test Method for Determining Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen
ASTM E1105	Standard Test Method for Field Determination of Water Penetration of Installed Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls, by Uniform or Cyclic Static Air Pressure Difference
ASTM E96	Standard Test Methods for Gravimetric Determination of Water Vapor Transmission Rate of Materials
AAMA 501.2	Quality Assurance and Diagnostic Water Leakage Field Check of Installed Storefronts, Curtain Walls, and Sloped Glazing Systems
ICC-ES AC219	Acceptance Criteria for Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems
ICC-ES AC235	Acceptance Criteria for EIFS Clad Drainage Wall Assemblies

3 Submittals

3.1 Action Submittals

NOTE The system's drainage, wind load, and fire performance and its code-compliance listing are all properties of a specific tested assembly and cannot be evaluated component by component, so the EIFS is reviewed as one coordinated package identifying a single manufacturer's complete matched system. (3.1.1)

3.1.2 The Contractor shall submit the following for the Engineer of Record's review and return before procurement and application:

Product data for the complete EIFS, identifying the manufacturer's system by name, the water management class, the water-resistive barrier product and its evaluation under ASTM E2570, the drainage means, the insulation board type with its minimum and maximum permitted thickness, the adhesive and base coat, the reinforcing mesh weights and impact classes, and the finish coat type and texture
The current code-compliance evaluation report for the specific system, identifying the acceptance criteria under which it was evaluated and confirming compliance with the exterior wall provisions of the adopted building code
Drainage efficiency test data for the clad assembly determined per ASTM E2273
Evidence of compliance with the vertical and lateral flame propagation provisions of the adopted building code for the wall assembly as designed, consisting of a passing NFPA 285 test report for that assembly or an engineering analysis extending a tested assembly
Surface burning characteristics test reports per ASTM E84 or UL 723 for the insulation and for the system, and the foam plastic compliance path proposed under the adopted building code
Impact resistance classification per ASTM E2486 for each base coat and mesh assembly proposed, with a wall diagram or schedule keying each impact class to the wall areas that receive it
Tensile breaking strength of the reinforcing mesh after alkali exposure determined per ASTM E2098
Shop drawings showing EIFS layout, reveal and expansion joint locations and profiles, every termination and back-wrapped edge, base terminations with weeps, head, jamb, and sill conditions at openings, inside and outside corners, and the relationship of the EIFS to the flashings, sealant joints, and control layers behind and around it
Color and texture samples applied on the actual base coat and mesh substrate, of sufficient size to evaluate color, texture, and aggregate in natural daylight
The applicator's manufacturer certification and the manufacturer's published installation instructions for the listed system
A written field water test plan where field water testing is indicated in the datasheet, identifying the conditions to be tested, the test method, and the acceptance criteria

Action Submittals Requiredcheckbox

☑ Complete EIFS product data for one matched listed system

☑ Code-compliance evaluation report for the specific system

☑ Drainage efficiency test data per ASTM E2273

☑ Exterior wall flame propagation compliance evidence for the assembly as designed

☑ Surface burning characteristics reports and foam plastic compliance path

☑ Impact resistance classification per ASTM E2486 with an impact class wall diagram

☐ Reinforcing mesh alkali exposure strength data per ASTM E2098

☑ Shop drawings for layout, joints, terminations, openings, and control layer interfaces

☑ Color and texture samples on the actual base coat substrate

☑ Applicator certification and manufacturer installation instructions

☐ Field water test plan

3.1.3 The EIFS shall be submitted as one coordinated package identifying a single manufacturer's complete listed system.

3.1.4 Piecemeal submittal of individual components drawn from more than one manufacturer's system shall not be accepted.

3.2 Informational Submittals

NOTE Informational submittals establish who is qualified to do the work and how the concealed portions will be proven, and they are due early enough that a deficiency can still be corrected by substitution rather than by demolition. (3.2.1)

3.2.2 The Contractor shall submit the following for the Engineer of Record's information before EIFS work begins:

The applicator's record of completed EIFS projects of comparable type, scale, and complexity, identifying the system used on each
A written quality control plan identifying the inspection hold points, the party performing each inspection, and the record forms to be used
The manufacturer's field service schedule identifying who will attend and at which milestones
A sequencing plan identifying, for each flashing, termination, and sealant joint condition, which trade installs each component and in what order
Cold weather and hot weather application procedures where work is scheduled outside the manufacturer's published ambient and substrate conditions
Written confirmation from the EIFS manufacturer that the proposed joint sealants and any required primers are compatible with, and will adhere to, the specified base coat and finish

Informational Submittals Requiredcheckbox

☑ Applicator record of comparable completed projects

☑ Quality control plan with inspection hold points

☑ Manufacturer field service schedule

☑ Trade responsibility and sequencing plan for flashings, terminations, and sealant joints

☐ Cold weather and hot weather application procedures

☑ Manufacturer confirmation of sealant compatibility and adhesion

3.3 Closeout Submittals

NOTE The closeout package is the only durable record that the concealed layers were built as specified, because none of them can be re-examined once the finish coat is on. (3.3.1)

3.3.2 At Substantial Completion the Contractor shall submit the following before the EIFS work is accepted:

Executed manufacturer system warranty and executed Contractor installation warranty
Field water test reports where field water testing was performed, recording each condition tested, the result, and the repair and re-test of each failure
The moisture survey report where a survey was performed
Marked-up as-built shop drawings showing actual reveal, expansion joint, and field-cut conditions and each deviation from the approved details
Daily application records, including ambient and substrate temperature and substrate moisture condition at the time each coat was applied
The manufacturer's field reports from each site visit
Maintenance instructions covering cleaning, periodic sealant joint inspection, and finish repair
Turnover of spare finish material and the recorded batch numbers of the installed finish

Closeout Submittals Requiredcheckbox

☑ Executed manufacturer system warranty and Contractor installation warranty

☐ Field water test reports

☐ Moisture survey report

☑ Marked-up as-built shop drawings

☑ Daily application records with ambient and substrate conditions

☑ Manufacturer field reports

☑ Maintenance instructions

☐ Spare finish material and recorded batch numbers

4 Applicator Qualification and Manufacturer Involvement

4.1 Applicator Qualification

NOTE EIFS performance depends on field workmanship to an unusual degree. The continuity of the water-resistive barrier, the embedment of the mesh in the base coat, the back-wrapping of every edge, and the detailing of terminations all determine whether the wall performs, and all of them are concealed by the finish coat and cannot be inspected afterward. (4.1.1)

NOTE Manufacturer certification programs qualify an applicator for one named system and tie the system warranty to that qualification. A record of comparable completed projects instead demonstrates that the applicator has executed the scale and complexity the project presents. The two verify different things, and a project may require either or both. (4.1.2)

4.1.3 The applicator's manufacturer certification shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Applicator Manufacturer Certificationradio

● Certified or licensed by the manufacturer of the specified EIFS

○ Certified or licensed by the manufacturer of any EIFS of the same class

○ No manufacturer certification required

4.1.4 The applicator shall submit a record of not less than the number of comparable completed EIFS projects indicated in the datasheet, each of comparable type, scale, and complexity.

Minimum Comparable Completed Projectsrange

projects

123510

4.1.5 Where no number of comparable completed projects is indicated in the datasheet, the applicator shall submit a project record and the Engineer of Record shall determine whether it demonstrates comparable experience.

4.1.6 A certified applicator or a supervisor employed by the certified applicator shall be present on site whenever EIFS work is in progress.

4.2 Manufacturer Field Services

NOTE Manufacturer system warranties are commonly conditioned on documented site visits by the manufacturer's technical representative. A visit that was never scheduled is a warranty that was never earned, and the omission is normally discovered only when a claim is made. (4.2.1)

4.2.2 The Contractor shall schedule and coordinate the EIFS manufacturer's field visits at the milestones indicated in the datasheet.

Manufacturer Field Visit Milestonescheckbox

☐ Preinstallation conference

☑ Mockup construction

☑ Water-resistive barrier installation before cover-up

☑ Start of field application

☐ First installation of each termination and joint type

☑ Periodic visits during application

☐ Final inspection before acceptance

4.2.3 The manufacturer's technical representative shall record each visit in a written field report identifying the work observed, each nonconforming condition, and the corrective action directed.

4.2.4 The manufacturer's technical representative shall confirm in writing that the application conforms to the requirements on which the system warranty depends.

4.3 Preinstallation Conference

NOTE The great majority of EIFS water entry originates at trade boundaries and at openings rather than in the field of the wall, and the boundary that most often fails is one that two subcontractors each believed the other was closing. (4.3.1)

NOTE The purpose of the conference is to fix on paper, before any material is installed, which trade installs each part of every flashing, termination, and sealant joint, in what sequence, and how responsibility for the continuity of the water-resistive barrier and the drainage path is handed off. (4.3.2)

4.3.3 The Contractor shall convene a preinstallation conference before EIFS work begins where the datasheet indicates the conference is required.

Preinstallation Conferenceradio

● Required before EIFS work begins

○ Not required

4.3.4 The Contractor shall require attendance by the Engineer of Record, the EIFS manufacturer's technical representative, the EIFS applicator, and the installer of every adjacent trade whose work meets the system, including framing and sheathing, air barrier, sheet metal flashing, fenestration, and joint sealants.

4.3.5 The conference shall resolve, in writing, the trade responsibility and installation sequence for each flashing, termination, and sealant joint condition shown on the approved shop drawings.

4.3.6 The Contractor shall distribute the written record of the conference to every attendee and shall include it in the closeout submittals.

4.4 Mockup

NOTE A mockup converts an argument about workmanship into a physical benchmark the Engineer of Record and the manufacturer have both accepted, and it exposes detailing problems while the correction still costs a day rather than a facade. (4.4.1)

4.4.2 The Contractor shall construct an EIFS mockup of the type indicated in the datasheet.

Mockup Typeradio

○ Freestanding mockup constructed away from the building

○ In-place mockup constructed in the work and permitted to remain where accepted

○ Not required

4.4.3 The mockup shall be of the wall area indicated in the datasheet.

Mockup Wall Arearange

ft²

25500

4.4.4 The mockup shall incorporate the conditions indicated in the datasheet, each built with the materials, sequence, and workmanship proposed for the work.

Mockup Conditionscheckbox

☑ Water-resistive barrier on the sheathing

☑ Field of the wall in the specified finish texture and color

☑ Aesthetic reveal

☐ Expansion joint

☐ Inside corner and outside corner

☑ Back-wrapped edge

☑ Base termination with weeps

☑ Window or door perimeter with its flashing and sealant joint

☐ Transition between two impact mesh classes

☐ Penetration through the system

4.4.5 The mockup shall be reviewed and accepted in writing by the Engineer of Record and the manufacturer's technical representative before field application begins, and shall thereafter establish the standard of workmanship, color, and texture for the work.

4.4.6 The accepted mockup shall remain undisturbed and available for comparison until the EIFS work is accepted.

4.5 Special Inspection

NOTE The adopted building code requires special inspection of some EIFS configurations and exempts others, and the trigger turns on the water management class and the substrate rather than on the size of the work. (4.5.1)

4.5.2 Special inspection of the EIFS shall be provided as indicated in the datasheet.

Special Inspection of the EIFSradio

○ Required, performed by an approved agency engaged by the Owner

○ Required, performed by an approved agency engaged by the Contractor

○ Not required under the adopted building code for this assembly

4.5.3 The Contractor shall provide the special inspector access to the work and shall give notice before concealing any portion of the assembly subject to special inspection.

5 Water Management Class

NOTE The water management class determines whether the wall has a second line of defense. It sets what must be submitted, what must be tested, how the insulation is attached, how the base is terminated, and how much a defect in a sealant joint or a flashing costs the assembly. (5.1)

5.2 The EIFS water management class shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

EIFS Water Management Classradio

● EIFS with drainage, with a drained cavity between the insulation and the water-resistive barrier

○ Barrier EIFS, with the insulation adhered directly to the substrate and no drainage cavity

5.3 Where the adopted building code requires drainage for the construction type and substrate of the project, an EIFS with drainage shall be provided regardless of the class indicated in the datasheet.

5.4 Where a barrier EIFS is indicated in the datasheet, the Contractor shall submit the code-compliance evaluation report that evaluates the specific system without drainage, together with the code provision under which it is permitted for the substrate on this project.

5.5 Drainage Cavity and Drainage Efficiency

NOTE ASTM E2273 measures what fraction of the water introduced behind the lamina leaves the assembly again, and the resulting drainage efficiency is the number that separates a drained wall from one that merely has a cavity. The building code and ASTM E2568 set the minimum for EIFS with drainage at 90 percent. (5.5.1)

5.5.2 The drainage means shall be as indicated in the datasheet, and shall be continuous behind the insulation from the field of the wall to weeps at every base and horizontal termination.

Drainage Meansradio

○ Vertically grooved or channeled insulation board

○ Drainage mat or entangled net layer behind the insulation

○ Adhesive applied in vertical ribbons forming drainage channels

○ Drainage board with integral channels between the insulation and the water-resistive barrier

○ Not applicable to a barrier EIFS

5.5.3 The clad wall assembly shall demonstrate a drainage efficiency of not less than the value indicated in the datasheet when tested in accordance with ASTM E2273.

Minimum Drainage Efficiencyrange

%

9095100

NOTE A drainage efficiency of zero records a barrier EIFS, which has no drainage cavity and therefore no drainage to measure. (5.5.4)

5.5.5 The drainage cavity shall not be bridged or dammed by adhesive, base coat, insulation, sealant, or flashing at any point between the field of the wall and the weeps.

5.5.6 The drainage cavity shall discharge to the exterior through weeps at every base termination and at every horizontal termination that interrupts the cavity.

5.6 Barrier EIFS Without a Drainage Cavity

NOTE Requirements in this article apply where a barrier EIFS is indicated in the datasheet. (5.6.1)

NOTE In a barrier EIFS the finish face and its joints are the entire water management, so the durability of the wall becomes a function of sealant service life and of periodic inspection and renewal rather than of a drainage path. Where the sealant joints are not maintained on a defined interval, water entry has no route out of the assembly. (5.6.2)

5.6.3 Where a barrier EIFS is indicated in the datasheet, the substrate shall be one over which the manufacturer's listed barrier system is evaluated and which the adopted building code permits without drainage.

5.6.4 Where a barrier EIFS is indicated in the datasheet, the insulation shall be adhered to the substrate over the adhesive coverage the listed system requires for the design wind pressure, and no drainage means shall be provided.

5.6.5 Where a barrier EIFS is indicated in the datasheet, every joint, termination, penetration, and sealant joint shall be detailed to shed water at the finish face, and each shall be shown on the approved shop drawings.

5.6.6 Where a barrier EIFS is indicated in the datasheet, the maintenance instructions shall state the inspection interval for sealant joints and terminations on which the water management of the wall depends.

6 Water-Resistive Barrier

NOTE In an EIFS with drainage the water-resistive barrier, not the finish face, is the layer that keeps the building dry. It has to be continuous across the whole wall and lapped or sealed shingle-fashion into every flashing so that water reaching it drains down and out rather than sideways into the assembly. (6.1)

NOTE The barrier is most often a fluid-applied coating that is part of the listed system and that doubles as the adhesive bedding for the insulation, but sheet products are used where the system is listed over them. The choice changes the substrate preparation, the exposure tolerance before cover-up, and the way penetrations are sealed. (6.2)

6.3 The water-resistive barrier shall be a component of the listed EIFS, shall be evaluated in accordance with ASTM E2570 where it is a coating, and shall be of the type indicated in the datasheet.

Water-Resistive Barrier Typeradio

● Fluid-applied coating, trowel, roller, or spray applied

○ Self-adhered sheet membrane

○ Mechanically fastened sheet or building wrap

○ Integral water-resistive barrier sheathing with sealed joints and fastener heads

6.4 The water-resistive barrier shall be continuous across the sheathing and shall be integrated with the flashings at every opening, penetration, and termination so that water reaching it drains down and out to the exterior.

6.5 Penetrations of the water-resistive barrier shall be sealed with the accessory materials the EIFS manufacturer supplies or approves for the barrier in use.

6.6 The water-resistive barrier shall not remain exposed to sunlight, weather, or construction traffic longer than the manufacturer's published exposure period before it is covered.

6.7 Relationship to the Wall Air Barrier

NOTE Whether the EIFS water-resistive barrier also carries the air control function is a decision independent of which barrier type is used, and it changes what is submitted, what is tested, and who is responsible for the plane. Where the two functions are combined, the barrier must additionally meet the air leakage and continuity provisions that govern an air barrier; where they are separate, a second plane exists behind the EIFS whose own continuity has to be detailed and inspected. (6.7.1)

6.7.2 The relationship between the EIFS water-resistive barrier and the wall air barrier shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Water-Resistive Barrier and Air Barrier Relationshipradio

● Combined, the EIFS water-resistive barrier also serves as the continuous air barrier

○ Separate, a discrete air barrier is provided in addition to the EIFS water-resistive barrier

6.7.3 Where the datasheet indicates the functions are combined, the air barrier requirements of Air BarriersAir BarriersResolves to the current edition.sync/air-barriers shall apply to the EIFS water-resistive barrier and the two functions shall be detailed, installed, and verified as one continuous plane.

6.7.4 Where the datasheet indicates the functions are separate, the EIFS water-resistive barrier shall be lapped and sealed to the air barrier specified in Air BarriersAir BarriersResolves to the current edition.sync/air-barriers so that neither plane is interrupted at the transition.

7 Structural Performance Under Wind Load

NOTE The lamina of an EIFS carries little load itself. The wind resistance of the wall is governed by the bond or the fastening of the insulation to the substrate and by the capacity of the sheathing and the framing behind it, and the system's listed wind load value is developed for one specific substrate, water-resistive barrier, and attachment method. (7.1)

NOTE Corner and edge zones see substantially higher outward suction than the field of the wall, which is why they govern the adhesive coverage or the fastener pattern and the sheathing fastening in those zones even though the field of the wall sets the nominal design pressure. (7.2)

7.3 The design wind pressure for the field of the wall shall be as indicated in the datasheet, determined in accordance with ASCE 7 for the building's height, exposure, risk category, and wall zone.

Design Wind Pressure at the Field of the Wallrange

psf

20304050607590100120150200

Per drawings — structural drawings (deferred by default)

7.4 The design wind pressure for corner and edge zones shall be as indicated in the datasheet, determined in accordance with ASCE 7 for the building's height, exposure, risk category, and wall zone.

Design Wind Pressure at Corner and Edge Zonesrange

psf

3045607590120150200250300

Per drawings — structural drawings (deferred by default)

7.5 The EIFS, its insulation attachment, and the supporting sheathing and framing shall sustain the design positive and negative wind pressures without insulation disengagement, sheathing failure, or cracking of the lamina.

7.6 The as-built substrate, water-resistive barrier, and attachment method shall match the configuration for which the system's wind load evaluation was developed.

7.7 The adhesive coverage or the fastener pattern shall be increased in corner and edge zones to the extent the system listing requires for the design pressure recorded for those zones.

8 Thermal Performance

NOTE An EIFS places its insulation outboard of the framing, so the insulation is not interrupted by studs and the thermal bridging that dominates a cavity-insulated framed wall is largely eliminated. The insulation fasteners, where mechanical attachment is used, are the remaining bridge. (8.1)

NOTE Expanded polystyrene manufactured for EIFS contributes a nominal thermal resistance in the range of R-3.6 to R-4.0 per inch, so the continuous insulation contribution of the system follows directly from the board thickness. (8.2)

8.3 The continuous insulation thermal resistance provided by the EIFS shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Continuous Insulation Thermal Resistance Provided by the EIFSrange

R (h·ft²·°F/Btu)

2.53.8567.51011.412.51520253040

Per drawings — energy code compliance documentation (deferred by default)

8.4 The assembly thermal performance of the wall of which the EIFS forms a part, and the cavity insulation behind the sheathing, shall be as specified in Building Thermal InsulationBuilding Thermal InsulationResolves to the current edition.sync/building-thermal-insulation.

8.5 The Contractor shall not substitute an insulation thickness that reduces the continuous insulation thermal resistance below the value on which the project's energy code compliance documentation relies.

9 Fire Performance

NOTE Expanded polystyrene is a foam plastic and is combustible, so essentially every EIFS wall contains a combustible component and falls within the foam plastic and exterior wall flame propagation provisions of the building code. The compliance path is settled before the system is selected, because it constrains the insulation thickness, the sheathing, and the water-resistive barrier together. (9.1)

9.2 Surface Burning and Foam Plastic Provisions

9.2.1 The foam plastic insulation shall have a flame spread index not greater than 75 and a smoke-developed index not greater than 450 when tested in accordance with ASTM E84 or UL 723 at the thickness intended for use, except where it is used in an assembly tested and listed as a whole.

9.2.2 The surface burning classification of the insulation shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Insulation Surface Burning Classificationradio

● Class A, flame spread index of 25 or less

○ Class B, flame spread index of 26 through 75

9.2.3 The foam plastic insulation shall be separated from the interior of the building by the thermal barrier the adopted building code requires, except where the code provides an exception for the specific application.

NOTE The thermal barrier separating the foam plastic from the interior is part of the interior construction rather than of the EIFS, and is specified in Gypsum Board AssembliesGypsum Board AssembliesResolves to the current edition.sync/gypsum-board-assemblies where it is gypsum board. (9.2.4)

9.3 Vertical and Lateral Flame Propagation

NOTE NFPA 285 is a full-scale fire test of a complete wall assembly that measures whether fire spreads vertically up the exterior face and laterally through the wall beyond stated limits. It exists because a foam plastic insulation, however well it performs in a small-scale surface burning test, can carry flame up a multi-story facade if the assembly is not detailed to interrupt that spread. (9.3.1)

NOTE Compliance is a property of the whole tested assembly, including the sheathing, the water-resistive barrier, the insulation type and thickness, the base and finish coats, and the back-up wall. Substituting any combustible component, or exceeding the tested insulation thickness, describes an assembly that was not the one tested. (9.3.2)

9.3.3 Compliance with the vertical and lateral flame propagation provisions of the adopted building code shall be established on the basis indicated in the datasheet.

Flame Propagation Compliance Basisradio

○ Assembly tested to NFPA 285 acceptance criteria

○ Engineering analysis extending an NFPA 285 tested assembly, prepared by a fire protection engineer

○ Exception under the adopted building code for the assembly as designed

○ Not required, the building's type of construction does not invoke the provision

9.3.4 Where compliance rests on an engineering analysis, the analysis shall identify the tested assembly on which it relies, shall state each variation from that assembly, and shall state the basis for accepting each variation.

9.3.5 The Contractor shall not apply the EIFS until the flame propagation compliance basis for the assembly as designed is documented and submitted.

9.3.6 The Contractor shall not substitute any component of an assembly whose flame propagation compliance depends on a test or an analysis without submitting revised evidence of compliance for the substituted assembly.

10 Sheathing Substrate

NOTE The sheathing is what the water-resistive barrier and the insulation attach to, and it is the last line of defense where the barrier is breached. Glass mat gypsum sheathing resists moisture better than paper-faced gypsum sheathing, whose face feeds mold and loses strength when wet, and concrete and unit masonry are not moisture-sensitive in the same way at all. (10.1)

NOTE The substrate also determines what the system is listed over, because the wind load, drainage, and fire test data were developed on one specific substrate. (10.2)

10.3 The exterior sheathing substrate receiving the EIFS shall be as indicated in the datasheet, and shall be a substrate over which the manufacturer's listed system is evaluated.

Exterior Sheathing Substrateselect

Glass mat gypsum sheathing per ASTM C1177

Paper-faced gypsum sheathing per ASTM C1396

Fiber-reinforced or fiber-mat cement sheathing

Exterior wood structural panel sheathing

Cast-in-place or precast concrete

Unit masonry

Portland cement plaster or existing stucco

Per drawings — wall type schedule (deferred by default)

10.4 The substrate shall be sound, dry, securely fastened to the structure, and free of dust, laitance, form release agents, efflorescence, coatings, and projections before the water-resistive barrier is applied.

10.5 The substrate shall be flat within the maximum deviation indicated in the datasheet, measured in any direction.

Maximum Substrate Deviation in 4 ftrange

in

0.1250.18750.250.3750.5

10.6 Where no maximum substrate deviation is indicated in the datasheet, the EIFS manufacturer's published substrate flatness tolerance shall govern, and that value shall be stated in the product data submittal.

10.7 Where the parties disagree whether a substrate is acceptable to receive the EIFS, the Engineer of Record shall make the initial determination.

11 Insulation Board

11.1 EPS Board Conformance and Aging

NOTE The insulation used in an EIFS is a low-density expanded polystyrene manufactured and aged specifically for the application rather than generic foam board. Fresh EPS taken too soon from the mold continues to shrink, and a board that shrinks after it is laminated opens joints and telegraphs cracks through the finish. (11.1.1)

11.1.2 The insulation board shall conform to ASTM E2430 and to the applicable type of ASTM C578, and shall be manufactured for use in an EIFS.

11.1.3 The insulation board shall be aged not less than the period indicated in the datasheet before it is cut and installed.

Minimum EPS Aging Period Before Installationrange

weeks

246812

11.1.4 Where no aging period is indicated in the datasheet, the aging period required by ASTM E2430 for the product shall govern, and that period shall be stated in the product data submittal.

11.1.5 The insulation board shall be cut square and flat and shall be free of warp, crushed edges, and surface degradation when installed.

11.1.6 Insulation board that has been exposed to sunlight long enough to yellow or dust at the surface shall be rasped to sound material before the base coat is applied.

11.2 EPS Board Thickness

NOTE Board thickness is bounded at the low end by the thickness below which back-wrapping and fastening are not practical, and at the high end by the thickness of the assembly that was fire tested, because the insulation is the fuel load in that test. (11.2.1)

11.2.2 The insulation board thickness shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

EPS Board Thicknessrange

in

0.7511.522.5345681012

Per drawings — wall type schedule and exterior wall details (deferred by default)

11.2.3 The insulation board thickness shall be not less than the minimum thickness of the manufacturer's listed system.

11.2.4 The insulation board thickness shall not exceed the thickness of the assembly on which the project's flame propagation compliance relies.

11.3 Insulation Attachment

NOTE Adhesive attachment develops its bond to the water-resistive barrier rather than to the sheathing itself, so the barrier and the substrate have to be the ones the system was load tested over. Applied in ribbons or with a notched trowel, the same adhesive forms the vertical channels that drain the cavity. (11.3.1)

NOTE Mechanical fasteners with washers hold where an adhesive bond is not achievable or where the schedule will not allow the substrate to dry, but every fastener is a designed penetration of the water-resistive barrier and each one bridges the cavity locally. (11.3.2)

NOTE Board joints that align with substrate joints or land on the corner of an opening concentrate stress at a line where the substrate already moves, and the crack propagates through the lamina. (11.3.3)

11.3.4 The insulation shall be attached to the substrate by the means indicated in the datasheet, over the coverage or at the pattern the listed system requires for the design wind pressure.

Insulation Attachment Methodradio

● Adhesive bedded to the water-resistive barrier

○ Mechanical fasteners with washers

○ Adhesive and mechanical fasteners combined

11.3.5 Where mechanical fasteners penetrate the water-resistive barrier, each penetration shall be sealed or located as the system listing requires.

11.3.6 Insulation boards shall be installed in a running bond pattern with tight joints, offset from substrate joints and from the corners of openings.

11.3.7 Gaps between insulation boards wider than the manufacturer's published limit shall be filled with slivers of the same insulation and shall not be filled with base coat, adhesive, or sealant.

12 Base Coat and Reinforcing Mesh

12.1 Base Coat

NOTE The base coat is the structural skin of an EIFS. It carries the reinforcing mesh, distributes impact and stress across the soft insulation behind it, and forms the surface the finish bonds to. (12.1.1)

NOTE The governing workmanship requirement is full embedment of the mesh. Mesh troweled into wet base coat and covered until its weave no longer shows is continuous reinforcement; mesh left at or near the surface is a crack line and a moisture path, and it is the most common base coat defect. (12.1.2)

12.1.3 The base coat shall be the base coat of the listed EIFS and shall be of the type indicated in the datasheet.

Base Coat Typeradio

○ Polymer-based noncementitious base coat, factory mixed and ready to use

○ Polymer-modified cementitious base coat, factory blended dry and field mixed with water

○ Polymer-modified cementitious base coat, field mixed with portland cement

12.1.4 The base coat shall be applied over the insulation in the thickness and in the number of passes the manufacturer publishes for the mesh weight in use.

12.1.5 The reinforcing mesh shall be fully embedded in the base coat, and no mesh color, weave, or pattern shall be visible through the cured base coat.

12.1.6 The base coat shall be allowed to cure for the period the manufacturer publishes before the finish coat is applied.

12.2 Reinforcing Mesh and Impact Classification

NOTE The impact resistance of an EIFS is set by its reinforcing mesh. ASTM E2486 defines four classes reached by heavier mesh or by additional layers: Standard at 25 to 49 in-lbf, Medium at 50 to 89 in-lbf, High at 90 to 150 in-lbf, and Ultra High above 150 in-lbf. (12.2.1)

NOTE The classes correspond to mesh in the range of roughly 4 to 6 oz/yd² at Standard, on the order of 15 oz/yd² at High, and on the order of 20 oz/yd² or a doubled layup at Ultra High. The industry practice published by the EIFS trade association is High or Ultra High for wall areas within 8 ft of grade. (12.2.2)

NOTE An EIFS lamina is thin and the insulation behind it is soft, so the face dents and punctures under foot traffic, carts, vehicles, and maintenance equipment at energies that leave masonry or metal cladding unmarked. Where a wall area is reachable from grade or from a traffic route, that exposure governs the mesh selection for the area. (12.2.3)

NOTE The alkalinity of a cementitious base coat degrades uncoated glass fiber over time, which is why the mesh carries an alkali-resistant coating and why its retained strength is measured after alkali exposure rather than as manufactured. (12.2.4)

12.2.5 The reinforcing mesh shall be the alkali-resistant coated glass fiber mesh of the listed EIFS, and its tensile breaking strength after exposure to a sodium hydroxide solution shall be determined in accordance with ASTM E2098.

12.2.6 The impact classification of the field of the wall shall be as indicated in the datasheet, determined in accordance with ASTM E2486.

Impact Classification at the Field of the Wallradio

● Standard, 25 to 49 in-lbf

○ Medium, 50 to 89 in-lbf

○ High, 90 to 150 in-lbf

○ Ultra High, above 150 in-lbf

12.2.7 The impact classification of the lower wall and of exposed areas shall be as indicated in the datasheet, determined in accordance with ASTM E2486.

Impact Classification at the Lower Wall and Exposed Areasradio

○ Standard, 25 to 49 in-lbf

○ Medium, 50 to 89 in-lbf

○ High, 90 to 150 in-lbf

○ Ultra High, above 150 in-lbf

○ Same classification as the field of the wall

12.2.8 The elevated impact classification shall extend from the adjacent finished grade or walking surface up to the height indicated in the datasheet, and shall extend to the full height of exposed outside corners within that zone.

Height of the Elevated Impact Zone Above Finished Graderange

ft

46810121620

12.2.9 Where two impact classifications meet, the heavier mesh shall be lapped behind the lighter mesh across the transition so that no unreinforced gap occurs at the joint.

12.2.10 Mesh shall be lapped at every joint by not less than the lap width the manufacturer publishes, and butted mesh joints shall not be used.

12.2.11 Corner mesh, reinforcing strips at the corners of openings, and detail mesh at reveals and terminations shall be installed before the field mesh is applied over them.

13 Finish Coat

13.1 Finish Type

NOTE The finish coat is the weathering and aesthetic face of the system. In a Class PB EIFS it is a factory-mixed, integrally colored coating applied over the cured base coat, integrally colored so that a chip does not expose a different color underneath, and flexible enough to bridge the hairline movement of the lamina. (13.1.1)

NOTE Finish chemistry changes what the wall resists rather than what it looks like. Acrylic finishes resist dirt, fading, and mildew better than cementitious finishes; silicone-enhanced finishes shed water and resist dirt pickup further; elastomeric finishes bridge wider hairline cracking at the cost of a softer, more easily marked surface. (13.1.2)

13.1.3 The finish coat shall be the finish of the listed EIFS, factory mixed and integrally colored, and shall be of the type indicated in the datasheet.

Finish Coat Typeradio

● Acrylic polymer finish

○ Acrylic polymer finish with a dirt pickup resistant or mildew resistant additive

○ Silicone-enhanced acrylic finish

○ Elastomeric high-flexibility acrylic finish

○ Polymer-modified cementitious finish

○ Mineral silicate finish

13.1.4 The finish coat shall be applied over a cured, clean, and dry base coat in a continuous application from break to break, worked wet edge to wet edge so that no lap line, cold joint, or float mark shows in the completed work.

13.2 Finish Texture and Color

NOTE Texture is a durability decision as much as an appearance one. Deep, coarse textures hide minor base coat irregularity but hold more dirt in the profile; fine and smooth textures show every substrate imperfection and demand a flatter base coat, and they show trowel and float marks that a coarse aggregate would conceal. (13.2.1)

13.2.2 The finish texture shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Finish Textureselect

Fine or sand texture

Medium aggregate texture

Coarse aggregate texture

Troweled smooth texture

Freeform or swirl texture

Rilled or scored texture

Rasped or stone-look texture

Per drawings — exterior finish schedule (deferred by default)

13.2.3 The finish color shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Finish Colortext

Enter value...

Per drawings — exterior finish schedule (deferred by default)

13.2.4 The finish texture and color shall be confirmed on the accepted mockup before field application begins.

13.3 Finish Light Reflectance

NOTE A dark finish on an EPS-based EIFS absorbs solar heat, and where the surface temperature approaches the softening range of the polystyrene the board distorts and the bond degrades. This is a temperature limit rather than an aesthetic judgment, and it is why manufacturers publish a minimum light reflectance value for their standard systems and separately list assemblies rated for darker colors. (13.3.1)

13.3.2 The finish light reflectance shall be limited as indicated in the datasheet.

Finish Light Reflectance Policyradio

● Light reflectance value at or above the published minimum for the standard system

○ Light reflectance value below the published minimum, using a finish and insulation listed for low reflectance exposure

○ No light reflectance limitation, the system is listed for the full color range

13.3.3 Where the datasheet indicates a finish below the published minimum light reflectance value, the Contractor shall submit the listing that evaluates the specific finish and insulation for that exposure.

14 Aesthetic Reveals

NOTE Reveals are decorative grooves routed or cut into the insulation to articulate the facade. Their sides and bottom are wall surface, not a free edge, and the insulation remaining at the bottom of the groove is the local thickness of the system at that line. (14.1)

14.2 Reveal locations and profiles shall be as shown on the exterior elevations and reveal profile details.

14.3 Aesthetic reveals shall be formed in the insulation and shall be fully back-wrapped.

14.4 Reveals shall be reinforced with base coat and mesh on every face of the groove.

14.5 The sides and bottom of a reveal shall be base-coated, meshed, and finished exactly as the field of the wall is finished, and shall not be left as bare insulation.

14.6 Reveals shall retain not less than the insulation thickness indicated in the datasheet at the bottom of the groove.

Minimum Insulation Thickness Remaining at the Bottom of a Revealrange

in

0.250.3750.50.7511.52

14.7 Where no minimum remaining thickness is indicated in the datasheet, the EIFS manufacturer's published minimum insulation thickness at a reveal shall govern, and that value shall be stated in the product data submittal.

14.8 A reveal is not an expansion joint and shall not be relied on to accommodate building movement.

15 Expansion and Movement Joints

NOTE An EIFS expansion joint is a full break through the system down to the substrate, closed with backing and sealant, that lets the building and the cladding move without cracking the lamina. A groove cut partway into the insulation is a reveal and accommodates nothing. (15.1)

NOTE Joints are required where the structure itself moves, where the substrate changes because two substrates move differently, and at the floor lines of platform-framed construction, which shrinks across the depth of the floor framing as the lumber dries. (15.2)

15.3 Expansion joints shall be provided through the full thickness of the EIFS, including the insulation, at each condition indicated in the datasheet.

Expansion Joint Locations Requiredcheckbox

☑ At structural expansion and seismic joints

☑ Where dissimilar substrates meet

☑ At floor lines of platform-framed and other shrinking construction

☑ At changes in building height or in structural support

☑ Where the EIFS abuts a dissimilar cladding or material

☐ At the maximum panel dimension the EIFS manufacturer publishes

15.4 Expansion joints shall be located as shown on the approved shop drawings.

15.5 The expansion joint width shall be as indicated in the datasheet, sized for the anticipated movement at the joint.

Expansion Joint Widthrange

in

0.250.3750.50.7511.52

Per drawings — expansion joint details (deferred by default)

15.6 Each EIFS edge at an expansion joint shall be back-wrapped so that no bare insulation is exposed within the joint.

15.7 The sealant and backing in an expansion joint shall be as specified in Joint SealantsJoint SealantsResolves to the current edition.sync/joint-sealants, and shall be a sealant the EIFS manufacturer confirms in writing will adhere to the base coat and finish in use.

16 Back-Wrapping and Terminations

16.1 Back-Wrapping of Edges

NOTE Back-wrapping is the detail that decides whether an EIFS edge is a finished surface or an open hole, and it is the one most often omitted because it has to happen before the field mesh goes on and cannot be added afterward. (16.1.1)

NOTE A bare insulation edge admits water into the board and the cavity from the side, bypassing the finish face entirely, and it crushes under the lightest contact because there is no lamina holding it. (16.1.2)

NOTE The mesh is turned around the edge of the insulation and bonded back to the substrate or the water-resistive barrier, and the field mesh then laps over that return, so the lamina is continuous around the edge and the insulation is fully encapsulated. (16.1.3)

16.1.4 Every EIFS edge, including terminations, openings, expansion joints, reveals, penetrations, and any location where the system stops, shall be back-wrapped by wrapping the reinforcing mesh and base coat around the edge of the insulation and onto the substrate so that no bare insulation edge is exposed.

16.1.5 Each edge shall be back-wrapped before the field mesh is lapped over it.

16.1.6 Back-wrapped edges shall be inspected and accepted before the field mesh and base coat conceal them.

16.2 Base Termination and Weeps

NOTE The base of an EIFS is where the drainage cavity discharges, and it is the one horizontal edge where gravity delivers every drop the wall collects. A base detailed without a weep path dams the cavity at exactly the point it was built to drain. (16.2.1)

NOTE An EIFS carried into soil, paving, or standing water wicks ground moisture up into the insulation and the substrate behind it, and the resulting deterioration is concealed and progressive. This is why manufacturers' listings establish a minimum height above the adjacent surface. (16.2.2)

16.2.3 The base of the EIFS shall be terminated by the means indicated in the datasheet, with a back-wrapped edge and a weep path that drains the cavity to the exterior.

Base Termination Meansradio

○ Manufacturer's drainage or starter track with weeps

○ Back-wrapped edge over through-wall flashing with an open weep at the base

○ Back-wrapped edge over a weep screed

16.2.4 The base of the EIFS shall terminate not less than the height indicated in the datasheet above the adjacent finished grade or paving.

EIFS Base Height Above Finished Graderange

in

2468121824

16.2.5 The base of the EIFS shall terminate not less than the height indicated in the datasheet above adjacent roofs, decks, copings, and other horizontal surfaces.

EIFS Base Height Above Roofs, Decks, and Other Horizontal Surfacesrange

in

2468121824

16.2.6 Where no base height is indicated in the datasheet for a condition, the EIFS manufacturer's published minimum height above that surface shall govern, and that value shall be stated in the product data submittal.

16.2.7 Where the datasheet indicates a base height of zero, the Contractor shall submit the manufacturer's listing evidencing that the system is evaluated for termination at the adjacent surface.

16.2.8 The base termination and its weeps shall not be dammed by base coat, finish, sealant, flashing, adhesive, or backfill.

16.2.9 The base termination shall be constructed as shown on the base termination detail.

17 Flashing and Sealant Integration

17.1 Flashing at Openings and Terminations

NOTE The flashings that frame an EIFS are where the system hands off to the rest of the envelope, and they concentrate the failures: two trades, two materials, and a change of plane, usually installed weeks apart. (17.1.1)

NOTE Head flashings turn up behind the water-resistive barrier and discharge over and beyond the finish, sill and base flashings are pan-formed with end dams so water that reaches them is collected and expelled, and copings shed away from the EIFS rather than onto or behind it. (17.1.2)

NOTE The sheet metal itself is specified in Sheet Metal Flashing And TrimSheet Metal Flashing and TrimResolves to the current edition.sync/sheet-metal-flashing-and-trim and Through Wall FlashingThrough-Wall Flashing and Masonry Moisture ControlResolves to the current edition.sync/through-wall-flashing; what this standard requires is that the interface between the EIFS and that metal preserve the continuity of the water-resistive barrier and drain to the exterior. (17.1.3)

17.1.4 Flashings at heads and sills of openings, at horizontal terminations, at parapets and copings, and at penetrations shall be integrated with the water-resistive barrier so that water is diverted to the exterior in front of the system.

17.1.5 Sill and base flashings shall be pan-formed and shall be provided with end dams.

17.1.6 The EIFS shall not be used to close a condition that the Contract Documents require to be flashed behind it.

17.1.7 Flashings and their interfaces with the EIFS shall be constructed as shown on the head, jamb, sill, base, parapet, and penetration details.

17.2 Sealant Joints at the EIFS

NOTE Sealant will not hold to bare insulation, and a finish coat can delaminate under sealant stress, so sealant at an EIFS joint is applied to the base coat over a back-wrapped edge. That sequencing requirement lands on the EIFS applicator rather than on the sealant trade: the edge has to be wrapped and base-coated before the sealant subcontractor arrives. (17.2.1)

NOTE A rigid bead buttered across a moving joint tears on the first significant cycle, so a movement joint is closed with backing and a bead proportioned to the movement rather than filled solid. (17.2.2)

17.2.3 Sealant joints at EIFS perimeters, openings, expansion joints, and penetrations shall be installed onto the base coat over a back-wrapped edge, and shall not be installed onto bare insulation or onto the finish coat alone.

17.2.4 Sealant joints in contact with the EIFS shall be installed with backing and joint geometry proportioned to the anticipated movement, as specified in Joint SealantsJoint SealantsResolves to the current edition.sync/joint-sealants and Exterior Weather SealantsExterior Weather SealantsResolves to the current edition.sync/exterior-weather-sealants.

17.2.5 The EIFS applicator shall complete the back-wrapping and base coat at every joint before the sealant work at that joint begins.

17.2.6 Adhesion of the sealant to the EIFS shall be verified as indicated in the datasheet.

Sealant Adhesion Verificationradio

○ Laboratory adhesion test on project substrates before installation

○ Field adhesion test on the installed work

○ Laboratory adhesion test before installation and field adhesion test on the installed work

○ Written confirmation of compatibility from the sealant and EIFS manufacturers without testing

17.2.7 The cost of adhesion testing and of replacing sealant that fails an adhesion test shall be borne by the Contractor.

18 Installation

18.1 The Contractor shall apply the EIFS in accordance with this standard, the approved shop drawings, ASTM C1397, the manufacturer's published instructions for the listed system, and the assembly configuration on which the project's flame propagation compliance relies.

18.2 Substrate and Water-Resistive Barrier Verification

NOTE Once the insulation and the lamina are on, the water-resistive barrier behind them cannot be reached without removing the EIFS, so the inspection regime is front-loaded into hold points rather than deferred to a punch list. A punch list cannot reach behind a finish coat. (18.2.1)

18.2.2 Before insulation is applied, the Contractor shall verify that the sheathing is sound, dry, flat within the specified tolerance, and securely fastened, that the water-resistive barrier and its accessory flashings are complete and continuous, and that every rough opening and penetration flashing behind the system is installed.

18.2.3 The completed water-resistive barrier shall be inspected and accepted before it is covered.

18.2.4 The applicator shall not cover a water-resistive barrier that is incomplete or that has not been accepted.

18.2.5 The Contractor shall give the Engineer of Record notice before concealing any portion of the water-resistive barrier, at the notice interval the Contract Documents establish.

18.2.6 Work concealed without the required inspection shall be uncovered for inspection at the Contractor's expense where the Engineer of Record directs.

18.3 Ambient and Substrate Conditions

NOTE The water-resistive barrier, adhesive, base coat, and finish are water-based and do not cure correctly below their minimum application temperature. The failure is invisible on the day of application and appears as a chalking finish, a weak base coat, or a lost bond weeks later. (18.3.1)

18.3.2 EIFS materials shall be applied only at and above the ambient and substrate temperature indicated in the datasheet, and only within the humidity and substrate moisture range the manufacturer publishes.

Minimum Application and Cure Temperaturerange

°F

35404550

18.3.3 The ambient and substrate temperature shall be maintained at or above the minimum application temperature for not less than the period indicated in the datasheet after each coat is applied.

Minimum Period the Application Temperature Is Maintained After Applicationrange

hours

24487296

18.3.4 Where no temperature maintenance period is indicated in the datasheet, the period the EIFS manufacturer publishes for the material and the ambient conditions shall govern, and that period shall be stated in the product data submittal.

18.3.5 EIFS materials shall not be applied to a frozen, frost-covered, or wet substrate.

18.3.6 Freshly applied materials shall be protected from rain, from freezing, and from direct sun and wind sufficient to flash the surface, until they have cured.

18.3.7 Each coat shall be allowed to cure for the period the manufacturer publishes before the next coat is applied.

18.3.8 Where work proceeds outside the manufacturer's published ambient conditions, the Contractor shall use the manufacturer's cold weather or hot weather materials and procedures and shall submit those procedures before that work begins.

18.3.9 The Contractor shall record the ambient temperature, the substrate temperature, and the substrate moisture condition at the start of each application and at each significant change in conditions.

18.4 Sequence and Coordination

18.4.1 The Contractor shall apply the system in the sequence established at the preinstallation conference.

18.4.2 The Contractor shall confirm that the flashings and rough opening seals that must precede the EIFS are installed and accepted before insulation is applied over them.

18.4.3 The Contractor shall confirm that the drainage path is continuous and unobstructed from the field of the wall to the weeps before the base coat is applied.

18.4.4 The Contractor shall protect the installed EIFS from physical damage and from contamination by following trades until the work is accepted.

18.5 Repair of Damaged Work

NOTE An EIFS is repairable, but only as the layered assembly it is: a skim coat over crushed insulation has no reinforcement under it and re-cracks along the same line. (18.5.1)

NOTE A field repair weathers differently from the surrounding wall and may remain faintly visible even where the color and texture are correctly matched, which is why the repair is cut back to a natural break where the elevation offers one. (18.5.2)

18.5.3 Damage to the cured EIFS shall be repaired with the manufacturer's materials and methods, cutting back to sound material and replacing the insulation where the insulation is damaged.

18.5.4 Repairs shall be re-laminated with mesh and base coat lapped onto sound surrounding lamina by not less than the lap width the manufacturer publishes, and refinished to match the adjacent texture and color.

18.5.5 Crushed or damaged insulation shall be cut out and replaced, and shall not be skimmed over with base coat.

18.5.6 Where the parties disagree whether a repair matches the accepted mockup, the Engineer of Record shall make the initial determination.

19 Field Quality Control

19.1 Field Water Testing

NOTE Field water testing finds the installation defects that no laboratory test of the listed system can reach: a missed back-wrap, an omitted end dam, an unsealed flashing lap, a sealant joint that never bonded. (19.1.1)

NOTE The nozzle method directs a calibrated spray along fixed, permanently sealed joints, and the chamber method applies water spray with a simultaneous air pressure differential across the specimen. The two are not interchangeable, because a joint that holds under spray alone can leak under pressure. (19.1.2)

NOTE Both methods are applied to fixed sealed joints rather than to drained and weeped base conditions, which are designed to admit water and discharge it and would report a leak that is the assembly working as intended. (19.1.3)

19.1.4 Field water testing shall be performed where the datasheet indicates it is required, and shall be scheduled early enough in the work that a defect found can be corrected in the same conditions elsewhere on the building.

Field Water Testingradio

○ Required

○ Not required

19.1.5 Field water testing shall be performed by the method indicated in the datasheet.

Field Water Test Methodradio

○ AAMA 501.2 nozzle method at fixed sealed joints

○ ASTM E1105 chamber method at a static air pressure differential

○ AAMA 501.2 nozzle method and ASTM E1105 chamber method

19.1.6 Field water testing shall be performed at not less than the number of locations indicated in the datasheet, distributed across the openings, terminations, and sealant joint conditions the approved test plan identifies.

Number of Field Water Test Locationsrange

locations

12358101520

19.1.7 Where a field water test records leakage, the Contractor shall locate the source, repair it, and proceed as indicated in the datasheet.

Remedy Where a Field Water Test Records Leakageradio

● Repair and re-test until the test is passed

○ Repair and re-test once, then evaluate the condition without further re-test

○ Repair without re-test

○ Record the result without repair

19.1.8 The cost of the repairs and of every re-test following a test that records leakage shall be borne by the Contractor.

19.1.9 The Contractor shall record the location, apparent cause, repair method, and re-test result for each condition tested, and shall include those records in the closeout submittals.

19.2 Moisture Survey Before Acceptance

NOTE Because the EIFS conceals the substrate, an elevated moisture reading is the only early indication that a flashing or a back-wrap is defective, and finding it before occupancy costs a repair rather than a reconstruction. (19.2.1)

19.2.2 A non-destructive moisture survey of the EIFS shall be performed before acceptance where the datasheet indicates it is required.

Moisture Survey Before Acceptanceradio

○ Required across the full EIFS area

○ Required at openings, terminations, and the lower wall

○ Not required

19.2.3 The moisture survey shall record the instrument used, the reference reading established on known-dry construction, the survey grid or path, and every location whose reading exceeds the reference.

19.2.4 Where the survey records a reading above the reference, the Contractor shall determine the cause, shall repair the condition, and shall re-survey the affected area.

19.2.5 Where the parties disagree whether a recorded reading indicates concealed water entry, the Engineer of Record shall make the initial determination.

20 Delivery, Storage, and Handling

NOTE The water-based coatings, adhesives, base coats, and finishes are both freeze-sensitive and shelf-life-limited, and neither condition is apparent from the container. (20.1)

NOTE Insulation board degrades under prolonged ultraviolet exposure, which yellows and dusts the surface and destroys the bond the base coat depends on. (20.2)

NOTE Finish material of one color varies slightly between production batches, which reads on a large wall as visible banding between the areas each container covered. (20.3)

20.4 EIFS materials shall be delivered in the manufacturer's original sealed and labeled containers, with the lot number and the shelf-life expiration date legible.

20.5 EIFS materials shall be stored off the ground, under cover, and within the temperature range the manufacturer publishes for storage.

20.6 Material that has frozen or that is past its shelf-life expiration date shall be removed from the site and shall not be used.

20.7 Insulation board shall be stored flat, protected from sunlight, and protected from wind and physical damage.

20.8 Finish material of one color and texture shall be drawn from a single batch where the quantity permits, and containers shall be intermixed before application so that no batch line appears in the completed work.

21 Warranty

21.1 Contractor Installation Warranty

21.1.1 The Contractor shall warrant the EIFS installation against water entry attributable to defective terminations, back-wrapping, flashing interfaces, or sealant joints, against delamination, against cracking attributable to workmanship, and against defects in materials and workmanship, for the period indicated in the datasheet from the date of Substantial Completion.

Contractor Installation Warranty Periodrange

years

12510

21.1.2 The Contractor shall bear the cost of correcting moisture damage to the substrate and the wall assembly attributable to water entry through the installed EIFS during the warranty period, including the cost of removing and reinstalling the cladding, insulation, and finishes required to reach the defect.

21.1.3 Work repaired under warranty shall be warranted for a full warranty term running from the date of the repair, or for the unexpired remainder of the original term, whichever ends later.

21.2 Manufacturer System Warranty

NOTE A manufacturer system warranty covers the matched component set rather than any one product, and it is conditioned on the certified applicator, the unmixed component set, and the documented field visits. Those conditions are satisfied or missed during construction and verified only at claim time. (21.2.1)

21.2.2 The Contractor shall provide the EIFS manufacturer's system warranty covering the matched components of the listed system for the period indicated in the datasheet.

Manufacturer System Warranty Periodrange

years

5101520

21.2.3 Where no manufacturer system warranty period is indicated in the datasheet, the period the EIFS manufacturer offers for the specified system shall govern, and that period shall be stated in the product data submittal.

21.2.4 The Contractor shall satisfy every condition on which the manufacturer system warranty depends and shall submit the manufacturer's written confirmation that those conditions have been met.

22 Spare Finish Material

NOTE A custom color may be unavailable years later and will not match across a batch change, so material set aside from the installed batches is what makes a future repair invisible. (22.1)

22.2 The Contractor shall deliver to the Owner spare finish material of each installed color and texture, in the manufacturer's sealed containers, in not less than the quantity indicated in the datasheet.

Spare Finish Material Quantity per Color and Texturerange

gal

15102050

22.3 The Contractor shall record the batch numbers of the installed finish for each color and texture and shall provide those records to the Owner.